BSC 307 5-E Model Lesson Plan
Title: Who is responsible for determining gender?
Grade Level:
9th
Objectives:
Discuss a historical event through biological knowledge(meiosis).
Apply the disorder process of meiosis to Turner syndrome.
Find other examples of chromosome nondisjunction and analyze the cause of
these diseases.
Illinois Learning Standards:
12 A. -3. Apply scientific inquiries or technological designs to explain the molecular
nature of the genetic code, explaining the function, chemical reactions, and schematic
diagrams of the molecular components of DNA, RNA and simple proteins, exploring
the processes of recombinant DNA research, describing the role of chromosomes in
the normal and aberrant display of hereditary traits, mutations and disease.
Engagement:
Students are introduced to an interesting Asian historical event.
In Korea, we had a preference for sons.
About 500 years ago, in Chosun dynasty, if a wife didn't give birth to a son, she
often was divorced. Is that situation reasonable and rational? Didn’t a husband
have any responsibility for determining a son? "In a biological perspective, who is
responsible for determining the gender, husband or wife?"
Exploration:
Based on meiosis and fertilization, students will explore sex determination.
Explanation:
Draw a diagram by using the symbol of sex chromosomes.
Students explain the haploid of male and female chromosome:
Females have two of the same kind of sex chromosome (XX),
while males have two distinct sex chromosomes (XY).
Female eggs have one kind of sex chromosome: X
Male sperms have two kinds of sex chromosome: X, Y
When sperm(X) meets egg(X), XX means female gender.
When sperm(Y) meets egg(X), XY means male gender.
Thus gender is determined by male sperm, because females only have X and
gender is determined by which male chromosome(XY) is combined with that.
Elaboration:
Students analyze the cause of a sex chromosome disorder(Turner syndrome)
What is the difference between healthy chromosome set and this set?
Evaluation(Assessment Strategies):
Students research the phenomenon and submit the explanation.
Research nondisjuction diseases of sex chromosome and write a paragraph explaining
why it occurs. Then draw diagram depicting process of sex chromosome separation
indicating where the problem of nondisjunction occurs. Do this for some examples of
nondisjuction.
Rationale:
Students sometimes do not know why they learn science. They only memorize science
knowledge to pass the exam.
From this activity, students can learn how to apply meiosis to a historical event.
Students can solve the real world problems by using the science knowledge.
Their interests will be extended when they research some examples of nondisjuction
of sex chromosome and write a paragraph and diagram explaining why it occurs.
Resources:
Illinois State Board of Educaion, Illinois state learning standards, Stage I-Science.
Retrieved from http://www.isbe.net/ils/science/stage_I/descriptor.htm
Teens Health(2008,August), Turner syndrome. [On-line]. Retrieved October 9, 2010,
from Teens Health: http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/genetic/turner.html
Making science class(2009,May). Essay assessment. [On-line]. Retrieved on October 9,
2010. Available: http://ww.sedu21.com
Name: __________________________ Period: ______
Who is responsible for determining gender?
1. Read a story below, and answer the question.
In Korea, we had a preference for sons.
About 500 years ago, in Chosun dynasty, if a wife didn't give birth to a son, she often
was divorced.
Is that situation reasonable and rational? Didn’t a husband have any
responsibility for determining a son? "In a biological perspective, who is responsible for
giving birth to a son, husband or wife?" (Draw a diagram by using the symbol of sex
chromosomes.)
2. This is a healthy human chromosome set.
1) How many chromosomes does it have?
2) Is this chromosome set for Male or female?
3. This is another human chromosome set.
1) What is the difference between the healthy
chromosome set and this set?
2) We call it 'Turner syndrome". Explain the reason
why she doesn't have two ( ) chromosomes.
4. Research some examples of nondisjuction of sex chromosome and write a paragraph
and diagram explaining why it occurs.