The Exhausted Educator Writes Again
By DW Davis
@DWDavis (25797)
United States
March 21, 2016 4:55pm CST
You can tell we are only a week away from Spring Break here in my school district. The students seem to have decided they are already on break and we teachers are simply there to babysit them until the parents can be forced to find other accommodations when the school closes next week.
I am covering an interesting topic that is able to hold the interest of about 80% of my students. All the other 20% can think about is making it until Friday, those that will actually be here all week. I've already begun hearing from students who will be leaving before Friday on family trips and vacations.
The topic I am covering is "Post Mandelian Genetics." Last week we covered the basics of genetic inheritance as discovered by Gregor Mendel in the late 1850s. Of course, Mendel didn't call it genetics back then. To him it was a study of inherited traits.
The two things about genetics that interest the students most so far are eye color and skin color. Today a lot of their questions about these two topics began to be answered.
Have you ever wondered about or studied the genetics behind the traits you inherited from your parents and grandparents? It can be a rather fascinating dive into your DNA pool?
10 people like this
12 responses
@snowy22315 (208746)
• United States
21 Mar 16
I haven't, but it is indeed fascinating to think about. I would like to see some of the factors that went into me being me.
3 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
21 Mar 16
When I was a young teenager I thought my father might not really be my father because he had black hair and brown eyes and was darker skinned then me until I went out in the sun and became tan. Anyway I was a blonde with blue eyes and so was brother. I guess at some point in time we all think we are adopted.
3 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (54714)
• United States
21 Mar 16
I have always been fascinated by genetics.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (381760)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Mar 16
I haven't bothered about my inherited bits and pieces but have seen lots of charts on what colour foal you are likely to get from mating two horses of a specific colour. I can imagine that your lectures would capture the kids' interest. Hope you can sustain that interest until Friday - at least for the 80%.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25797)
• United States
22 Mar 16
I feel good about things up until Wednesday. Starting Thursday I know some of them will be leaving for early starts to family trips and such. Those left behind won't be in much of a mood for study. I'll have to really liven things up with some activities.
1 person likes this
@WilmaHenry54 (360)
• Stanton, Kentucky
21 Mar 16
I love looking at photos of long ago ancestors and discovering resemblances to current family. That's how I found out that I got my nose straight from one of my great grandmas.
2 people like this
@KuznVinny (768)
• United States
22 Mar 16
I have no desire to raise peas, but genetics is pretty interesting stuff, as is the chemistry of the DNA molecule.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153544)
• India
22 Mar 16
Interesting topic indeed. I have always wondered if we have all come from Adam and Eve then what about the skin, eyes, size etc being so different depending on the country one is born in.
1 person likes this
@xstitcher (39003)
• Petaluma, California
22 Mar 16
In my baby pictures I look almost exactly like my Dad's baby photo. ;) I am for sure my Dad's daughter. I've often wondered what things I got from who.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
22 Mar 16
I think that I was among that 20% when genetics were covered in my junior high science class.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43567)
• Denver, Colorado
22 Mar 16
I've never really thought about it, honestly. I guess it would be kind of cool.
1 person likes this
