Name: ___________________________
Date: ____________________
Guess Who?
1. You will draw an offspring following a set of
instructions. You may choose instructions from
either Parent A1 or A2, but not from both.
2. Take one slip of paper from each of the four
envelopes for the parent of your choice.
3. Read all your slips of paper before following the
instructions needed to draw the offspring.
4. Follow the instructions and draw the offspring on a
separate piece of paper.
5. Next, you will draw an offspring following a set of
instructions provided by either parent group B1 or
B2, but not from both.
6. Take one slip of paper from each of the four
envelopes for the parent group of your choice.
7. Read all your slips of paper before following the
instructions to create your drawing
8. Follow the instructions and create your drawing on a
separate piece of paper.
9. Your teacher reveals the appearance of the parents and
post on the wall. Find the parent that provided the
instructions for your drawing and tape your drawing
underneath.
10. Does your drawing look similar to the other drawings
created by your classmates, or do the drawings show
differences? Are the offspring uniform or diverse?
-------------------------STOP: ANSWER QUESTIONS 1-5 ---------------------11. Find your drawing of the----cat. Pair up with someone who
drew a cat using instructions from the other parental
group. Create an offspring by choosing a mixture of
traits. Draw this offspring on another piece of paper.
12. Add another trait not shown by either parent. This trait
could arise from a gene mutation or from a recessive
allele. Look at your new baby.
-------------------------STOP: ANSWER QUESTIONS 6-8 --------------------------
Period: ________
1. Which organism reproduced asexually?
________________________________________________________________________________
2. Were the offspring of this organism uniform (they looked the same as each other and the same as
the parent) or diverse (they expressed a variety of appearances)? Explain your answer.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. Which organism reproduced sexually?
________________________________________________________________________________
4. Were the offspring of this organism uniform or diverse? Explain your answer.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
5. Offspring from the asexual and sexual reproduction may differ in whether they are uniform or
diverse. However, they may also share some similarities. What similarities do these organisms
share?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Reproduction involves either asexual replication of parental DNA or the sexual combination of
parental DNA. DNA contains genes that determine characteristics, such as appearance. Different
versions of the genes, called alleles, can produce different outcomes and appearances. When
organisms reproduce sexually, those DNA of those two parents combine DNA and produce diverse
offspring. Complete the table below to demonstrate the probability of colors for the offspring of two
gray cats. The letters represent alleles. Uppercase letters represent the dominant trait and lowercase
letters represent the recessive trait. Though each cat is gray, they both carry a recessive allele for
spots. One letter from each parent is combined in each square to determine the probability.
6. What fraction of these cats’ offspring would you predict to be gray?__________________
7. What fraction of these cats’ offspring would you predict to be spotted?________________
8. Would you use a chart like this work to predict the outcome of asexual reproduction?
Explain your answer.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Teacher Printout: Parents
(Print in color)
Student Handout: Parent Traits
(Print in color)
Preparation:
Print one Teacher Printout: Parents in color for your class. Cut the page of parents apart and
prepare tape the pictures on a wall, after students have completed their offspring drawings.
Print 30 copies of the Student Handout: Parent Traits in color for your class. Laminate and cut
them apart for repeated use.
Place each set of Parent Traits in a labeled envelopes. For example, place the traits for A1 into
the corresponding leaves, limbs, trunk, and roots A1 envelopes. Place the traits for A2 into the
corresponding leaves, limbs, trunk, and roots A2 envelopes.
Place the traits for B1 Male in the corresponding head and ears, eyes, snout, and color B1
envelopes. Place the traits for B1 Female into the B1 envelopes as well. Shuffle the traits from
B1 Male and B1 Female together as they are placed in the B1 envelope. Refer to the Student
Handout page 1 for envelope labeling guidance.
Lay out the envelopes in columns for A1, A2, B1, and B2.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fundamental Question: How do the offspring from asexual reproduction compare to offspring
from sexual reproduction
Tell students that they are going to create the offspring from mystery parents. The students
choose genetic instructions and draw a picture of the offspring according to the instructions.
