In this flex class, students will learn about genetics and how they help determine what we look like and much more!

This course will run for 4 weeks and allow learners to learn some of the fundamentals, including:
Week 1: What are genetics and history of genetics with Mendel (including key vocabulary of recessive, dominant, mutation, and the story of Gregor Mendel and his studies of the pea plant, which lead to his discovery of how two plants created a new plant, leading to Mendelian inheritance)
Week 2:How do you inherit genes- recessive vs dominant (including mutations, how alleles combine, and probability based on what dominant and recessive genes are)
Week 3:Punnett Square  (using  Reginal Punnett's Punnett Square of probability, students will learn how to determine their own possible physical characteristics from the probability of gaining certain traits from their parents)
Week 4: What is DNA and the structure of DNA (including the names of DNA, which part pairs with who, the human genome and the 23 strands, and how DNA can mutate), including the phases of cell division (as discussed for the purposes of understanding when the DNA replicates and moves)


Each week's structure will be as follows:
Video: Students will receive a youtube video each week to explain the topic of the week, along with a notetaker and a periodic table to follow and color in each week (students will use this each week as each group is learned). 
Activity: Students will be given a weekly activity that will range from matching to reading about the topic of the week (this will include reading passages, handouts, jamboards, and google slides/docs for digital ease of access, however will be available for printing as well).
Posts: Daily discussion board posts will be made each week with questions for engagement. Students will answer the questions in the classroom.
Kahoot: Students will be provided a  Kahoot game to review concepts learned in class in preparation for the final quiz for mastery of concepts. Student account is not necessary to play. 
Assessment: Students will receive a Google Form at the end of the class to determine mastery of the content learned

Please note that research for this class is founded on the primary research of Gregor Mendel and Principals of Inheritance in Mendelian inheritance (  identification of certain patterns of how traits are passed from parents to offspring), and Reginald Punnett's Punnett Square (graphic organizer for organizing probability of inherited traits based off of known genetic markings of individuals as identified). 

DNA will be discussed as determined by the Human Genome Project, only in reference to identifying the parts of DNA including DNA, RNA, and how alleles combine, including how a mutation is a result of a coding error in cell division.