Weeds present problems in farm fields—they rob sunlight, nutrients, and water from the crops. What can farmers do? Herbicides are one answer, but they may not do enough as some weeds have developed resistance. Students investigate an unknown weed to determine if it has resistance. This unit features 2 lessons and 5 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Did you know that there are many traits in soybeans that have an impact on sales and export of soybeans? One of the major ones is hilum color. What is hilum color? What is pubescence? Take a tour of the soybean to find out how these traits are inherited. This unit features 3 lessons and 5 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Create models to understand DNA and the gene transfer process used in biotechnology. Explore questions: Are there harmful side effects of biotechnology? Can biotech solve world hunger? Should GMO foods be labeled? This unit features 5 lessons and 5 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Have you ever done a DNA extraction? Most DNA extractions are done with a known source and students can visualize DNA. The favorite items are strawberries or students’ own cheek cells. This unit shows what biotech scientists do next. This unit features 2 lessons and 3 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Discusses conditions needed for the Hardy-Weinberg Law to hold true and demonstrates calculations involving allelic frequencies to illustrate this principle.

This pathway provides an introduction to heredity and how the biological process of meiosis leads to genetic diversity. The foundational concepts of Mendelian genetics are also reviewed. For a deeper look at this topic, we recommend the pathways Meiosis and Sexual Reproduction, Mendel's Experiments and Heredity and Modern Understandings of Inheritance from the OpenStax textbook Biology for AP® Courses.

Students randomly select jelly beans (or other candy) that represent genes for several human traits such as tongue-rolling ability and eye color. Then, working in pairs (preferably of mixed gender), students randomly choose new pairs of jelly beans from those corresponding to their own genotypes. The new pairs are placed on toothpicks to represent the chromosomes of the couple's offspring. Finally, students compare genotypes and phenotypes of parents and offspring for all the "couples" in the class. In particular, they look to see if there are cases where parents and offspring share the exact same genotype and/or phenotype, and consider how the results would differ if they repeated the simulation using more than four traits.

Saguaro National Park receives about 10 inches of rain a year, but has some of the highest biodiversity in North American. Learn how plants and animals are adapted to a hot and dry environment.

The Genetics Student Edition book is one of ten volumes making up the Human Biology curriculum, an interdisciplinary and inquiry-based approach to the study of life science.

In this video segment adapted from NOVA: Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial, learn how modern genetics and molecular biology offer compelling support for evolution. The video features an interview with biologist Ken Miller.

This StudyCards stack enables students to review the vocabulary used in studying human genetics.

Explains the goals of the Human Genome Project. It also explains some of the ethical, legal and social challenges associated with this new technology.

Students are introduced to the latest imaging methods used to visualize molecular structures and the method of electrophoresis that is used to identify and compare genetic code (DNA). Students should already have basic knowledge of genetics, DNA (DNA structure, nucleotide bases), proteins and enzymes. The lesson begins with a discussion to motivate the need for imaging techniques and DNA analysis, which prepares students to participate in the associated two-part activity: 1) students each choose an imaging method to research (from a provided list of molecular imaging methods), 2) they research basic information about electrophoresis.

Introduction to how groups of organisms evolve and how natural selection can lead to evolution. [17:39]

Khan Academy learning modules include a Community space where users can ask questions and seek help from community members. Educators should consult with their Technology administrators to determine the use of Khan Academy learning modules in their classroom. Please review materials from external sites before sharing with students.

Students learn how engineers apply their understanding of DNA to manipulate specific genes to produce desired traits, and how engineers have used this practice to address current problems facing humanity. They learn what genetic engineering means and examples of its applications, as well as moral and ethical problems related to its implementation. Students fill out a flow chart to list the methods to modify genes to create GMOs and example applications of bacteria, plant and animal GMOs.

A video discussing the molecular structure of DNA. Understand that DNA is made up of a phosphate, deoxyribose sugar, and one of the four nitrogen base. Video also explains how the nitrogen bases pair up to form the double helix structure. Also learn how DNA stores the genetic information for organisms. [13:01]

Khan Academy learning modules include a Community space where users can ask questions and seek help from community members. Educators should consult with their Technology administrators to determine the use of Khan Academy learning modules in their classroom. Please review materials from external sites before sharing with students.

Excellent site where students are challenged to read several case studies and make choices about what they would do in the situation. After they choose they are presented with some of the consequences that their decision may produce in order to see if it changes their decision.

Here's a very informative article from Medline about albinism. It contains a lot of technical information like: symptoms, causes, tests, and treatment.

Meiosis is the process by which gametes (eggs and sperm) are made. Gametes have only one set of chromosomes. Therefore, meiosis involves a reduction in the amount of genetic material. Each gamete has only half the chromosomes of the original germ cell. Explore meiosis with a computer model of dragons. Run meiosis, inspect the chromosomes, then choose gametes to fertilize. Predict the results of the dragon offspring and try to make a dragon without legs. Learn why all siblings do not look alike.

This cell biology lesson explains and illustrated the different phases of meiosis. Includes vocabulary and assessment links as well as othe related resources.