See video from first rounds on Mendelian genetics.

Round 1 Video: Gummy Bear Genetics

Reflection from Genes and Alleles LAP

The activities were successful because the students were interested in knowing why they have different traits. I managed to get them to see the relevance of the activities to their daily lives and they were willing to learn more about it. In a post round meeting, observers remarked that I managed to keep the student’s attention for 20 minutes of note taking, which is unusually good for the class. The sheer number of different terms and new skills that the students were introduced to was overwhelming. Though I set them up with a lot of new ideas, they didn’t necessarily get a strong understanding of any particular term.

To improve the lesson, I would elaborate on each of the terms and make a minute by minute run down of each part of the lesson. The knowledge and practice with scientific skills I have gained since I first taught it has given me a better sense of how to pace the class. I want to make sure that students achieve proficiency with each idea.

Next Up: References