NGSS "The Will" Pedigree Inheritance Mystery Lab MS-LS3-1

The student will determine the sole beneficiary of the Hawking family fortune by drawing a family pedigree based on 18 clues about the family members and their genetic traits of polydactyly and widow's peaks.

Typically lasts two 45-minute class periods and only needs typical classroom materials.

My students LOVED this lab. I placed this after our study of DNA, traits, alleles, Punnet Squares, and my Creature Creation Lab (also found in my store). I was able to hear the moment they solved the mystery and they were like "Oh! Ah! I got it!" It is a great culmination of the entire first DCI in this bundle.

MS-LS3-1. Develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism.