Name:
Class:
Date:
Traits Lab
Why do offspring resemble their parents? Such resemblances are passed on
relatively unchanged from generation to generation through a process called
heredity. The passage of characteristics, or traits, from one generation to the next
is made possible because of a sequence of chemicals called DNA. Genetics is the
study of genes, sections of that DNA, how they operate and how they are transmitted
from parents to offspring. Almost every living cell holds a vast storehouse of
information encoded in genes, segments of DNA that control every aspect of every
cell in your body, which in turn, determines who you are.
Physical traits can include a variety of things. Hairstyles and facial features play a
big role in who you are, but aren’t the only ones. Physical traits are what you see
with the naked eye. They encompass anything you can describe about a person or
group of people, just on sight.
Behavioral traits are characteristics about the way someone acts. Behavioral traits
are often learned over time. The collection of all the behavioral traits in a person is
often referred to as personality.
Every person is unique in his or her combination of physical and behavioral traits.
Even though you may share several individual traits in common with others, there is
no person, nor has there ever been a person, with the exact same combination of
physical and behavioral traits.
Pre-lab questions:
1. What is heredity?
2. What are traits?
3. What is genetics?
4. What is an example of a physical trait?
5. What is an example of a behavioral trait?
Name:
Class:
Date:
Survey:
I have attached earlobes.
Yes
No
I can roll my tongue.
Yes
No
I have dimples.
Yes
No
I write right-handed.
Yes
No
I have freckles.
Yes
No
I have naturally curly hair.
Yes
No
I have a cleft chin.
Yes
No
I have allergies.
Yes
No
I cross my right hand over my left.
Yes
No
I have hitchhikers thumb.
Yes
No
I have a straight hairline.
Yes
No
I am a:
Male
Female
Name:
Class:
Date:
Collaborate with your group and combine your data. After you’ve collected all your
data. Start making predictions about what you think our class averages will be.
Data Table:
Attached E.L.
Have dimples.
Right-handed.
Have freckles.
Have curly hair.
Have cleft chin.
Have allergies.
Crosses R over L
Has H.T.
Straight hairline
Is male.
Is female.
Group Yes/No
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Class Yes/No
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Class % Yes/No
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Predictions:
What % of people do you predict will have…
Attached earlobes?
Class? _______
7th Grade? _______ Nation? _______
Ability to roll tongue?
Class? _______
7th Grade? _______ Nation? _______
Straight hairlines?
Class? _______
7th Grade? _______ Nation? _______
Hitchhikers thumb?
Class? _______
7th Grade? _______ Nation? _______
On what basis are you making your hypothesis? How are you educating your
hypothesis?
Name:
Class:
Date:
Graph:
Using the lined paper attached, construct a graph to show the CLASS YES/NO
column quantities for each trait.
YOU HAVE TO THINK. MAKING A GRAPH IS SOMETHING EVERY 7TH GRADER
SHOULD KNOW HOW TO DO.
WHICH GRAPH YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE SHOULD REFLECT WHICH GRAPH WOULD
BEST SHOW THE QUANTITY OF STUDENTS FOR EACH TRAIT.
Use the space below to sketch out a PLAN before you make your final copy on
the lined sheet.
Name:
Class:
Date:
Post-Lab Questions:
Answer these questions COMPLETELY.
1. How many traits did we survey in this lab? How many were physical
traits? How many were behavioral traits? How many physical and
behavioral traits do you think you have that we didn’t survey?
2. Does a higher frequency of a trait in a population make that trait
‘better’ than the other trait? For example, if most people had straight
thumbs, does that make the straight thumb trait ‘better’ than
hitchhikers thumb trait? Why?
3. We tracked the frequency of these surveyed traits only in our class.
Do you think that if we gave this survey to everyone in the United States,
that our frequencies would stay the same?
Which trait frequencies do you think would be higher?
Which would be lower?
Which do you think would stay the same?
4. Do you think that genes are the only things that control your traits?
For example, I saw a person with purple hair the other day. They must
have a pretty rare trait? Right?