NAME:
Due Date:
PEDIGREE PROJECT
BACKGROUND: This unit on genetics involves looking at how family members resemble each other
and their relationships to each other. One way to look at family history is by preparing a pedigree.
TASK: Interview your parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents to find as many relatives as you can. You will
need at least 3 generations in your pedigree. This means:
- Your generation (including brothers, sisters, first cousins),
- Your parents’ generation (including their brothers and sisters – your aunts and uncles),
- Your grandparent’s generation (including their brothers and sisters – your great aunts and
great uncles).
You will also choose a single gene trait to investigate with as many of your relatives as you can. I realize
this may be difficult or impossible with your grandparents’ generation. Do the best that you can.
The single gene trait should be one of the traits we observed in Chapter 5: free or attached earlobes,
widow’s peak, hair on fingers, cleft chin, smile dimples or curly or straight hair. You could also pick a
trait controlled by multiple alleles such as blood type. Any other trait needs to be approved by your
teacher before starting the project.
AUDIENCE: Your family, class, teacher.
PURPOSE: To look at your families’ genetic history.
PROCEDURE:
1. Write down all the relatives you know. Try to figure out where each relative will belong on the
pedigree. Look at the sample on page 201 in your book or the attached sample to help.
2. Remember that a circle represents a female, a square, a male, a horizontal line connecting a male and
female represents a marriage, and a vertical line from this horizontal line indicates children.
3. You need to show at least 3 generations for your pedigree.
4. The appearance of the trait you pick on the pedigree will be shown by a completely shaded circle or
square. A circle or square that is not shaded indicates that a person neither has the trait nor is a carrier of
the trait. A half-shaded circle or square indicates that a person is a carrier of the trait.
5. Check the performance task assessment list on the opposite side before completing assignment.
6. Genealogy software may be used only as a reference. Print outs are not acceptable for this assignment.
marriage/union
female married to 2 different men
EXAMPLE:
//
male
female
divorce
male
offspring
bracket = siblings
female
completely shaded circle or square
has the trait
male
partially shaded carries the trait
but does not have it.
____________ (solid line) marriage/union
------------------ (broken line) you may use a broken line to indicate unions that did not
include marriage
//
divorce
offspring
NAME: _______________________________________
DATE: ______________
PERFORMANCE TASK ASSESSMENT LIST – Pedigree Project
1. The project contains a minimum of three (3) generations.
The first generation is the student’s grandparents, great aunts,
2. great uncles.
3. The second generation is the student’s parents, aunts, uncles.
The third generation is the student, his/her siblings, and first
4. cousins.
The correct symbols are used for male, female, marriage and
5. divorce.
Each individual in the second and third generation is shaded
(or not) to indicate the presence or absence of the trait being
6. studied.
A Punnett Square has been drawn showing the genotype of the
student’s parents and the possible genotypes of the student’s
7. generation.
8. The pedigree is neat and readable.
There is a parent signature at the bottom of the board
9. signifying that the pedigree is correct.
Teacher
Points Self evaluation evaluation
15
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
15
Total points
earned
EXTRA CREDIT: (Maximum 25 points)
Complete additional generation
Color coding of generations
Pictures (1 point each)
Individuals in the first generation are shaded to indicate
presence or absence of the trait
(up to 10 points depending on number of individuals.)
10
5
1
10
Total extra credit
points earned.
Total points
/Grade
*Genealogy software may only be used as a reference. Print outs are not acceptable.