This web page is composed of simple lesson plans and activity ideas created by Jamie Handy. The activities are intended for biology teachers and assume a basic knowledge of Mendelian genetics and probability. Teachers are invited to adapt them in ways that will promote learning in their classrooms. These activities and lessons have been designed to meet goals established by the National Science Education Standards. Please email me with your suggestions, comments, or ideas at jhh@email.byu.edu.
| LESS EMPHASIS ON | MORE EMPHASIS ON |
| Knowing scientific facts and information. | Understanding scientific concepts and developing abilities of inquiry. |
| Studying subject matter disciplines (physical, life, earth) for their own sake. | Learning subject matter disciplines in the context of inquiry, technology, science in personal and social perspectives, and the history and nature of science. |
| Separating science knowledge and science process. | Integrating all aspects of science content. |
| Covering many science topics. | Studying a few fundamental science concepts. |
| Implementing inquiry as a set of processes. | Implementing inquiry as instructional strategies, abilities, and ideas to be learned. |
| Activities that demonstrate and verify science content. | Activities that investigate and analyze science questions. |
| Process skills out of context. | Process skills in context. |
| Getting an answer. | Using evidence and strategies for developing and revising an explanation. |
| Management of materials and equipment. | Management of ideas and information. |
I have designed classroom ideas and activities that involve human genetic disorders. The left frame is an index of the disorders by mode of inheritance, and below is an alphabetical list which includes a brief description of each disorder and the accompanying activities. This should provide biology teachers new ideas on how to incorporate genetics into a variety of biology topics, emphasize the importance of genetics, and provide a common thread as the class moves from subject to subject.
|
Caution: Some of these disorders will affect individuals in your classroom. Be sensitive and aware of individual feelings. Great care has been given to assure that none of the activities are offensive. When discussing human genetic disorders focus on new treatments, the inheritance, the diagnosis, their application to biology-- not life expectancy, symptoms, or complications. Use good common sense! |
| Achondroplasia-- a growth defect causing short stature. Affected persons have short limbs but a relatively normal size torso. The activities deal with Punnett squares and bone growth. | Albinism-- individuals lack the pigment melanin in hair, skin, and eyes. This activity is an introduction to melanin and how it functions in our bodies. This activity also serves to introduce students to skin cancer. | Anhidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia-- individuals lack sweat glands, have abnormal teeth, and sparse hair. This activity discusses the limited expression in heterozygotes. |
| Beta Thalassemia-- a blood disorder in which the beta chains of hemoglobin are not produced. There is a lengthy explanation of this disease and examples of how to incorporate it into a variety of units-- nutrition, blood, bone marrow, and hemoglobin. | Breast Cancer-- a leading cause of cancer death in women. This activity is an introduction to the cell cycle, cancer, breast cancer, early detection, and awareness. |
Cystic Fibrosis-- a disorder in chloride ion transport causing many digestive and respiratory problems. This is one of the first genetic diseases to have human clinical trials in gene therapy. This activity introduces students to gene therapy and helps them understand how this could someday cure diseases like cystic fibrosis. |
| Diabetes Mellitus-- there are two forms of this disease. This activity describes both types and then introduces students to insulin and recombinant DNA technology. | Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-- a disorder in how collagen functions in the body. This activity is intended to have students hypothesize what would happen if a protein (like collagen) did not function properly. | Fragile X-- the most common inherited cause of mental retardation. It is X-linked and occurs mostly in males. This disorder (and trisomy 21) is great to use when teaching students about chromosomes and karyotypes. |
|
Hairy Ears-- a trait included because of the rare mode of inheritance -- Y-linked. This is a great way to introduce or test understanding of sex linked traits. |
Hemophilia-- a bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency in a blood clotting factor. There are two classroom activities -- one on the promise of gene therapy and the other a discussion on blood transfusion, blood products, blood donation, and screening. | Huntington disease-- a degenerative brain disease with primarily adult onset. There are three classroom activities -- an exercise in pedigree building and analysis, an ethical issue on testing for Huntington Disease, and a career profile of Nancy Wexler. |
| Hypercholesterolemia-- the most common human genetic trait characterized by high levels of LDLs in the bloodstream. This human genetic disorder is ideal to consider when discussing nutrition. | Hypertrichosis-- this disorder is included because of its rare mode of inheritance. Hypertrichosis is generalized hairiness covering the whole body. | Ichthyosis-- a skin disorder causing an accumulation of skin cells. The activity here discusses the largest organ on our body - the skin. |
| Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome-- a bizarre disorder where individuals often exhibit self-mutilative behavior. This activity discusses the importance of every enzyme in our body. | Marfan Syndrome-- a disorder in how fibrillin functions in the body. This activity is intended to have students hypothesize what would happen if a protein (like fibrillin) did not function properly. | Muscular Dystrophy (Duchenne)-- a disease that causes the wasting of muscles in the body. This activity is designed to introduce students to the three kinds of muscle-- cardiac, skeletal, and smooth. |
| Neurofibromatosis-- a disease characterized by pigmented skin spots. The activity explores the myth that neurofibromatosis is the disease associated with the "elephant man." | Phenylketonuria-- a disorder where an element of diet can cause severe brain damage. This is one of the few genetic disorders that can be entirely controlled and eliminated through diet. This disease could be introduced in a translation lesson or nutrition unit. | Polycystic Kidney Disease-- a disease causing cysts to grow on the kidneys. This is a leading cause of kidney failure. This activity is intended to help students become familiar with organ transplantation. |
|
Porphyria-- an autosomal dominant trait that causes levels of porphyrins (components of red blood cells) to build up in the body. Porphyria is a classic example of an evolutionary mechanism known as "founder effect." One activity would best be used in a unit on evolution and its mechanisms. The other activity is a class discussion on how environmetnal factors can affect us. |
Sickle Cell Anemia-- an autosomal recessive disease that alters the shape of red blood cells. This activity can be used when learning about evolution, red-blood cells, or malaria (disease carried by mosquitoes) |
Tay Sachs-- a degenerative disorder historically predominant in Ashkenazi Jewish populations. In this disorder individuals are born normal and develop normally for about six months. Then they start to degenerate until death occurs (usually by age 4 or 5). This is an ethics activity based on testing for Tay Sachs and can illustrate the effectiveness of genetic counseling. |
| Trisomy 21-- also known as Down Syndrome. This activity is an enjoyable way to introduce mitosis, meiosis, and nondisjunction. |
|
Copyright disclaimer: The information in this resource has been gathered from a variety of sources for educational use. There has been no intended misuse of any of the information. Since many different sources have the same information, one single source has not been cited. The most definitive source on all heritable conditions is found online and titled Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM). More detailed information on each genetic disorder is available from links to OMIM and other web sites at the bottom of each disorder's page. |