Name: Date:
Student Exploration: Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Vocabulary: allele, DNA, dominant allele, gene, genotype, heredity, heterozygous,
homozygous, hybrid, inheritance, phenotype, Punnett square, recessive allele, trait
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using
the Gizmo.)
1. The image shows a single litter of kittens. How are they
similar to one another?
They are the same breed
They are different colors.
2. How do they differ from one another?
3. What do you think their parents looked like?
The same breed but one had dark fur and white fur and the other had orange fur
and white fur
Gizmo Warm-up
Heredity is the passage of genetic information from parents to
offspring. The rules of inheritance were discovered in the 19th
century by Gregor Mendel. With the Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Gizmo™, you will study how one trait, or feature, is inherited.
1. Drag two black mice into the Parent 1 and Parent 2 boxes.
Click Breed to view the five offspring of these parents.
What do the offspring look like?
grthgey are
all
The appearance of each mouse is also called its phenotype.
2. Click Clear, and drag two white mice into the parent boxes. Click Breed several times. What
is the phenotype of the offspring now? all are
They white
3. Do you think mouse offspring will always look like their parents?
They will always inherit some traits of the parents since their genetic
Explain: material is passed down. _
, Question: What patterns are shown by offspring traits?
1. Predict: What do you think the offspring of a black mouse and a white mouse will look like?
I think they will produce some black mice and some white mice, but it
could be both the same color.
2. Observe: Click Breed several times. What do you see? AH offspring
are grey
3. Observe: Drag two offspring into the Holding Cages. These mice are called hybrids
because their parents had different traits. Click Clear, and then breed the two hybrids.
What do you see now?
3 grey
4.
z white
Experiment: Turn on S how statistics. Click Breed until there are 100 offspring.
How many offspring were black? _ 64 How many were white? _ 36
5. Explore: Try other combinations of mouse parents. Write the results of each experiment in
your notes. When you have finished, answer the following questions. (Note: You can refer to
the parents as “pure black,” “pure white,” or “hybrid.”)
A. Which parent combination(s) yield only white offspring? 2 while
parents
B. Which parent combination(s) yield only black offspring?
2 grey
parents
C. Which parent combination(s) yield a mixture of black and white offspring?
BIdeedin.ge 2 hybrids of grey
6. Challenge: Based on experiments similar to these, Gregor Mendel devised a theory of
inheritance. Use your own observations to come up with your own explanation of how a trait
such as fur color is passed down from parents to offspring.
Write your explanation down on an extra sheet of paper and attach it to this worksheet. If
possible, discuss your theory with your classmates and teacher.
I believe traits are inherited from the combination of genes from the parents. Offspring will carry
genes of both parents, but may only show the traits of the more “powerful” genes of a parent.
Student Exploration: Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Vocabulary: allele, DNA, dominant allele, gene, genotype, heredity, heterozygous,
homozygous, hybrid, inheritance, phenotype, Punnett square, recessive allele, trait
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using
the Gizmo.)
1. The image shows a single litter of kittens. How are they
similar to one another?
They are the same breed
They are different colors.
2. How do they differ from one another?
3. What do you think their parents looked like?
The same breed but one had dark fur and white fur and the other had orange fur
and white fur
Gizmo Warm-up
Heredity is the passage of genetic information from parents to
offspring. The rules of inheritance were discovered in the 19th
century by Gregor Mendel. With the Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Gizmo™, you will study how one trait, or feature, is inherited.
1. Drag two black mice into the Parent 1 and Parent 2 boxes.
Click Breed to view the five offspring of these parents.
What do the offspring look like?
grthgey are
all
The appearance of each mouse is also called its phenotype.
2. Click Clear, and drag two white mice into the parent boxes. Click Breed several times. What
is the phenotype of the offspring now? all are
They white
3. Do you think mouse offspring will always look like their parents?
They will always inherit some traits of the parents since their genetic
Explain: material is passed down. _
, Question: What patterns are shown by offspring traits?
1. Predict: What do you think the offspring of a black mouse and a white mouse will look like?
I think they will produce some black mice and some white mice, but it
could be both the same color.
2. Observe: Click Breed several times. What do you see? AH offspring
are grey
3. Observe: Drag two offspring into the Holding Cages. These mice are called hybrids
because their parents had different traits. Click Clear, and then breed the two hybrids.
What do you see now?
3 grey
4.
z white
Experiment: Turn on S how statistics. Click Breed until there are 100 offspring.
How many offspring were black? _ 64 How many were white? _ 36
5. Explore: Try other combinations of mouse parents. Write the results of each experiment in
your notes. When you have finished, answer the following questions. (Note: You can refer to
the parents as “pure black,” “pure white,” or “hybrid.”)
A. Which parent combination(s) yield only white offspring? 2 while
parents
B. Which parent combination(s) yield only black offspring?
2 grey
parents
C. Which parent combination(s) yield a mixture of black and white offspring?
BIdeedin.ge 2 hybrids of grey
6. Challenge: Based on experiments similar to these, Gregor Mendel devised a theory of
inheritance. Use your own observations to come up with your own explanation of how a trait
such as fur color is passed down from parents to offspring.
Write your explanation down on an extra sheet of paper and attach it to this worksheet. If
possible, discuss your theory with your classmates and teacher.
I believe traits are inherited from the combination of genes from the parents. Offspring will carry
genes of both parents, but may only show the traits of the more “powerful” genes of a parent.
