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Essential Question
What question will guide the project and learning?
Community Partners
What organizations and individuals will collaborate and enhance the learning experience?
Reflection
What opportunities are there for us to reflect on our academic and socio-emotional development?
Assessment
In what ways can we demonstrate what we have learned and how we have grown?
Exhibition
How and who will we celebrate our learning with?
Project Launch
What shared experiences will engage us in the content, skills, and mindsets of the project?
Core Content
What will we need to learn and practice in order to engage in the project?
Critique and Revision
How will opportunities for feedback and refinement be embedded in the project?
Product
What will we make, build, or do that will have an impact on us or the world around us?
Next
What question will guide the project and learning?

(1) How can analyzing family traits help us understand the role of heredity in congenital defects and the impact of lifestyle choices on health?
(2) In what ways do advantageous heritable traits influence the survival and adaptation of populations over time?
(3) What evidence supports the idea that natural selection leads to the adaptation of populations, and how can this be observed in real-life scenarios?
(4) How do lifestyle practices interact with genetic predispositions to affect the health outcomes of individuals and families?

    Design for Mastery Kit
    NEW
10th Grade  Project 2 weeks

"Family Genes & Life Choices Adventure"

Robert M
HS-LS4-3
HS-LS4-4
Productive Collaborator
Critical Thinker
Empowered Learner
1-pager

Purpose

The purpose of this learning experience is to immerse students in a collaborative exploration of heredity, congenital defects, and the impact of lifestyle choices on health. Through hands-on projects and community partnerships, students will analyze real-world data, develop critical thinking skills, and create meaningful products that demonstrate their understanding of genetic and lifestyle influences on health outcomes. This project enables students to take charge of their learning journey, fostering a deeper comprehension of natural selection and adaptation while honing their ability to communicate complex scientific concepts effectively. Midway through the project, students will engage in a reflection and critique activity to receive feedback and refine their work, allowing for more in-class discovery and research.

Learning goals

Students will develop a deeper understanding of how heritable traits and lifestyle choices influence health outcomes by analyzing family traits and community health data. They will enhance their skills in collaboration, critical thinking, and data analysis while constructing evidence-based explanations of natural selection and adaptation. Through creating digital infographics, documentaries, and interactive board games, students will apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios, demonstrating mastery of academic competencies and the ability to persist through challenges. Midway through the project, students will participate in a reflection and critique session to refine their understanding and improve their work, allowing for more in-class discovery and research.
Standards
  • [Kentucky] HS-LS4-3 - Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait.
  • [Kentucky] HS-LS4-4 - Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations.
Competencies
  • Productive Collaborator - Engages with others to achieve a common goal through building positive relationships, actively listening, showing empathy, and making individual contributions to a larger group.
  • Critical Thinker - Thinks deeply and makes informed decisions to create solutions or new understanding supported by relevant and reliable evidence.
  • Empowered Learner - Demonstrates mastery and application of academic competencies. Develops the skills and dispositions to persist through difficulties and plan for a future of self-improvement.

Products

Students will create digital infographics using local health data to illustrate connections between genetic predispositions and lifestyle practices. They will produce a short documentary film featuring community stories that integrate scientific explanations of natural selection and adaptation. Additionally, students will design an interactive board game that simulates the impact of inherited traits and lifestyle choices on health outcomes, allowing players to navigate through various life scenarios. Midway through the project, students will engage in a reflection and critique session to refine their products, incorporating peer and teacher feedback to enhance clarity and depth.

Launch

Launch the project with an interactive "Trait Exploration Day," where students bring in family photos or stories to highlight unique traits passed down through generations. Facilitate a gallery walk for sharing and discussing these traits, fostering curiosity and personal connections to the project. Midway through the project, incorporate a reflection and critique session where students review their progress and research findings, allowing for adjustments and deeper exploration. Conclude the launch with a guest speaker from the local health department, who introduces real-life examples of how lifestyle choices and genetic predispositions affect health, setting the stage for the project's exploration of heredity and health outcomes.

Exhibition

Midway through the project, students will participate in a rehearsal day where they perform their skits or digital stories for a small audience of peers and teachers. This session will provide valuable feedback on clarity and engagement, allowing students to make necessary adjustments. At the end of the project, students will host a 'Genetic Storytelling Night' to present their refined skits or digital stories, highlighting both positive and negative health outcomes influenced by lifestyle choices. The event will engage the community, allowing students to showcase their understanding of heredity, congenital defects, and the impact of lifestyle practices on health. Attendees will also have the opportunity to interact with students' digital infographics and play the interactive board game, gaining insights into the complex interplay of genetics and lifestyle.
Learning Journey
Project Activities
Days 1 - 6
Activities
Trait Exploration Day
Activity 25m

Students bring family photos or stories that highlight unique traits. Facilitate a gallery walk where students share and discuss these traits, fostering curiosity and personal connection to the project.

