Have you ever wondered why our dogs look so different from each other? Why a Corgi has those cute stubby legs, but Great Danes are super lean and tall? Or why some dogs are couch potatoes while others are super active? Dogs have a long history with humans going back thousands of years, and are considered to be our oldest companions. People have many different thoughts and ideas on the subject, but what if I told you that humans made our dogs look different on purpose? In this 2-week course, students will get to learn about their canine companions in a new way, while also understanding the basic concepts of genetics through Slides, games, and discussion.

Week 1: Slides and discussion: What is genetics and what can studying it tell us? How long have domesticated dogs been around? How do genetics affect dogs versus other species? How does breeding dogs work? 
Game: "Let's play with genes!" - Students will be given different genes for different characteristics and have to guess what the results might be based on their combination choices.

Week 2: Slides and discussion: Why do we breed dogs the way we do? What are the different breed groups dogs can be put in? What behaviors are typical of each group? Even though dogs look very different, do they behave all that differently? What are some misconceptions of certain breeds?
Game: "Match that breed" - Students will be given different dog breeds and have to guess which breed group they belong to and why.

This is an informative, fun class for any student who loves dogs and wants to learn more about them! No prior knowledge is needed for this course, but it does require a good amount of student discussion and participation.