🔬 7th Grade Science · Unit 5
Heredity
12 short narrated lessons in 2 chapters, each with pictures, a quiz with a hint and a second try, and an explanation for every answer.
Standards: MS-LS3-1 MS-LS3-2
What your child will learn
Genes and traits
- Chromosomes and GenesDescribe how chromosomes carry genes made of DNA.
- Genes Make ProteinsExplain that genes carry instructions for making proteins that shape traits.
- MutationsExplain that a mutation is a change in a gene.
- Effects of MutationsExplain how mutations can be harmful, helpful or have no effect.
- Genes and Traits Review ReviewReview how genes, proteins and mutations affect an organism's traits.
Patterns of inheritance
- Mendel's Pea PlantsDescribe how Gregor Mendel discovered patterns of inheritance.
- Dominant and RecessiveExplain how dominant and recessive alleles determine traits.
- Punnett SquaresUse a Punnett square to predict possible offspring traits.
- Genotype and PhenotypeDistinguish between an organism's genes and its observable traits.
- Variation in OffspringExplain why sexual reproduction produces offspring with genetic variation.
- Patterns of Inheritance Review ReviewReview how traits are passed from parents to offspring.
- Unit 5 Test: HeredityShow what you learned in the whole unit (Genes and traits, Patterns of inheritance) by answering mixed questions.
Try a question from this unit
From the lesson “Chromosomes and Genes”
Which list goes from the largest structure to the smallest?
Show the answer
cell, nucleus, chromosome, gene. A cell contains a nucleus, the nucleus holds chromosomes, and each chromosome carries many genes. Putting the gene first mixes it up: a gene is only one section of a chromosome, so it is the smallest.
Hint kids see after a wrong try: “Start with the thing that holds all the others, then keep zooming in.”
Key words
- chromosome
- gene
- DNA
- protein
- trait
- mutation
- harmful
- beneficial
- neutral
- heredity
- inheritance
- allele
- dominant
- recessive
- Punnett square
- probability
- genotype
- phenotype
- variation
Try these lessons in Kids Shelf
Narrated lessons, pictures and quizzes for every grade from K to 8. Works offline.
