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Teacher Guide, HS Biology - Genetic Variation

This unit guide for a high school biology class provides an overview and materials for lessons exploring genetic variation, mutations, and cancer. Students will learn about normal genetic variation and how mutations can cause changes or harm to organisms. The lessons examine genetic mutations, their causes like radiation, and how some mutations can lead to cancer and genetic disorders like Down syndrome.

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Glaine Gemperoa
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93 views13 pages

Teacher Guide, HS Biology - Genetic Variation

This unit guide for a high school biology class provides an overview and materials for lessons exploring genetic variation, mutations, and cancer. Students will learn about normal genetic variation and how mutations can cause changes or harm to organisms. The lessons examine genetic mutations, their causes like radiation, and how some mutations can lead to cancer and genetic disorders like Down syndrome.

Uploaded by

Glaine Gemperoa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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HS Biology: Genetic Variation

Teacher Guide & Student Resources

About This Unit

These lessons guide students in exploring the variation of genetic traits. Students will learn about normal
genetic variations and understand how mutations can be a cause of change or harm to an organism.
They will explore real-word scenarios and discover how cancer cells manipulate DNA inside the nucleus.

Genetic Variation
In this lesson, students will investigate what a genetic mutation is by evaluating a population of beetles.
Students will explore how DNA affects an organism’s looks, behavior, and its physiology and understand
how genetic "shuffling" creates new combinations of genes.

Changes in the Number of Chromosomes


In this lesson students will investigate the importance and function of chromosomes. They will understand
how changes in chromosome number can result in health complications by exploring the trisomic disorder
known as Down syndrome.

Causes of Mutations
In this lesson students will look more closely at genetic mutations. They will discover the different causes
of mutations, and connect the real-world Chernobyl disaster that resulted in nuclear fallout to genetic
mutations.

Mutations and Cancer


In this lesson students will understand how cancer cells differ from healthy cells, the different mutations
that lead to cancer, and connect gene mutations to gene therapy.

Materials and Preparation

Prior Knowledge Necessary For This Unit:

Students should have a basic understanding of cellular reproduction through meiosis and mitosis.

Unit Preparation:

1. As this lesson is part of a four-lesson research unit, preview all four lessons before teaching.
2. Review, print (optional), and prepare to distribute (via paper copies, Google Docs, your LMS, etc.)
the Student Learning Packet at the appropriate stages of the lesson. Package includes: notes
catcher, research scaffolding, working scaffold, and space to record conclusions.
3. Consider planning and assigning student groups in advance to facilitate more structured and
collaborative discussion.
4. Prepare students to take notes and/or copy and paste paragraphs they write during the lesson
activities to eventually form part of their reports.

Lesson-specific preparation:

1. Preview all web articles and video content.


2. We recommend using student-paced codes for the assessment so that students can work at their
own pace without waiting for their classmates to finish answering before moving on to the next
question. Please note that this feature is available for all paid accounts (Gold, Platinum, School,
and District).
Additional Resources

All additional resources needed or recommended for this unit are included in the following pages. To
customize any of these resources, make a copy of this document to edit directly.

Resource Required or Recommended Notes


for student use

Student Learning Packet Required Print & copy


(recommended)

Student Learning Packet


Essential/Research Question:

What is the significance of understanding changes to the information stored in DNA?

Research Question:

What is the significance of understanding changes to


the information stored in DNA?
Directions: As you learn new facts throughout the lesson, record notes and draw pictures below to keep
your information organized.

Topic Notes/Sketches

Reading Notes
Mutations

Gene Flow & Variation


Sex and Reshuffling

Topic Notes/ Sketches

Video Notes
Trisomy

Down’s Syndrome
Topic Notes/Sketches

Video Notes
Replication Error

Viral Mutations
Radiation Mutations and
Other Causes
CHERNOBYL DISASTER
Topic Notes/Sketches

Video Notes

Oncogenes
Damage to P53

Self Destruct Genes


Gene Therapy

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