Variation
of Traits
PLTW LAUNCH Third Grade
Biomedical Module Pilot
Kristen Robinson
Darnaby Elementary, Tulsa OK
Darnaby’s Journey with PLTW
 Darnaby
Elementary was part of the first
wave of elementary schools that piloted
the first year of PLTW LAUNCH.
 2013-2014:
Piloted first two Engineering
Modules per grade level (K-5)
 2014-2015: Selected to pilot the newest
LAUNCH Biomedical and Computer Science
modules (K-5)
Unlike any other…
 Only
school in the country that piloted
LAUNCH from Kindergarten-Fifth grade for
all students.
 One of very few schools across the
country that was selected to pilot the
newest LAUNCH Biomedical and
Computer Science modules for 2014-2015.
Introducing Third Graders to
Genetics
 Variation
of Traits uses the APB Approach,
like all other LAUNCH modules.
 APB:
Three Activities, Project, Problem
 In
the pilot module, students used the
Scientific Inquiry Process* to solve the real
world problem
 *This
has been changed for next year.
Students will now use the Design Process to
solve a re-vamped problem.
Students
learn about
basic genetics:
Traits
Genotypes
Phenotypes
Dominant
genes
Recessive genes
Inheritance of genes
Other factors that influence traits
Variation of Traits Module:
 Introduction*
 Activity-
Traits Survey/PTC
 Activity- All About Inheritance
 Activity- Inheritance Practice
 Project- Simple Plant Baby Plant
 Problem*- Pilot: Traits Research Project
*This will change for 2015-2016 school year
Activity 1:
Trait Survey and PTC
 PTC
History and Test
 Complete Trait Survey
 Compare Survey with a Partner
 What
factors influence our traits?
 Which traits can be learned or influenced by
the environment?
Activity 2: All About
Inheritance
Conclusion Questions:
 How
is your
genotype related
to your
phenotype?
 Explain
why a
person who has
the genotype Tt is
able to taste the
PTC, even though
they have both
forms of the PTC
tasting gene…
Activity 2: Inheritance Practice
 Students
are able to apply what they
have learned about genotypes and
phenotypes to determine what a
genotype would be based on the
phenotype or vice versa.
The gene for tallness (T) is dominant.
Both plants have the genotype TT
 What
other things
could influence
how these plants
grow?
Try it Out…
 Height=
tt
 Flower color= Pp
 What
would this
plant look like?
Project Time! Simple Plants
 Both
the mother
and father plant
have one
dominant and one
recessive gene.
Simple Plants Traits Stations
 Work



with a Partner:
Pick a gene card from the mother bag and
record it on your Genotype Data table
Pick a gene card from the father bag and
record it on your Genotype Data table
Determine the resulting phenotype, and
record it in the Phenotype column.
 Using
your phenotype information from
your table table, build your baby Simple
plant with the building supplies




Simple Plant Masters
Markers
Glue
Scissors
Conclusion Questions
Mother’s Genotype: rr and BB
Father’s Genotype: rr and BB
What would be the offspring’s phenotype?
How
is it possible for the
baby plants in the activity
to have different traits than
the parent plants?
Real World Problem
 Old
Problem vs. New Problem
 Scientific
Process
 What
Inquiry Process vs. Design
my kids did this year…
Old Real World Problem
 Using
the Scientific Inquiry Process,
students asked a question relating to
specific traits that they could research

i.e. Are more girls left-handed than boys?,
Are there more blonde haired boys in in
third grade than brown haired boys?

Students Asked, Predicted, Came up with a
Procedure, Collected Data, Explained and
Presented their results.
New Real World Problem
 Students
are asked to use the design
process to determine the possible
genotypes of three generations of plants.
 They
will look at the stems of two parent
plants, the resulting baby plant from those
parents, and then the resulting baby plant
from the previous generation.
The Engineering Design Process




Step by Step
Develops many possible solutions
Narrows down the possible solutions to one final
choice
5 Steps:
 Ask
 Explore
 Model
 Evaluate
 Explain