Genetics WebQuest

Site Selection

MUST DO - Go to the Gene Machine site, after reading the introductory page select the "Enough Begin!" link. Answer each of the questions about yourself and your mother and father. If you do not have the date for both of your parents fill in as much as you can. When you finish click on the "Show Me My Genes" link and print out the "Gene Machine Output" page and attach it to your worksheet. (easy)

MUST DO - Go to How Stuff Works - How Cloning Works and read the article about cloning (intermediate)

MUST DO - Go to the Genetic Science Learning Center - Cloning in Focus select the "What are some issues in Cloning" link and read through the information. (advanced)

Go to the Careers in Genetics and the Biosciences site, read until you find at least 2 careers that sound interesting to you (easy)

ExploreeLearning - Mouse House (Requires "Shockwave" player.) If a message box pops up that asks if you want to install Shockwave, click "yes." It will only take a minute or two, then you'll get right back to the site and you can start. Click on "Launch Gizmo" first. Then scroll down the page a bit and click on the "advanced mouse house" to begin. Just play around with the controls. There's also a little quiz you can take. If you have too many mice, you can put them out the escape door. (intermediate)

BioLogica - Mendel's Peas is a review of basic concepts. Click on "meiosis" to begin, then "pedigree", then "activity." Take your time - this site has a lot of information. (easy - intermediate.)

Go to the Genetic Science Learning Center - Click and Clone site and follow the directions to create a genetically identical clone of Mimi the mouse. (intermediate)

Chromosome Counter is a very simple chart of chromosome numbers of different species. (easy)

Want to determine if an athlete is male or female? Want to try your hand at DNA extraction in a real lab? Go to BioInteractive, click on sex dertimination (on the LEFT HAND SIDE) and then select gender testing of female athletes (on the bottom) There are several video clips that will take a few minutes, and much of the information is high school level or above. Some of the other movies are college level, but if you want to access them, go right ahead. (difficult)

Whodunit? Help solve a crime through using DNA fingerprinting techniques. go to NOVA Online Be warned, though, this Discovery site is NOT easy! Click DNA Fingerprinting to access the crime scene. (difficult, but interesting)

GenoChoice Want to clone yourself? (*Warning: this site takes a LONG time to complete! Don't start it unless you have at least 15 minutes or more*) Choose the Quicktime version from the top menu bar. Watch the movies and follow the directions. When it comes time for you to enter your email address, you can skip that part and stop. (intermediate)

What are chromosomes, anyway? Go to the Human Genome Project to get the basic facts on chromosomes. Click on any number (or letter) in the top menu bar on this page for information. (intermediate)

Go to the Genetic Science Learning Center - Genetic Disorder Corner site and read the section on "What Are Genetic Disorders?" then go back and select "How Do Mutations Occur?" follow the directions for the "Slooze Worm Mutagenesis" activity. (intermediate)

Directions For Worksheet

Print out the "Gene Machine Output" page and attach it to your worksheet packet.

Explain how cloning works and what are some of the possible uses of cloning.

Answer one of the blue bulleted questions in each section (2 questions total). Be sure to write the complete question and answer it fully.

On your worksheet, list the name of the site. List 2 careers on your worksheet and write a few sentences about each one and explain why you might be interested in doing that as a profession after you graduate.

On your worksheet, list the name of the site. What did you discover about how to breed black, red-eyed mice? What happens if you only breed white, red-eyed mice? Are red-eyed genes dominant, co-dominant, or recessive? How can you tell?

On your worksheet, list the name of the site. List the recessive characteristics of the peas in the meiosis tutorial. (Hold your cursor over the image of the recessive peas.) How many times did you have to practice to get 25 recessive peas in the activity section?

On your worksheet list the name of the site. Explain the steps you took to create a clone of a mouse and explain about the first time this experiment took place.

On your worksheet, list the name of the site. Write down five different species and their number of chromosomes. What did you find out that you didn't know before?

On your worksheet, list the name of this site and which movies or activities you completed. For each movie, write down 3 or 4 things you learned.

On your worksheet, list the name of this site. Did you choose the correct culprit? Describe some of the things you learned about how to analyze DNA from doing the lab. List at least 3 different things.

On your worksheet, list the name of this site. Do you think the characteristics listed from your DNA were correct? Why or why not? This requires more extensive writing. In one or more paragraphs, explain whether you think that parents should be able to choose the genes of their baby as long as they're willing to pay for it. Why or why not, and what changes could come about in the world if this could actually happen?

On your worksheet, list the name of the site and some facts about 4 different chromosomes. (The main page lists the number of bases for each chromosome.) Make sure you put down the number (or letter) of the chromosome you're describing.

On your worksheet, list the name of the site. Explain what genetic disorders are and what was the correct number of mutated cells on the Slooze Worm activity?