1. Mendel, First Geneticist

2. Mendel, 1st Geneticist 3-5-13
Key Question: How can you tell if a trait is dominant or not? Initial Thoughts:

3. Video Clip
Gregor Mendel

4. Evidence: Cornell Notes
Questions to be written on the left side:
What personal qualities do you think Mendel must have had that helped him in his work?
What were the advantages for Mendel in using pea plants for his breeding investigations
Why did Mendel Perform so many crosses?
Explain how the model of flipping pennies works exactly like Mendel’s explanation for his results.
What does dominant trait and recessive trait mean?

5. Analysis Questions
Based n Mendel’s results, what trait for each pea characteristic is dominant?
Look at figure 1 (pie chart) which shows the ratio of green-seeded and yellow-seeded offspring. Explain why a 1:3 ratio of green to yellow seeded plants is the same as a fraction of ¼ green-seeded plants.
Characteristics
Dominant trait
Recessive Trait
Flower Color
Seed Color
Seed Surface
Pod Color

6. Analysis Questions contd.
Why is it important for Mendel to look at more than one characteristic?

7. Summary
What did you think about the inheritance of dominant and recessive traits before?
What did you learn from your evidence about the inheritance of dominant and recessive traits ?
What are some further thoughts or questions you have about the inheritance of dominant and recessive traits?

8. Reflection
People often think of mathematics as important to physics and chemistry, but not to life science (biology). What is your opinion?

9. Big Idea