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8th grade · Science · Unit 5 of 7

Genes & Heredity

Genes, mutations and reproduction.

What your child practices

Practices how genes on chromosomes code for proteins that shape traits, how mutations can be harmful, helpful or neutral, and how sexual and asexual reproduction differ in passing on genes.

Maine Learning Results learning standard: MS-LS3-1; MS-LS4-5 · genes and mutations, and technologies that influence inheritance

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Genes are pieces of DNA on chromosomes. They code for proteins that shape traits.
  2. A dominant allele shows its trait when present; a recessive one shows only if there are two.
  3. Mutations change DNA and can be harmful, helpful or neutral.

Example: B (brown) is dominant over b. Which color is an animal that is Bb? One dominant allele is enough to show. B is brown. Answer: brown

Genes & Heredity in Maine

In the Maine Learning Results, this is unit 5 of 7 in 8th grade Science, after Fields & Forces at a Distance and before Natural Selection.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Maine Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Asexual reproduction produces offspring that are…

    • genetically identical to the parent
    • a mix of two parents
    • very different from the parent
    • always sterile

  2. Question 2

    Genetic engineering means…

    • changing its habitat
    • training it
    • changing an organism's genes directly
    • feeding it more

  3. Question 3

    Mutations can be…

    • always harmful
    • harmful, helpful or neutral
    • always helpful
    • never inherited

  4. Question 4

    A Punnett square helps predict…

    • plant height from water
    • earthquakes
    • possible genetic outcomes of offspring
    • weather

  5. Question 5

    Which organism reproduces asexually by budding?

    • Robin
    • Dog
    • Salmon
    • Yeast

  6. Question 6

    Why do farmers' apple trees grown from grafting all taste the same?

    • They are watered the same
    • Sun makes them identical
    • Apples learn
    • Grafting copies genes like asexual reproduction

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