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Genetic Traits: The Unique You


Real World Question
What makes you unique? Unless you have an identical twin, no other person has the same combination of genes as you do. To learn more about three humans genetic traits, you will collect data about your classmates. When you compare the data you collected with data from other students, you'll see that patterns develop in the frequency of types of traits that are present within a group of people. How are three genetic traits expressed among your classmates? Genetic traits can be dominant or recessive. When you survey your classmates about the three characteristics being studied, do you think more people will have the dominant trait or the recessive trait?

Goals

  • Identify genetic traits.


  • Collect data about three specific human genetic traits.


  • Investigate what are dominant and recessive alleles.


  • Graph your results and communicate them to other students.

Data Sources
Make a Plan
  1. Research general information about human genetic traits.


  2. Search reference sources to find out which form of each characteristic being studied is dominant and which form is recessive.


  3. Survey the students in your class to collect data about the three genetic traits being studied.

Follow Your Plan
  1. Make sure your teacher approves your plan before you start.

  2. Record your data in your Science Journal. Use frequency data tables to organize your data.
Analyze Your Data
  1. Record the total number of people included in your survey.


  2. Calculate the number of people who show each form of each of the three traits that are being studied. Record each of these numbers in your Science Journal.


  3. Graph the data you collected on a bar graph. Bars should represent the numbers of students exhibiting each of the different genetic traits you investigated.


  4. Compare the data among each of the three genetic traits you explored.
Conclude and Apply
  1. Determine Think about the genetic traits you investigated. Which traits were most common in the people you surveyed?


  2. Infer Might surveying a larger group of people give different results?


  3. Analyse Results Which genetic traits are least commonly found?


  4. Interpret Data In the people you surveyed, were dominant alleles present more often: than recessive alleles were?

Post your data in the table provided.

Genetic Traits
Trait
Number of students
Number of students who have trait.
Dominant or Recessive
Trait
Number of students
Number of students who have trait.
Dominant or Recessive
Trait
Number of students
Number of students who have trait.
Dominant or Recessive
* City:
* State:
* School: