Before working on this task the teacher engaged the whole class in a series
of discussions about genotype, phenotype, and dominant and recessive traits.
The teacher then instructed the students to create a three column chart
with the following column headings—Characteristic, Dominant,
Appearance or Phenotype. Students filled in the first
column with a given list of twelve human characteristics; the second column
with the dominant phenotype for each characteristic; and they left the third
column blank. The teacher then broke the class into groups with each group
member receiving a copy of the chart. Each student then filled in the third
column, recording his or her own phenotype as determined by the other members
of the group. The class then created a large graph to organize the data
recorded by each student. On the X axis students listed the twelve dominant
phenotypes. On the Y axis the class indicated the number of students expressing
each dominant trait. The students were instructed to discuss a series of
questions about their results and to compose individual responses.
| This sample of student work was produced under the following
conditions: |
| alone |
in a group |
| in class |
as homework |
| with teacher feedback |
with peer feedback |
| timed |
opportunity for revision |
|
| |
This work sample
illustrates a standard-setting performance for the following
parts of the standards: |
 b |
Life Sciences Concepts: The
role of genes and environment. |
 f |
Scientific Thinking: Collect and share information
and ideas. |
 a |
Scientific Communication: Represent data
and results in multiple ways. |
|
|
The student produces evidence that demonstrates understanding of…the
role of genes and environment on trait expression.
The student observed, “Our traits are first determined by the
genotype. We get this from our parents. The genes carry the traits.
The mixture of genes partially determines what traits you get.”
 The student correctly
infers the role of the environment in the expression of a specific
trait.
f
Scientific Thinking: The
student works individually and in teams to collect and share information
and ideas.
 Throughout this
task students worked together gathering and representing data and
sharing data and ideas. The production of the written work demonstrates
the student's ability to use the shared data and ideas to produce
an individual piece of work.
 The student worked
with other team members in gathering data for the table of personal
characteristics, and contributed to the bar graph that displays the
whole class’s characteristics. |
 |
 |
a
Scientific Communication: The
student represents data and results in multiple ways, such as numbers,
tables, and graphs…and technical and creative writing.
This evidence demonstrates the student’s ability to explain
results in narrative form.
This evidence demonstrates the student’s ability to represent
data as a table.
This evidence demonstrates the student’s ability to represent
data as a graph. |
 |
|
