Brief Description

After a five-week unit on Genetics, students learn about different genetic disorders.  The students are given the problem of finding about a student selected genetic disorder, collect data, and present the findings.  The students also incorporated their knowledge of genetics to discuss the remedies for the disorder and the location of the disorder on the chromosomes.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 6T-E1. Determine when technology is useful and select and use the appropriate tools and technology resources to solve problems.

• W-E8. Demonstrate research skills using reference materials such as a dictionary, encyclopedia and thesaurus to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks.

Academic

By the end of the lesson students will be able to demonstrate research skills using reference materials such as the Internet and books to effectively create a presentation on a genetic disease.

Technological

By the end of the lesson students will select a genetic disorder, collect data, and develop a presentation to present to the class.

Pre-Requisite Technology Skills

• Internet use
• Depending on their presentation method students may need to know how to use PowerPoint, Publisher, Inspiration etc…

• One computer per student with Internet access
• Genetic Disease Cards

Gifted – Have them research a different genetic disease that they would like to present on.  They could work on a group project involving genetic diseases that are similar in nature.  The students can discuss the Humane Genome Project and how that has increased our knowledge of where theses disorders lie and how this will help scientist come up with cures or treatments for the diseases.

ESL –Give the student a genetic disorder related to their culture or one that they may have seen or heard of before.  Set up a mentor pair and do a group project.  The student could do the presentation in native language and have it translated.

Support/Resource – Give more personal assistance.  Break the task into smaller parts and give them a means of presenting.  Allow the student to do the less complex disorders.

Procedures

1. The students should have a background on genetics.  Before this lesson was presented the class studied:

a. The history of Genetics
b. Traits
c. Heredity
d. Punnett Squares
e. Mutations of genes
f. DNA models (2D and 3D)
g. DNA fingerprinting
h. Careers in the field of genetics

a. Narcolepsy
b. Tourette’s Syndrome
c. Trisomy
d. Canavan Disease
e. Down’s Syndrome
f. Huntington’s Disease
g. Progeria
h. Proteus
i. Thrombocytopenia Absent Radius Syndrome (TAR)
j. Retinoblastoma
k. Nail Patella Syndrome
l. Achromatopsia
m. Waardenburg Syndrome
n. Prader-Willi Syndrome
o. Cri Du Chat Syndrome
p. Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
q. Aicardi Syndrome
r. Rett Syndrome
s. Cystic Fibrosis
t. Marfan Syndrome
u. Muscular Distrophy
v. Achondroplasia
w. Moebius Syndrome
x. Hemophilia
y. Sickle Cell Disease
z. Neurofibromatosis
Put each of the names on a card then have the students choose randomly which ones they wanted to research.

a. Scientific and common name
b. Who discovered it and when
c. How the disease/syndrome got its name
d. Symptoms
e. Effects
f. If there a cure or therapy
g. How many people have it
h. The sex it effects/or race
i. What gene or chromosome it is on.

5. Students started to put together their projects.  The students choose various forms of presenting like, brochures, newspapers, PowerPoint presentations, overhead transparencies printed in color, Inspiration webs, and posters.

6. The students were given two days to finish their project as homework.  You could give them extended time in the classroom if not all your students have computers at home.

7. Each student received 5 minutes to present his or her genetic disease to the class.

Assessment

Each student wrote one question that related to his or her genetic disease.  The question had to be addressed in the presentation given to the class.  A quiz was created from the questions that the students took the day after all the presentations were given. (28 questions in all) This method helped the students stay focused during all the presentations and guided them to ask questions. The presentations were graded with a rubric.  To get the rubric go to http://rubistar.4teachers.org/view_rubric.php3?id=823649
 

Teacher Name: Susie Gilbertson
Site: Harelson
Date Submitted: May 12, 2003