Taboo! For Microbial Genetics
Instructions:
1. Split into two teams (Team A and Team B). Each team needs
to select one play to be the first clue-give, and each team sits
facing the card holder. The instructor will be the timekeeper.
2. Team A is first. Team B will sit beside or behind Team A’s
Clue-giver so they can see the cards as the Clue-giver plays
them. Team B will control the “buzzer”.
3. The Clue-giver’s teammates from Team A are not allowed to
see the cards and they will be seated behind the player
answering the Clue-Giver.
4. Teams will take turns appointing Clue-givers and guessing
words until all players have had one turn as the Clue-Giver. (If
one team has fewer players than the other, one person will go
twice).
5. The team with the most correct answers at the end wins the
prize!
Rules for Clues:
 No form or part of ANY word printed on the card may be given
as a clue. For example, if the word is genetics, you cannot give
“gene” as a clue.
 No gestures may be made to act out a word.
 No sound effect or noises may be made, but if you would like
to sing, you may do so.
 You cannot say the Guess Word “sounds like” or “rhymes
with” another word.
 No initials or abbreviations can be given if the words they
represent are included on the card and vice versa. Example:
you cannot say DNA if it says deoxyribonucleic acid and vice
versa.
Playing The Game:
1. The Clue-giver draws a card. The word at the top of the card is
the Guess Word the Clue-giver is trying to get his or her
teammates to say. The five words below the Guess Word are
the TABOO words the Clue-giver CANNOT say when giving
clues for the Guess Word.
2. As soon as a card is drawn, the instructor will start the time
and the Clue-giver will start giving clues that will make the
teammates say the Guess Word. The clues may consist of
detailed sentences, phrases, or single word hints. See the
figure above. The clues CANNOT break any or the Rules listed.
3. As the Clue-Giver gives clues, his or her teammates shout out
possible words trying to say the Guess Word. There is no
penalty for wrong guesses.
4. Each time a teammate shouts out the correct Guess Word, the
Clue-giver’s team scores a point. The guessed card remains in
5.
6.
7.
8.
a pile for the winning cards. The number of correctly guessed
cards will be added up at the end of the round.
Clue-givers can lose points by doing the following (and the
points lost go to the other team):
a. Getting Buzzed: During the Clue-giver’s turn, the
memmbers of the opposing team watch the Clue-giver
and the cards. If a TABOO word is used by the Clue-giver
or if any of the Rules are broken, the buzzer is sounded
by the opposing team. The card is “dead”, and the
opposing team explains why it was killed. The Card-giver
removes that card to the discard pile then continues
playing. The numbers of cards in the discard pile are the
points awarded to the opposing team on a turn.
b. Passing on a Card: You may choose to pass and not play
a card at any time during your turn as the Clue-giver.
Pass by removing the card and placing it into the discard
pile. Sometimes, it may be better to pass rather than
spend a lot of time on one card.
The Clue-giver’s turn continues until the timer runs out. The
instructor will be watching the timer and will signal when the
time is up.
If there is an unfinished card on the easel, place it out of play.
It does not count in scoring. Count up each pile and the
instructor will write the score on the board.
To win the game, all of the players have to have had one turn
as the Clue-giver. The team with the most points wins the
game. If there is a tie, there will be a “sudden death” round
where each team gets one more chance to win.
Genome
Chromosome
Plasmid
DNA
Traits
Characteristics
Chromosome
Genetics
Genome
DNA
Trait
Genetics
Genotype
DNA
Extrachromosomal
Genotype
Traits
Phenotype
Gene
Protein
Genotype
DNA
Protein
RNA
Genotype
Phenotype
RNA
DNA
Translation
Amino Acid
Genotype
Genetic makeup
Phenotype
Gene
DNA
RNA
Phenotype
Nucleotide
DNA Replication
Expression
Trait
Genetic Makeup
Gene
DNA
Phosphate
Deoxyribose Sugar
Nitrogen Base
Purines
Pyramidines
Duplication
DNA
Complementary
Okazaki Fragment
Helicase
Transcription
Translation
mRNA
DNA
RNA
Template
Uracil
Ribose
mRNA
tRNA
Genetic Code
Protein
Amino Acid
RNA
Genetic Code
DNA
Transcription
Translation
tRNA
rRNA
Genetic Code
RNA
Genetic Code
DNA
Transcription
Translation
RNA
Ribosome
DNA
Transcription
Translation
Amino Acid
DNA
RNA
mRNA
Gene
Intron
Exon
Inducible Operon
Exon
Eukaryote
Translation
Transcription
mRNA
Intron
Eukaryote
Translation
Transcription
mRNA
Lac Operon
Regulator
Promoter
Operator
Inducer
Repressible Operon
Spontaneous
Mutation
Induced Mutation
Corepressor
Arginine
Promoter
Operator
RNA Polymerase
Random Change
Replication
DNA
Error
Unknown cause
Mutagen
DNA
Chemical
Radiation
Alter function
Point Mutation
Nonsense Mutation
Silent Mutation
RNA
Deletion
Addition
Substitution
Base Pairs
RNA
Stop Codon
Normal Codon
Nonfunctional
Protein
Base
RNA
Amino Acid
No change
Function
Back-Mutation
Frameshift
Mutation
Excision Repair
Reverse
Base
RNA
Protein
Function
Base(s)
DNA
Reading frame
mRNA
Amino Acid
DNA polymerase
Ligase
Enzymes
Mutation
Damage
Conjugation
Transformation
Transduction
Bacteria
Pilus
Fertility
Recombination
Resistance
DNA
Fragment
Competent
Gene
Griffith
Bacteriophage
Virus
Recombination
Gene transfer
Lytic cycle
Oncogenic
Transformation
Reverse
Transcriptase
Genetic Engineering
Cancer
DNA Virus
Genes
Cell Division
Persistence
HIV
DNA
RNA
AIDS
Latent
Genome
Bioengineering
DNA
Manipulate
GMO
Biotechnology
Electrophoresis
Hybridization
DNA
Genes
GMO
Industry
Genetic Engineering
DNA fragment
Agar gel
Electrical current
Fragment size
Genetics
Complementary sites
DNA
RNA
Gene probe
Identification
Bioinformatics
Genomics
Polymerase Chain
Reaction
Genomics
DNA
Sequencing
Genetics
Analyze
Bioinformatics
DNA
Sequencing
Genetics
Analyze
DNA
Amplify
Denaturation
Priming
Extension
Recombinant DNA
Technology
Clones
Genetically
Modified Organism
Organism
Clone
Vector
Host
Modify
Organism
Recombinant DNA
Vector
Host
Modify
Transgenic Plant
Monsanto
Bioethics
Transgenic Microbe
Transgenic Animal
Transgenic Plants
Transgenic
Microbes
Gene Therapy
Agrobacterium
Crops
Monsanto
Agriculture
Resistance
Pseudomonas
Bacillus
Bt toxin
Drug Therapy
Craig Venter
Disease
Treatment
DNA
Patient
Medicine
Antisense RNA
Antisense DNA
DNA Fingerprinting
Genes
Repression
Disease
Treatment
mRNA
Genes
Repression
Disease
Treatment
Nucleus
Profiling
Analysis
STRs
SNPs
PCR
Microarray
Genetics
Missense Mutation
DNA
Expression
Gene
cDNA
Analysis
DNA
RNA
Genome
Chromosome
Heredity
Code
Amino Acid
Protein
Change
DNA