1 Who am I? My Genes, My Goals This is a copy of the original instructions for this project along with CLASS DATA and CONCLUSIONS.

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3 Widow’s Peak Tongue Rolling Dimples Earlobes Color Vision (next slide) Freckles Mid-digital Finger Hair (not shown) Cleft Chin Some human traits

4 Red-green color blindness (recessive, x)

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6 Extra Questions for Discussion: A. If a person has free earlobes, it is impossible to predict his or her exact genotype. Why is this?

7 B. Look at classmates’ results for all traits. Do most students have dominant traits, recessive traits, or an approximately equal mix of dominant and recessive? Why do you think this is?

8 C. Does it matter which traits you have? Why or why not?

9 EQ: Do your genes determine your success? (Or do your environment and lifestyle choices matter more?) according to Dumbledore: “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."— Albus Dumbledore, from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Do you agree?

10 D. If you interviewed your family members, do any of them have phenotypes more similar to yours than your lab partner’s phenotype was to yours? Are any family members more different?

11 E. Do any of these traits matter? In other words, can you achieve your goals with the genes you have?

12 E. Do any of these traits really matter? What is genetic expression? –Y–You have many genes, but only certain alleles come out (are expressed). What is genetic determinism? –t–the idea that your genes control your fate Albus Dumbledore again : “... it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be." from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

13 Do your genes determine your success? Explain. Use the graphic organizer to write your opinion. Key point: How can you really find out if your genes are good enough for you to accomplish your goals?

14 How can you really find out if your genes are good enough for you to accomplish your goals? To find out: 1.Use the results of your lab (Observable Traits) to find out more about the traits and genes of you and your classmates. Compare yourself to others. Are your genes unique or do some classmates have the same genes? If you do have the same genes as some classmates, do you at least have a unique combination of genes? 2.Decide on your goals —what you really want to accomplish in 10 to 20 years (My Goals worksheet). 3.Make a conclusion—Will the genes you were given allow you to pursue and attain your goals? How do you know, or what can you do to find out? Use the graphic organizer to plan a persuasive essay to assert your opinion. 4.Write your essay!

15 Class Results: How can you really find out if your genes are good enough for you to accomplish your goals? RESULTS: This is what most students concluded AFTER completing the Observable Traits lab and My Goals worksheet. All students had the same observable traits, but in different combinations. Students decided that their unique combinations of genes would allow them to pursue their goals. So even though most students were glad for their unique combinations of genes, most students concluded that it would be their choices, not their genes, that would determine their success. Not a single student thought his or her genetic makeup was not good enough to accomplish life goals.

16 Observable Traits worksheet WITH CLASS DATA, also a copy of the graphic organizer

17 How are these graded? Observable Traits Worksheet—rubric Q Persuasive Essay Graphic Organizer—rubric Q Persuasive Essay itself—rubric for Writing to Inform

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