Distribute the two sheets of blank paper to each student.
1. You will draw an offspring following a set of instructions. You may choose instructions
from either Parent A1 or A2, but not from both.
2. Take one slip of paper from each of the four envelopes for the parent of your choice.
3. Read all your slips of paper before following the instructions needed to draw the
offspring.
4. Follow the instructions and draw the offspring on a separate piece of paper.
5. Next, you will draw an offspring following a set of instructions provided by either parent
group B1 or B2, but not from both.
6. Take one slip of paper from each of the four envelopes for the parent group of your
choice.
7. Read all your slips of paper before following the instructions to create your drawing
8. Follow the instructions and create your drawing on a separate piece of paper.
9. Your teacher reveals the appearance of the parents and post on the wall. Find the parent
that provided the instructions for your drawing and tape your drawing underneath.
After students have completed their drawings for both the A and B sets, tape all four
parent/parental group pictures on different places on a classroom wall and allow students
to review the pictures. Assist students in matching and posting their drawings, as needed.
10. Does your drawing look similar to the other drawings created by your classmates or do
the drawings show differences? Are the offspring uniform or diverse?
The drawings of the offspring from tree A1 should all look like the parent and like each
other. The drawings of the offspring from tree A2 should all look like the parent and like
each other. The offspring are uniform. Aspen trees can reproduce sexually and asexually.
When they reproduce asexually, they reproduce by vegetative propagation without seeds.
Roots from the parent tree produce genetically identical trees in clonal colonies. These
colonies can be seen in the fall as the leaves of each group change color at a slightly
different time. Asexual reproduction results in uniform offspring because the parental
DNA is replicated. Other types of asexual reproduction include budding, in which one
mother cell creates a smaller daughter cell, and binary fission, in which one cell divides
into two identical daughter cells. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms may be able
to reproduce asexually. For example, some plants, fungi, and invertebrates can reproduce
either asexually or sexually.
The drawings of the offspring from cat parental group B1 should contain a combination
of traits from the male and female cat. The drawings of the offspring from cat parental
group B2 should contain a combination of traits from the male and female cat. The
combination of traits will vary between the drawings. The offspring will be diverse.
Sexual reproduction results in diverse offspring because DNA from two parents is
combined. Different combinations lead to diversity.
11. Find your drawing of the cat. Pair up with someone who drew a cat using instructions
from the other parental group. Create an offspring by choosing a mixture of traits. Draw
this offspring on another piece of paper.
12. Add another trait not shown by either parent. This trait could arise from a gene mutation
or from a recessive allele. Look at your new baby!
13. Answer questions on pages 1 and 2 of your Student Journal.
1. Which organism reproduced asexually?
Aspen trees reproduce asexually.
2. Were the offspring of this organism uniform (they looked the same as each other and the
same as the parent) or diverse (they expressed a variety of appearances)? Explain your
answer.
The offspring were uniform because one parent’s genetic information was replicated.
3. Which organism reproduced sexually?
The cats reproduced sexually.
4. Were the offspring of this organism uniform or diverse? Explain your answer.
Their offspring was diverse because genetic material from two parents was combined.
5. Offspring from the asexual and sexual reproduction may differ in whether they are
uniform or diverse. However, they may also share some similarities. What similarities do
these organisms share?
Answers may vary but can include the following: organisms are composed of cells, they
both reproduce, and reproduction is important to the success of the species.
6. What percentage of these cats’ offspring would you predict to be gray?
The correct answer is 3/4
7. What percentage of these cats’ offspring would you predict to be spotted?
The correct answer is 1/4
8. Would you use a chart like this work to predict the outcome of asexual reproduction?
Why or why not?
You would not use a chart like this to predict the outcome of asexual reproduction. The
chart determines the probability of the expression of a trait in offspring through the
combination of traits from two parents in sexual reproduction. One parent through
asexual reproduction creates uniform offspring that are genetically identical to each other
and the parent. The genetic material is replicated, or copied, from the parent to each
offspring.