Heredity and Genetic Information

These diagnostic questions and response activities (contained in the zip file) support students in being able to:

• Recall that offspring inherit characteristics from each of their parents.

• Recognise that an organism’s characteristics are affected by genetic information in cells and by the environment.

• Explain that biological characteristics are inherited when genetic information stored in the genome of each parent is passed to offspring.

• Use the idea that some characteristics cannot be inherited because they are caused by the environment or have to be learnt.

• Apply ideas about heredity and environmental factors to explain the similarities and differences between offspring and their parents and siblings.

The resources include details of common misconceptions and a summary of the research upon which the resources are based.

Download the zip file for all the questions and activities.

More resources like this can be found on the BEST webpage: Best Evidence in Science Teaching