schmied/reid©2009
Me, Myself, and Us

Name ___________

Skittles Genetics

Per ______

Pedigree Worksheet

Student#____

Greetings, Erstwhile Space Cadets! Today its time to track the transmission of four different traits and the genes that cause them in a family from generation to generation. Lets start with a grandparent generation and track the genes through to their four bouncing baby grandchildren!

Materials

• Instructions (THAT'S THIS PAPER!
  • • Skittles Genetics Pedigree worksheet

    • 7 solo cups, 4 for Grandparents, 2 for Parents, 1 for children.

    • 8 colors of skittles representing the following genes / alleles

    • Colored Pencils and regular pencil

    • Clean hands

    •

    1. Get all of your materials ready at your lab stations. Read #'s 2-4 together before you move on.

    2. Send One team member to get the following colors / amounts of skittles and put them in the proper Solo cup. If Skittles are already in the cups, recount them to be sure you have the correct ones in each cup. ( Please do not eat the Skittles!! They have been handled many times before. Anyone caught eating or throwing Skittles will be in deep kimchee!)

    Gene #
    Grandfather 1
    Grandmother 1
    Grandfather 2
    Grandmother 2

    1.

    2 Brown

    2 Blue 1 Brown,

    1 Blue 1 Brown,

    1 Blue

    2.

    2 Red

    1 Red, 1 Pink

    2 Pink

    1 Red, 1 Pink

    3.

    2 Purple

    2 Green

    1 Purple, 1 Green

    1 Purple, 1 Green

    4.

    2 Orange

    1 Orange, 1 Yellow

    2 Yellow

    1 Orange, 1 Yellow

    3. Double check to see that you have the correct alleles of each gene in your cup. Now get your Skittles Genetics Pedigree worksheet and colored pencils ready!

     4. Fill in the pedigree area on the worksheet for each grandfather and grandmother by coloring in the numbered circle representing each gene with the proper color alleles that are in each person's Solo cup. NOTE: ALWAYS COLOR THE DOMINANT ALLELE IN ON THE LEFT SIDE if more than one dominant, color both circles. Use Data Table One above to make sure you have the proper genes and alleles in order!!!

    5. Now take out one allele for each gene from grandfather 1's cup and put it into Father's cup. Then take out one allele for each gene from grandmother 1's cup and put it into Father's cup too.

    6. Next take out one allele for each gene from grandfather 2's cup and put it into Mother's cup. Then take out one allele for each gene from grandmother 2's cup and put it into Mother's cup too.

    7. Color the proper alleles for each numbered gene for both Father and Mother . NOTE: ALWAYS COLOR THE DOMINANT ALLELE IN ON THE LEFT SIDE if more than one dominant, color both circles. Use Data Table One above to make sure you have the proper genes and alleles in order!!!

    8. Next take out one allele for each gene from father's cup and put it into Benjamin's cup. Then take out one allele for each gene from mother's cup and put it into Benjamin's cup too.

    9. Color the proper alleles for each numbered gene for Benjamin. NOTE: ALWAYS COLOR THE DOMINANT ALLELE IN ON THE LEFT SIDE if more than one dominant allele, color both circles. Use Data Table One above to make sure you have the proper genes and alleles in order!!!

    10. Now empty out Benjamin's cup and return the proper allele's to both Father and Mothers cups. This is really important. That's because each time Father and Mother go to make a baby they always start with the same alleles for each of their genes!!! Returning them improperly changes their genetic makeup!

    11. Repeat Steps 8, 9, and 10 for Sara, Richard and Emily. Finish coloring each circle neatly

    12. Return the Skittles to the original Grandparent's cups, clean up !!!!

    13. Now work together to completely fill out the Data Table and answer the questions on the next two pages of the Skittles Genetics worksheet.

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