Inherited Traits

Project Goals:
To learn to collect, share and collaborate data
To communicate data to others by telecomputing
To create and analyze various graphs
To analyze data and draw conclusions regarding this project

Grade Level: 4-6

Description: All of us have inherited traits that allow us to perform a specific task or to have a unique appearance. This project will explore seven inherited traits.

• Widows peak or straight
• Hyperextensible thumb (hitchhiker's thumb)
• Ear lobe attachment (free or attached)
• Hand clasping pattern (left thumb over right, or vice versa)
• Middigital hair (presence or absence of hair on middle finger joint)
• Ability to curl tongue
• Ear wiggling ability

Author: Carol Skiles
cskiles@bmt.net

Access Method:
Participating teachers are required to have email access, spreadsheet and graphing software, and should check their email twice a week.

Timeline: Three Weeks, March 18 - April 5

Week 1, March 18-22 Explain project to class and gather data

Week 2, March 25-29 Submit data via email to cskiles@bmt.net

Week 3, April 1 -5 I will compile the data of all schools and send the complete results back to participants. Participants may graph the entire group's results and compare to their class results.

Procedure:
Participating classes will list the number of students involved in the project and the number of students demonstrating the different forms of each trait.

Note: It has been suggested that males who can curl their tongues are more likely than others in the population to be able to wiggle their ears as well. As a secondary investigation participating classes are asked to keep a separate count of the number of subjects who can curl their tongue and wiggle their ears, and determine how many are male and how many are female.

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Trait Data Table:

Total number of subjects:_____________________

Widows peak_______________________________
Straight__________________________________

Hyperextended thumb________________________
Inability to hyperextend thumb_____________

Ear lobe attached ___________________________
Ear lobe free_______________________________

Left thumb over right________________________
Right thumb over left________________________

Hair on middle joint of fingers_________________
No hair on middle joint of fingers______________

Ability to curl or roll tongue__________________
Inability to curl or roll tongue________________

Ability to wiggle ears________________________
Inability to wiggle ears_______________________

Secondary Investigation

Total number who can curl tongue & wiggle ears_______________

Number of males_____________________
Percentage of males_________________

Number of females___________________
Percentage of females_______________

Students should create graphs showing their class results.

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Application:

If you would like to register for this activity please complete the registration form and e-mail it to the above address.