Lesson Plan — Chimera Butterflies: Non-Binary Animals (K-2)

Caption: Photograph of a Chimera Butterfly, from Kathy Pillsbury at the Insectarium, Montreal, CA

Caption: Photograph of a Chimera Butterfly, from Kathy Pillsbury at the Insectarium, Montreal, CA

Source: Welcoming Schools (HRC)

Chimera Butterflies: Non-Binary Animals

OBJECTIVES

• Students will learn about Chimera butterflies that are both female and male.

• Students will engage in a discussion and art activity that will help them understand

what the concept non-binary means.

• Students will create a colorful butterfly that is unique to them.

LGBTQIA Science/STEM Etymology

This is a partial list of root words that occur in both LGBTQIA issues and STEM content. Each root word has its own poster. This is a tool to help teachers integrate gender-inclusive themes into their teaching.

You might ask students to speculate on the meaning of a new science word like “homozygous” based on the meaning of the familiar word “homosexual”. Or you might have students write formal definitions of “transgender” and “cisgender” to apply their vocabulary after a lesson on cis- and trans-isomers. By taking a quick moment to make the connection, you can improve student literacy and affirm diverse identities in your classroom.

Activity: Nondisjunction and Intersex Traits

Description

In this activity, students pick up the nuts and bolts of nondisjunction by playing the Meiosis Game created by Sara Freeman and Matt Gilbert. Students simulate two scenarios of nondisjunction and record information about the intersex traits that arise. Students learn that while 46,XX and 46,XY are the most common human karyotypes, there are many other viable and naturally occurring variations. Then students evaluate the merits and limitations of the model.

Student Work Samples

Student Worksheet

Nondisjunction and Intersex Traits - Use https://mattgilbert.net/biologygames/meiosis/index.html The most common karyotypes are 46,XX (typical women) and 46,XY (typical men). A human with a different karyotype from these is said to have a form of intersex trait. In this activity, you will explore intersex traits that can result from nondisjunction (not separating) of sex chromosomes (X and Y) during meiosis.

Case Study: HIV Probability

by Sam Long

Visual description: Cropped preview image of a table and a graph, which are examples of data and materials students will analyze during the lesson.

Visual description: Cropped preview image of a table and a graph, which are examples of data and materials students will analyze during the lesson.

The spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) over the last half-century has entangled science, mathematics, and society in fascinating ways. As an Algebra teacher, I created a case study that challenged students to understand the probabilistic and social aspects of the virus through the eyes of a fictional college student getting his first HIV test.

Students considered the cost of health care, the risk of HIV transmission through different activities, survivorship curves, drug trial recruitment, and diagnostic test sensitivity and specificity. Along the way, students practiced computations with two-way frequency tables, conditional probabilities, permutations and combinations, and financial math. To conclude the case study, students summarized the information provided and made recommendations for the college student's next steps." —SL