Summary:
Today we introduced the last topic in Unit 3. I like to call it “… and the Environment.” The theme of the lesson was that yes, genetics matter, but the environment matters too! To illustrate this point, I used a PowerPoint that describes three examples. First, we discussed how the size of plants is determined by genetics and factors like sunlight, water, and soil quality. Second, we learned about how the size of fish is dictated by genetics and factors like overfishing, food supply, and the size of the lake. Third, we talked about twin studies. The studies show that, yes, there are lots of similarities between identical twins, but there are differences too. We ended class by playing a classification game.  Students pulled a topic out of a box and had to classify it as genetic, environmental, or both (using a Venn diagram). Both the PowerPoint and the classification game are posted below.

Resources:
December 8 – …and the Environment (pg315).pptx
December 8 – Classification Game.docx