Punnett Squares Case Study

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Punnett Squares This is a proposal to add an exhibit to the Picture of Health gallery. This exhibit will be titled Punnett Squares. It will teach, according to the Connecticut Science Standards, the eighth grade concept of “passage of genetic information from one generation to another.” (CSDE 82) According to the NGSS Standards, it will also teach “inheritance and variation of traits” (NGSS 65). Punnett Squares will be a game in which the player can create possible phenotypes and genotypes, or appearance and genetic code, by filling out Punnett Squares.
According to Palomar College, “one of the easiest ways to calculate the mathematical probability of inheriting a specific trait was invented by an early 20th century English geneticist named
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Two recessive or dominant alleles (AA or aa) is known as homozygous, while a dominant and recessive combination (Aa) is known as heterozygous. A homozygous recessive gene (aa) is needed for the child to inherit the recessive trait. In the square above, the child would have a 75% chance of having the dominant trait, such as brown hair or eyes, and a 25% chance of having the recessive trait, such as blue eyes or blonde hair. Punnett Squares can become even more complicated by adding more genes to each parent. As stated by the University of North Carolina, many traits are controlled by more than one gene (University of North Carolina 3). According to the University of Arizona, a Punnett Square calculating more than one gene is called a “dihybrid cross,” while one that calculates only one gene is called a “monohybrid cross” (University of Arizona 1). An example of a dihybrid cross measuring eye color is …show more content…
There will be two different difficulties, one with a monohybrid cross and one with a dihybrid cross. The program will give the player a short lesson on each. Once they are finished with it, they will be shown the start screen for the game itself. The player will then be presented with a Punnett Square and alleles with different tabs of the same thing for each trait, i.e., hair or eye color. They will then select the parents’ genes and the computer will fill in the rest of the square and they will be able to select one and it will show the child or animal with that trait. For example, if the player selects homozygous recessive (bb) for the eye color tab, the child will be shown with blue eyes. The player will be able to do this for multiple traits until they complete the character on screen. (See attached addendum.) Kids will enjoy attempting to create themselves and their family and friends using Punnett