High School NGSS-aligned activities on Life Cycles, Inheritance, Animal Behavior, and Sex Development

Thank you for your interest in the Inclusive Biology Curriculum Research Project. I am Charlie Blake (they/them), an Assistant Research Professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. I am leading a research study along with contributions and support from partners and advisors, including the folks at Gender Inclusive Biology (https://www.genderinclusivebiology.com/). I am currently recruiting high school life science teachers for the 2024-2025 school year. If you are able to participate, I would supply you with four activities (NGSS-aligned) that you would use whenever they fit into your teaching schedule. I would then invite your class to participate in some short pre- and post- surveys and invite a few students in each class to do interviews. The topic areas of the lesson materials are: Reproductive Life Cycles, Genetic Inheritance, Animal Bodies and Mating Behavior, and Sex Determination and Development. Even if you can’t do all the lesson topics you can still participate. A small stipend is available for all participating teachers!

“Inclusive Biology Curriculum Impacts on Students” IRB approved protocol #2171

If you would like to use the lesson plans but are unable to participate in the study, I will still share the activities with you, but I hope you will consider joining the study!

Google form to request the activities https://forms.gle/u5G6MbygvqunXH366

Thanks for all your help,

Charlie

Dr. Charlie Blake (they/them)

Assistant Research Professor

STEM Center for Research, Education, & Outreach

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Dads Also Pass on Mitochondrial DNA, Contrary to Long-Standing Belief

This article from Smithsonian Magazine describes new evidence that some people receive their mitochondrial DNA from the sperm cell rather than the egg cell that made them. This contradicts a longstanding generalization that only egg cells contribute mitochondrial DNA.

This article uses the words mother/maternal and father/paternal to refer to two contributors of genetic material in humans. Consider speaking with your students about other terms that may be more inclusive of all people and their families, such as sperm-derived and egg-derived DNA.

InstaGene Mendelian Inheritance App

The most authentic way to teach Mendelian genetics is to focus on real-life traits in humans and non-human species. The InstaGene app is a user-friendly database of single-locus Mendelian traits in several species. The name of the gene, dominant allele, recessive allele, and source are given. Both allele phenotypes are explicitly named, with neither referred to as “normal”. Many of the alleles code for non-harmful variations, which averts the common association between mutation and disease. The app was created with Glide Apps and can be viewed, copied, and remixed all in a web browser - no app download required.

InstaGene can be used as a teacher reference or it can be given to students for reference while they complete practice problems. A set of sample problems, with model language, is provided below.

Pigeonetics Game

Pigeonetics is a game developed by the University of Utah Genetic Science Learning Center for web browser and mobile devices (iOS and Android). Players complete pigeon breeding challenges through trial and error. Students use evidence to learn the patterns of simple genetic inheritance, sex chromosome inheritance, and eventually incomplete dominance with dilution.

As curators of gender-inclusive resources, we like this game because it accurately portrays sex in animal species without conflating sex with gender or anthropomorphizing the animals. It also comes with a teacher guide.

A Brief History of Twin Studies

This article from Smithsonian Magazine summarizes how twin studies have been used untangle the influences of genes and the environment on particular traits. Twins have been used in the study of eugenics, I.Q., eating disorders, obesity, sexual orientation, and the effect of spaceflight on the body.