Download Reflection Title: Tales of Adoption and Courage Learning Activity

Reflection Title: Tales of Adoption and Courage
Learning Activity Name: The Question of Nature versus Nurture in Human Development
Author: Mike Cruse
Subject Area: Science
Focus Areas: Biology, Genetics, Heredity, Nature versus Nurture, Human Development
Grades: 6-8
Duration: 90 minutes (1-2 class periods)
Common Core Standards:
Literacy in Science and Technical Studies-Writing: 1, 2, 4
Literacy in Science and Technical Studies-Reading: 1, 2
Learning Activity Overview:
Students will learn about the Nature versus Nurture debate in human development and explore
basic genetic principles, as well as environmental factors that play a role in this debate.
Objectives: (LW –Learners Will)
• LW contrast the sides of the nature versus nurture debate
• LW define genetics-related vocabulary and about the work of Gregor Mendel
• LW distiguish between genotypes and phenotypes and demonstrate how the
recombination of gametes results in unique organisms
• LW complete an experiment on basic genetics
• LW brainstorm environmental factors that influence human development and reflect on
similarities and difference between the Nature and Nurture sides of this debate
Preparation:
Pairs of coins – one set for each pair of students, Copies of Handouts 1-3 (attached)
Unit Resources:
Students will have read the Reflection, Tales of Adoption and Courage. Additionally, students
should have completed the following Unit Resources:
• Previewing the Reflection
• Understanding the Reflection
• Reviewing the Reflection
Reflection Prompt:
In the second sentence of the fourth paragraph, Michael asks, “What kind of emotional, mental
and even physical problems do young adults face after adoption?”
Essential Question: Does nature or nurture have a greater impact on a child’s development?
Procedure:
www.oneworldeducation.org
Explore, Learn, Share, Teach…One World Education
Step 1: The concept of Nature v. Nurture
Introduce Michael’s topic by asking students to name characteristics of either one or both of their
parents or guardians. Encourage students to include both physical and behavioral characteristics.
Model an example of each and encourage students to be kind to their parent/guardian. You might
choose two comments like these to model for the class:
“My mother is over 6 feet tall. She is also very kind to everyone.”
Next, ask, what do you think made this person the way that they are; what made my mother tall
and kind? Encourage students to voice their thoughts about what influences these individual
characteristics. Propose to students that there is a debate that continues to this day about which
has the greater influence on our development as humans: our nature (genetics) or nurture
(environment).
Step 2-Genetics
Describe this outline of Gregor Mendel's work Handout 1-Side A. Vocab-Handout 1-Side B.
In the 1890's, the invention of better microscopes allowed biologists to learn the basic facts of
cell division and study sexual reproduction. The study of genetics shifted to understanding what
really happens in the transmission of hereditary traits from parents to children. Gregor Mendel, a
monk in central Europe, had his ideas published in 1866, but they went unrecognized until after
his death in 1900. Mendel's research was with pea plants; however, the basic underlying
principles of heredity that he discovered also apply to people and animals. Mendel's observations
are summarized in these two principles:
1. The Principle of segregation
2. The Principle of independent assortment
According to the principle of segregation, for any particular trait, the pair of alleles – or genes
that come from each parent - separate and only one allele passes on to the child. Chance
determines which allele in a parent’s pair of alleles is inherited by the child. Below is a visual
representation that can be used to demonstrate this principle to the class.
Segregation of alleles in the production of sex cells
www.oneworldeducation.org
Explore, Learn, Share, Teach…One World Education
According to the principle of independent assortment, different pairs of alleles are passed to a
child independent of one another. The result is that new combinations of genes – different from
those of the parents - are possible. Independent assortment happens during the phase of cell
division known as meiosis. Meiosis reduces the number of chromosomes in a parent cell by half
to produce four reproductive cells called gametes Ref: http://anthro.palomar.edu/mendel/mendel_1.htm
Prompt students to think about what Mendel’s principles say about how we inherit genes from
our parents. Next, have students respond to the following question(s) on Handout 1 – Side B.
• Which traits can you trace to your biological mother’s genes? Which traits can you
trace to your biological father?
• Is it possible to have a child that’s genetically identical to one of the parents? Why or
why not?
• What do Mendel’s principles tell us about the individuality of our genetics?
• Does Mendel’s work influence the debate over nature versus nurture? If so, how do you
think it influences the debate?
Step 3: Dominant and Recessive Genes
Explain that some alleles are dominant while others are recessive.
Dominant alleles overpower recessive alleles and are always expressed in offspring.
Recessive alleles are only expressed in offspring if both parents contribute a recessive allele.
Use eye color to illustrate dominant and recessive alleles. Explain that the allele for brown eyes
is dominant, and the allele for blue eyes is recessive. Ask students to raise their hands if they
have brown eyes. Count the number of hands and write on the board. Next, ask students to raise
their hands if they have blue eyes. Again, count the number of hands and write on the board.
Ask why they think there are more brown eyes than blue in the classroom? (If this is not the
case, this is very rare, and you may ignore the comparison and proceed to the explanation).
The explanation is that if offspring receive a brown eye allele from either parent, they will have
brown eyes. A child must receive a blue eye allele from each parent to have blue eyes. This is
less common, based on the probability that both parents have the allele for blue eyes and that
both parents’ allele combines to produce a blue eye gene to pass onto their child.
Step 4: Phenotypes and Genotypes
Introduce students to phenotypes and genotypes.
Phenotype- This is the "outward, physical manifestation" of any living organism. These are the
physical parts, and include everything that is part of the observable structure, function or
behavior of the organism.
www.oneworldeducation.org
Explore, Learn, Share, Teach…One World Education
Genotype- This is the "internally coded, inheritable information" carried by all living organisms.
This stored information is used as instructions for building and maintaining an organism. These
instructions are found within cells and are written in genetic code. They are passed from one
generation to the next.
Genotype vs. Phenotype
The genotype of an organism is the dominant factor in its development. Creatures that
inherit a turtle genotype always become turtles, and plants that inherit a flower genotype
always become flowers. Environmental factors also play a role in an organism’s growth
and development. Genotype does not completely control a person’s behavior. The
environment in which they grow up is fundamental to the development of a person's
personality. Ref: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/ahp/BioInfo/GP/Definition.html
Step 5: Creating a person using Phenotypes
Next, students will conduct an experiment to understand how phenotypes are expressed in a
child. Students will work in pairs, with each pair using one set of coins.
Students will flip their pair of coins to determine what phenotype a child would have for 10
given traits.
1. Give each student a copy of Handout 2 and a blank piece of white paper.
2. Help students determine the sex of their child by having them flip a single coin.
Head will represent a female
Tails will represent a male
3. Next, demonstrate the first flip for face shape by flipping two coins.
Explain to students that using heads and tails of their two coins, there are three possible
outcomes from each pair of coin flips: HH, HT, and TT.
HH – Heads/Heads (round face)
HT – Heads/Tails (round face)
TT – Tails/Tails (oval face)
Explain that HT individuals show the same form of a physical trait (phenotype) as HH
individuals. This is because the H allele is dominant to the T allele, so when both H and T are
present, the H is expressed. TT individuals show a different phenotype for the same reason – the
T is recessive to H.
4. Instruct students to draw the outcome of their own coin toss on their paper to begin creating
their child.
www.oneworldeducation.org
Explore, Learn, Share, Teach…One World Education
5. Have them work in groups of two to complete the other nine phenotypic characteristics and
draw a picture of their child based on their coin flips.
Dominant - Heads
1. Round face shape
2. Short eye lashes
3. Straight nose
4. Thin lips
5. Unattached earlobe
6. Curly Hair
7.Freckles
8.Cleft chin
9. Facial dimples
10. Widow's peak
Recessive - Tails
Oval face shape
Long eye lashes
Turned up nose
Thick lips
Attached earlobe
Straight Hair
No freckles
No Cleft chin
No Facial dimples
No Widow's peak
6. In conclusion, challenge students to consider the following discussion questions, as a whole
class, or in small groups.
• Does your child resemble anyone else's in this class/group? Which phenotypes are the
same? Which ones are different?
• Can you think of instances in your family or a friend where the child looks very different
from the parents? What makes this possible?
• What do you think would happen to the variety of children if we made one parent
homozygous dominant for all the traits - ? (Hint: In our phenotypic characteristics
example, homozygous dominant would mean always having an H allele present.)
Step 6: Nurture-Environmental Factors
Students should revisit the nature versus nurture debate. Given that the information that they
have learned about genetics in this Learning Activity mostly supports the Nature side of the
debate, what do they think are some of the environmental factors that support the Nurture side of
the argument?
Ask students to choose one of the following writing prompts:
1. Name and define five environmental factors that have an impact a child’s development.
What are they, how do they relate and what is their impact on a child?
2. Is the Nurture side of the debate harder to define in concrete terms? If so, why do you
think that is the case? What might be done to help build this side of the argument?
www.oneworldeducation.org
Explore, Learn, Share, Teach…One World Education
3. Nature presents us with the idea of probability, or chance, in determining many factors in
a person’s genetic make-up. How does chance factor into the Nurture side of the debate?
Provide examples from your own personal experiences.
Students Demonstrate Understanding by:
• describing the difference between nature and nurture
• defining genetics-related vocabulary and about the work of Gregor Mendel
• distiguishing between genotypes and phenotypes and demonstrating how the
recombination of gametes results in unique organisms
• successfully completing an experiment on basic genetics
• outlining environmental factors that influence human development
• responding to a prompt about similarities and differences between the Nature and Nurture
sides of this debate
www.oneworldeducation.org
Explore, Learn, Share, Teach…One World Education
Handout 1 – Side A
Name: ___________________________________
In the 1890's, the invention of better microscopes allowed biologists to learn the basic facts of
cell division and study sexual reproduction. The study of genetics shifted to understanding what
really happens in the transmission of hereditary traits from parents to children. Gregor Mendel, a
monk in central Europe, had his ideas published in 1866, but they went unrecognized until after
his death in 1900. Mendel's research was with pea plants; however, the basic underlying
principles of heredity that he discovered also apply to people and animals.
Mendel's observations are summarized in these two principles:
1. The Principle of segregation
2. The Principle of independent assortment
According to the principle of segregation, for any particular trait, the pair of alleles – or genes
that come from each parent - separate and only one allele passes on to the child. Chance
determines which allele in a parent’s pair of alleles is inherited by the child. Below is a visual
representation that can be used to demonstrate this principle to the class.
Segregation of alleles in the production of sex cells
According to the principle of independent assortment, different pairs of alleles are passed to a
child independent of one another. The result is that new combinations of genes – different from
those of the parents - are possible. Independent assortment happens during the phase of cell
division known as meiosis. Meiosis reduces the number of chromosomes in a parent cell by half
to produce four reproductive cells called gametes Ref: http://anthro.palomar.edu/mendel/mendel_1.htm
www.oneworldeducation.org
Explore, Learn, Share, Teach…One World Education
Handout 1 – Side B
Vocabulary
Genes The basic unit of heredity that serves as a blueprint for each human body. Human beings
inherit two sets of genes, one set from each parent.
Heredity The passing of traits from parents to offspring.
Alleles two genes that correspond to eachother in function. One allele comes from each parent.
Chromosomes A threadlike structure that contains all or most of an organisms genes
Meiosis A phase of cell division that halves the number of chromosomes in a parent cell
Gametes The four reproductive cells produced from meiosis
Genotype The whole set of genes of an individual or group
Phenotype The visible characteristics of a plant or animal that result from the combined effects
of the genes and the environment
Homozygous Having at least one gene pair that contains identical genes
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
www.oneworldeducation.org
Explore, Learn, Share, Teach…One World Education
Handout 2
Name: ______________________________
Dominant - Heads
1.Round face shape
2.Short eye lashes
3. straight nose
4.Thin lips
5. Unattached earlobe
6. Curly Hair
7.Freckles
8.Cleft chin
9.Facial dimples
10. Widow's peak
Recessive - Tails
Oval head shape
Long eye lashes
Turned up nose
Thick lips
Attached earlobe
Straight Hair
No freckles
No Cleft chin
No Facial dimples
No Widow's peak
www.oneworldeducation.org
Explore, Learn, Share, Teach…One World Education