Classroom Resources

In this activity, students investigate the phenomenon of lactase persistence by making sense of a series of data sets.

In this activity, students explore using CRISPR-Cas9 to knock out butterfly genes in order to determine their function.

In this activity, students analyze aspects of a scientific paper that investigates genes involved in the colors and patterns of butterfly wings.

This activity builds on information presented in the short film Genes as Medicine. Students interpret actual pedigrees to determine the inheritance pattern of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), an inherited form of blindness. They also examine protein sequence data to explore mutations that can cause LCA.

This activity challenges students to provide their questions and ideas for experiments they could conduct to investigate the impact of releasing genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild. It accompanies the video Genetically Modified Mosquitoes.

This activity can be used in conjunction with the short film The Double Helix. It introduces students to the classic experiment by Matthew Meselson and Franklin Stahl, which revealed that DNA replication follows the semiconservative model.

This activity extends concepts covered in the film Got Lactase? The Co-evolution of Genes and Culture. Students infer whether someone is likely to be lactase persistent or nonpersistent based on the data from two different tests.