Name: Addison Sykes

Class: ELED 3221

Date: 3/11/15
edTPA Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan
Genetics, Traits, and Behaviors
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Central Focus/Big Idea: To teach students about inherited traits, acquired traits, and learned
behaviors.
Subject of this lesson: Science- Genetics
Grade Level: Fifth
NC Essential Standard(s):
5.L.3
Understand why organisms differ from or are similar to their parents based on the
characteristics of the organism.
5.L.3.1
Explain why organisms differ from or are similar to their parents based on the
characteristics of the organism.
5.L.3.2
Give examples of likenesses that are inherited and some that are not.
Next Generation Science Standard(s):
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
1-LS3-1.
Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are
like, but not exactly like, their parents. [Clarification Statement: Examples of patterns could
include features plants or animals share. Examples of observations could include leaves from the
same kind of plant are the same shape but can differ in size; and, a particular breed of dog looks
like its parents but is not exactly the same.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include
inheritance or animals that undergo metamorphosis or hybrids.]
The performance expectation above was developed using the following elements from the NRC
document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Constructing explanations and designing solutions in K2 builds on prior experiences and
progresses to the use of evidence and ideas in constructing evidence-based accounts of natural
phenomena and designing solutions.
Make observations (firsthand or from media) to construct an evidence-based account for natural
phenomena.

LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits

Young animals are very much, but not exactly like, their parents. Plants also are very much, but
not exactly, like their parents.
LS3.B: Variation of Traits
Individuals of the same kind of plant or animal are recognizable as similar but can also vary in
many ways.

Patterns
Patterns in the natural and human designed world can be observed, used to describe phenomena,
and used as evidence.
21st Century Skills: Using the 21st Century Skills Map-Science available on Moodle, choose
the two or three skills that apply to your lesson. Explain why you chose these.
Information Literacy- I chose this because the students will be taking information that they read
and applying it to their experiments.
Communication- The students will be working in partners, so they will need to be able to
communicate with their teammates while they are doing the experiment and discussing what they
learned during the experiment.
Academic Language Demand
Language Function: In the table below highlight the one most important language
function for your lesson. Explain why you chose these.
Analyze

Argue

Categorize

Compare/contras Describe
Explain
t
Interpret
Predict
Question
Retell
Summarize
Students will be analyzing their knowledge on genetics when taking a short quiz. Students will
be categorizing learned behaviors, acquired traits, and inherited traits. Students will be
questioning the difference of learned behaviors, acquired traits, and inherited traits. Students

will be describing what they see, they will be summarizing the experiment, and students will be
explaining what different traits are and how they know this.
Scientific Vocabulary: What are the key scientific terms that your students will learn
through this lesson?
o Inherited Traits
o Acquired Traits
o Learned Behaviors
o DNA
o Gregor Mendel
Instructional Objective: Students will learn about genetics. They will be expected to know the
difference between acquired and inherited traits. They will also be expected to know what a
learned behavior is. The students will take a short quiz after learning about traits and will be
graded on this. Then the students will do an experiment to pull DNA from strawberries. They
must tell if DNA contains acquired traits or inherited traits.
Prior Knowledge (student):
Students must already know that they receive traits from their parents.
Students should also know how to properly work a microscope.
Content Knowledge (teacher): What background knowledge does the teacher need to have?
Teacher must know about inherited traits, acquired traits, and learned behaviors. He or She
must be able to accurately differentiate between the three. The teacher must also, before the
experiment, give a brief overview on genetics on plants using Gregor Mendel.
Accommodations for special needs (individual and/or small group): What will you do for
students with special needs (ELL, ability, etc.)?
ELL students will have the instructions for the lesson in both their native language as well as
English. Students with special needs will have the same expectations. They will perhaps work
in a group of three rather than two so they get extra support from their peers.
Materials and Technology requirements: Anchor Charts with information about the topic.
Frozen strawberries, 90% Rubbing Alcohol, Cups, Salt, Dish Soap, Baggies, Popsicle Sticks,
Microscopes, slides
Total Estimated Time: 90 minutes
Source of lesson: Colleague, Darlene Petranick
Students will not touch the materials with their bare hands. They will be given the materials so
that nothing touches them. After they are finished with the experiment, they will immediately
wash their hands so that there is nothing harmful on them. The only harmful thing in the
experiment would potentially be the rubbing alcohol, but there is no need for this to touch the
students.

