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Geographic Distribution of a Genetic Trait
Group Project
Your objective in this project is to research and present information about a genetic trait that is concentrated in a
particular geographic region in the world. Your task is to teach a group of your peers about this trait and describe
the geographic area of the world in which this trait is concentrated. You will have 2 class periods (October 25 and
26) in the computer lab to design your PowerPoint presentation. You will then be presenting to a group of students
on Tuesday, Nov. 1 and Thursday, November 3. You will be assigned a group of 3-4 students and
your group will select a topic at random. Your presentation must:
 Describe the symptoms and mode of inheritance of your chosen trait
 Present how the geography of the area where the trait is concentrated affects the
distribution of the trait.
 Present how this genetic trait affects people and society
 Include no more than 6 slides
 Have fewer than 30 words/slide – that means you must be visual and explain your
ideas in your presentation
Possible topics of presentation :
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Tay-Sachs- Mediterranean area
Sickle Cell Anemia- Africa
Huntington Disease – Venezuela
Cystic Fibrosis – Europe
Lactose Intolerance – Asian/SE Asia
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Albinism – Zimbabwe
Polydactyly – South America
ABO Blood Types- worldwide
Steatopygia – Central Africa
Assign each group member a task to complete by the time we meet again on Oct. 25. Tasks include
researching symptoms, inheritance, geography of the area, effects on people and society.
Class hour: _________
Genetic Trait and Geography Group Project Plan Sheet
(due by the end of class on October 26)
The following students are members of this group. After each person’s name is the job(s) that s/he will be doing to contribute to the
successful completion of this project by November 1:
Name
Responsibilities
Our topic for presentation is: ___________________________________________
What are the symptoms or indicators of this trait?
*
*
*
Is this a dominant or recessive trait?
How is it inherited?
What is the adaptive advantage of this trait in the geographic region where it’s found most commonly? Using the geographic
information you learned from your research, explain why this trait is commonly found in this area:
Assessment Rubric for Genetic Trait Group Project:
Indicators of excellence
Indicators of good work
Indicators of
acceptable/adequate
Needs more work
Extras
Inheritance
of Trait
Clearly describes how the gene is inherited, including the
terms: dominant, recessive, frequency, probability. Presenters
were able to answer tough questions.
Describes the general way the
trait is inherited
Mentions inheritance, but
doesn’t specify methods
Presenters supplemented the
slide with anecdotal material
about the topic.
Impact on
society
Geography
Clearly illustrates and explains many ways this trait impacts
people’s lives and society as a whole
Explains generally how this
trait affects people
Lists geographic traits of
area of concentration
Shows a picture of the geographic
location
Preparatio
n and
presentatio
n
Format
Everyone in group was clearly prepared and all members
seemed knowledgeable about the topic, answering questions.
Explains at least 2 ways that
this trait affects people and
society
Explains where the trait is
concentrated and some of the
geographic features of this
area of the world. Includes
illustration
Some group members seemed
more knowledgeable than
others, but everyone
participated
The group seems to have some
knowledge of the inheritance, but
when questioned are unclear in their
explanation
Effects addressed but not clearly
explained or illustrated.
Only one or two group
members took charge .
One person in group dominated.
Group seemed unprepared or not
knowledgeable about subject
Presenters did not read
word-for-word off slide.
They had interesting
information to supplement
the slides.
Powerpoint had no more than
6 slides, contained
illustrations and words. Each
slide was succinct
Powerpoint was no more
than 6 slides, but had
spelling, grammar and/or
format errors – or had more
than 30 words/slide
Powerpoint was mostly words and not
visually pleasing
Powerpoint was especially
interesting because
Includes a detailed explanation and illustration of the
geographic area (map) where the trait occurs most often.
Clearly explains with detail how the geography affects the
prevalence of the trait.
Powerpoint was visually pleasing, creative and contained no
more than 6 slides. Each slide was informative and succinct. I
learned a lot from this presentation
Comments/Feedback/Constructive Criticism:
Presenters supplemented the
slide with anecdotal material
about the topic
Presenters supplemented the
slide with anecdotal material
about the topic
Reflecting on the Group Process
As a group, discuss the following prompts and record your answers.
What aspect of this project was a strength for your group? (Ideas: research/information
gathering, cooperation, PowerPoint design, etc)
With what aspect did you struggle?
How did you overcome this struggle?
What will you do differently on the next group project?
Look at the total points underneath the “assessment rubric” attached. Discuss each group
member’s contributions to this project and complete the following table:
Group member name
Tasks completed
Comments/Feedback
Total points given
to group member
Each group member must sign below signifying that s/he agrees to the grade distribution
above. Otherwise points will be divided equally:
Suggestions for how the design of this project could be improved: