Heredity and genetic material
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain that some, but not all, features are inherited when genetic material is passed from parents to their offspring.
Key learning points
- Biological features are inherited when genetic material is passed from parents to their offspring during reproduction.
- Genetic material provides instructions for growth and other life processes.
- Only features caused by instructions in the genetic material can be inherited.
- Features caused by lifestyle and the environment cannot be inherited.
- Examples of features caused by genetic information (e.g. eye colour) and by the environment (e.g. scars).
Keywords
Environment - The environment of a living organism is its surroundings and the conditions in which it lives.
Lifestyle - The lifestyle of a living organism is the things it does and the choices it makes, e.g. diet and exercise.
Inherited - Some of the offspring's features can be inherited from parents, through the process of reproduction.
Genetic material - Genetic material is a substance in cells that contains instructions for various features and life processes.
Common misconception
Features caused by the environment or lifestyle can be passed to offspring.
Examples of inherited features e.g. eye colour, those that are environment and lifestyle e.g. scars, and those that are both e.g. height.
Teacher tip
Reiterate the fact that inherited features are due to genetic material that is passed from parents, if it is not in the genetic material then it cannot be passed to offspring.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What do we call the young of a living organism, produced following reproduction?
Q2.This is an image of a ladybird's...
Q3.Which stage of the life cycle is genetic material passed from the parent to the offspring?
Q4.Match the correct keyword to its definition
Process of making offspring.
The young of a living organism.
Process of passing genetic features from parent to offspring
Characteristic passed on from parent to offspring.
Q5.Why do siblings (brothers and sisters) look similar but not identical?
Q6.All offspring features from both parents.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The three factors that determine an individual's features are heredity, environment and...
Q2.Match the feature to the factor that determines it.
blood type
growth
piercing
Q3.Features carried in the genetic material are by the offspring.
Q4.Which types of factors can be inherited by offspring from their parents?
Q5.Choose features that are affected by a combination of heredity and environment/lifestyle.
Q6.Which processes are determined by heredity?
To help you plan your 7 science lesson on: Heredity and genetic material, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 science lesson on: Heredity and genetic material, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
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