Content and Strategies (Procedure)

In your procedure, be sure to include all of the following 5 Es. Your procedure should be
detailed enough for a colleague to follow. If you will be relying on technology (e.g., a YouTube
video), describe your back up plan thoroughly. Imagine your most novice colleague needing to
teach from your plan. Dont just answer the questions. Additionally, I expect you to include
possible questions you could ask for each section. This needs to include higher-order questions.
DAY ONE
Engage: Ask the students what they know about genetics. Ask them if they can tell the
difference between an acquired trait and an inherited trait. Let the students explain the difference
if they can. Students will look at posters for inherited traits, acquired traits and learned behaviors.
They will discuss what each is, and give examples of each as a class. Also discuss the discovery
of DNA and genetics by Gregor Mendel. This should be very brief and give the students an
overview on how genetics was discovered first in plants. Make a connection that plants too, get
traits from their parents. Plants can also have acquired traits. (ex: when the wind makes the
plants grow in a certain way)
Explore: This is where we will do the Strawberry DNA extraction. Here are the instructions:
Materials Needed: (per pair)
1 quart resealable plastic bag
Apple slices fresh or frozen (frozen will be easier to crush)
2 teaspoons dish detergent
1 teaspoon table salt
cup water
2 plastic cups (one cup will be used as a filtering device)
Filtering apparatus: coffee filter and plastic cup
ICE cold 90% rubbing alcohol
1 wooden popsicle(craft) stick
Teaching Strategy: This DNA extraction activity results in a large quantity of DNA that can
be seen with the naked eye. This activity can be used with strawberries, bananas, or other
fruits.
1. Put the thawed apple slices into the plastic bag and smash gently for about 2 minutes.
Completely crush the apple slices, this allows the cells to break open and release the DNA.
1
2. In a plastic cup, make the DNA extraction liquid: mix together 2 teaspoons of detergent,
1 teaspoon salt, and cup of water.
3. Add 2 teaspoons of the DNA extraction liquid into the bag with the apples. This will
continue to break down the cells.
4. Reseal the bag and continue to gently smash for another minute (avoid making too many
soap bubbles).
5. Place the coffee filter inside the other plastic cup.
6. Open the bag and pour the apple mixture into the filter. Gently twist and squeeze the
filter to extract as much liquid as possible without tearing the filter.

7. Next add an equal amount of ICE cold rubbing alcohol. Pour the alcohol slowly down
the side of the cup with the apple liquid. Do not mix or stir the solution.
8. Within a few seconds a white cloudy substance (DNA) will develop at the top layer of the
apple solution.
9. Tilt the cup and pick up the DNA using the craft stick. 10. The DNA maybe stored in
another Ziploc bag with more rubbing alcohol.
DAY TWO
Explanation:
While students are doing the experiment, I will have them tell me what they are seeing. I also
will ask the students to tell me if DNA is passed down from parents, or if it acquired throughout
its life. The students must answer this. Students will also be recording exactly what they are
doing in journals. They will write down exactly what they see and do, and they will provide
examples of inherited traits in the strawberries. They will also give examples of acquired traits
and learned behaviors using other examples rather than just strawberries.
Elaborate: Students will then be given microscopes in pairs to look at the DNA. The teacher
should be passing these out. The teacher should also place the students strawberry DNA on to
the slide so that students do not touch the glass. Allow the students to look at the DNA through
the microscope and tell what they see.
Evaluate: The students will take a short quiz on inherited and acquired traits as well as learned
behaviors.
To be complete after the lesson is taught as appropriate
Assessment Results of all objectives/skills:
The students did very well with their lesson. Every student got all of the questions
correct on their short assessment at the end of the lesson. I was very excited with this because
they were able to grasp the concept of traits and behaviors.
Reflection on lesson:
I thought the lesson went very well. The students were engaged and they loved being
able to make a mess with the strawberries. I loved seeing all the excitement in their faces while
they were learning and having fun with science. They were able to learn conceptually on the
subject and they were able to explain why, which was very important. It was also exciting to see
my coordinating teacher having fun with the lesson too. She didnt want to sit idly by and watch.
She wanted to get involved with the lesson as well which I thought was awesome.
She did not help teach the lesson, but she assisted me with handing out materials to the
students and she even requested getting her own materials to do the experiment while I walked
around and assisted students who needed extra help and asked them questions about what they
were doing and seeing.
CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________