Authentic Performance Activities facilitate a student’s understanding of a lesson’s usefulness in real life. They are also an Understanding by Design (UbD) assessment tool. Focus questions act as pre- and post-assessment indicators of the activity’s effectiveness.
Focus Questions:
1. Why do we learn about genetics and inheritance of traits?
2. Can you think of any other jobs where knowing about genetics and inheritance of traits might be helpful?
3. Can you think of any ways where knowing about genetics and inheritance of traits could affect your home and property (flower and vegetable garden)?
Authentic Performance
As a veterinarian, you will be evaluating the health of pets. In dog breeds, you can point out features that are inherited and those that are affected by the dog’s environment. Comment on each of the following traits and whether they are inherited, influence by the environment or both in this German shepherd.
Fulfillment of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Grade 3 – 3-LS3 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of TraitsNGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas
LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits
• Many characteristics of organisms are inherited from their parents. (3-LS3-1)
• Other characteristics result from individuals’ interactions with the environment, which can range from diet to learning. Many characteristics involve both inheritance and environment. (3-LS3-2)
LS3.B: Variation of Traits
• Different organisms vary in how they look and function because they have different inherited information. (3-LS3-1)
• The environment also affects the traits that an organism develops. (3-LS3-2)
Performance Expectations Students who demonstrate understanding can:
3-LS4-2. Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. [Clarification Statement: Examples of cause and effect relationships could be plants that have larger thorns than other plants may be less likely to be eaten by predators; and, animals that have better camouflage coloration than other animals may be more likely to survive and therefore more likely to leave offspring.]
3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. [Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence could include needs and characteristics of the organisms and habitats involved. The organisms and their habitat make up a system in which the parts depend on each other.]