Mosa Mack Science

Time Required: 165 minutes

In The Lab, students will:

In The Make, students will explore how mutations in genes can have an impact on the survival of an alien species. To do this, they will:
Choose a color-coded gene combination from their team “gene code bag.”
Decipher the genetic code using the Gene Mutation Table to determine which form of the gene they have inherited. This gene will code for a specific protein and that protein will create a unique alien trait.
Compete in three survival challenges to test different alien genes and determine if their gene is beneficial, harmful, or neutral to the survival of the alien species.
Create a drawing for an Ultimate Alien based on the data collected from each survival challenge.

Standards

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. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on conceptual understanding that changes in genetic material may result in making different proteins.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include specific changes at the molecular level, mechanisms for protein synthesis, or specific types of mutations.]
MS-LS4-5: Gather and synthesize information about technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on synthesizing information from reliable sources about the influence of humans on genetic outcomes in artificial selection (such as genetic modification, animal husbandry, gene therapy); and, on the impacts these technologies have on society as well as the technologies leading to these scientific discoveries.]

Lesson 2 : Lab