The Teacher Guide is the driving and unifying component of this unit, Genetics. In this unit, students investigate the phenomenon of the similarities and differences between organisms. In doing so they ask and resolve questions about phenotypes, genotypes, and inheritance in both sexually and asexually reproducing organisms The subtitle of this unit is Why are living things different from one another? Phenomena such as the different levels of musculature in cattle, variation within tulips, different phenotypes of planaria are things students might have observed, but what causes these differences. What is the genetic basis for variation among organisms? What are genes and alleles? This unit allows students to observe the phenomenon of variation and inheritance and then spend time working with classmates to analyze the shared experience, formulate new questions, and developing new strategies for answering them.

CKSci Middle School is an enhanced republication of the OpenSciEd Middle School project–with a unique, integrated Core Knowledge science literacy component.

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