Trait Exploration Day
Activity 50m

Launch the project with an interactive session where students bring family photos or stories to highlight unique traits passed down through generations. Facilitate a gallery walk for sharing and discussing these traits, fostering curiosity and personal connections to the project.

Guest Speaker Session
Activity 25m

Host a speaker from the local health department to introduce real-life examples of lifestyle choices and genetic predispositions affecting health, setting the stage for exploration.

Introduction to Heredity and Congenital Defects
Activity 50m

Students engage in a hands-on activity where they create family trees to trace heritable traits across generations, analyzing patterns and predicting potential health outcomes.

Family Tree Creation
Activity 50m

Students create family trees tracing heritable traits across generations, analyzing patterns and predicting potential health outcomes based on lifestyle choices.

Analyzing Local Health Data
Activity 50m

Collaborate with the local health department to provide students with data on community health trends. Facilitate a workshop where students collect and analyze statistical data, drawing connections between genetic predispositions and lifestyle practices.

Data Analysis Workshop
Activity 50m

Students collect and analyze statistical data on local health trends provided by the community partner, drawing connections between genetic predispositions and lifestyle practices.

Digital Infographic Development
Activity 25m

Students begin designing digital infographics that illustrate the statistical relationships between genetic predispositions and lifestyle practices, using data from the local health department.

Interactive Board Game Design
Activity 25m

Students begin designing an interactive board game that simulates the impact of inherited traits and lifestyle choices on health outcomes. They will brainstorm life scenarios and decision points.

Interactive Board Game Design
Activity 25m

Introduction to designing an interactive board game where players navigate life scenarios, making choices affecting health based on inherited traits. Planning phase begins.

Board Game Prototyping
Activity 25m

In groups, students create rough prototypes of their board games using paper and markers, focusing on strategic decision-making and accuracy of scenarios.

Peer Feedback and Iteration
Activity 25m

Students share their board game prototypes with peers, receiving feedback on clarity, engagement, and accuracy. They use this feedback to refine their games.

Digital Infographic Development
Activity 25m

Students work on digital infographics to illustrate connections between genetic predispositions and lifestyle practices using local health data.

Reflection and Critique Session
Activity 20m

Students reflect on their progress and research findings, sharing insights in small groups to receive feedback for improvement.

Rehearsal for Genetic Storytelling Night
Activity 30m

Students practice their skits or digital stories for a small audience of peers and teachers, making adjustments based on feedback.

No activities have been added to this phase yet.

Edit Phase

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Plan
Week 1
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Phase
Project Activities
Activities
Trait Exploration Day
Activity 50m
Introduction to Heredity and Congenital Defects
Activity 50m
Analyzing Local Health Data
Activity 50m
Preparation 1. Collect family photos or stories from students prior to Trait Exploration Day.
2. Coordinate with the local health department to schedule a guest speaker for the workshop.
3. Prepare materials for creating family trees, including large paper and markers.
4. Obtain statistical data on local health trends from community partners.
5. Provide access to digital tools and software for infographic creation.
6. Develop guidelines and rubrics for peer and teacher feedback during the reflection session.
Week 2
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Phase
Project Activities
Activities
Interactive Board Game Design
Activity 25m
Board Game Prototyping
Activity 25m
Peer Feedback and Iteration
Activity 25m
Digital Infographic Development
Activity 25m
Reflection and Critique Session
Activity 20m
Rehearsal for Genetic Storytelling Night
Activity 30m
Preparation 1. Gather materials for creating digital infographics, such as computers or tablets with graphic design software.
2. Coordinate with the local health department to obtain and compile community health trend data for student analysis.
3. Prepare video recording equipment and editing software for documentary film production.
4. Provide access to statistics and probability tools for analyzing genetic and health data.
5. Acquire materials for the interactive board game, including game boards, cards, and markers.
6. Arrange the classroom space for collaborative group work and critique sessions.
7. Organize a rehearsal schedule for the 'Genetic Storytelling Night' presentations.
8. Ensure access to online resources and databases for research and discovery.
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