Monster Genetics: Traits, Heredity, and Fun...ALL IN ONE!

So we just finished a chapter in Science and that means it was time for a lab or experiment.  The last lesson we hit was on Genetics...which can be super tough for 5th! Explaining the concept and having the students truly understand was tricky.

We started out by watching the free Brainpop video on traits and heredity (its even one of their FREE ones) that reinforced our concepts and vocab from the book.  I sometimes do these videos first to introduce a topic or do them after as a review and stop for vocab.  We do the quiz together and reinforce what we have been talking about.

After our big test, I wanted to take it a step further.  My students really seemed interested in this topic so I came up with Monster Genetics!  We did this lab as a fun way to review dominant and recessive traits!

Basically you play "rock, paper, scissors" to come up with which gene you inherit from that parent and then you display the dominant or recessive trait based on the 2 genes (genotype) you have.

My students had a BLAST being so creative while reinforcing what we already learned and using the vocab we covered.

I included monster bodies, directions, lab sheets, Punnett square pages to cross your monsters (for higher level classes), dominant/recessive trait posters, samples, and more.... click any of the pictures to check it out!

It was great so fun to have some theme worked into upper elementary.  I love that I got a chance to do something October related for the season all while connecting it to curriculum.

We've had some more monster themed goodness happening as well....stay tuned...