Pumpkin Child DNA Project

Objective: Students will learn the principle of traits by creating their own pumpkin child using a pool available traits.
Length: aprox. 25 minutes
Objective grade level: 2nd-3rd grade
Materials required:

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  1 miniature pumpkin for every two students
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  1 coin for every two students
• 
  set of various colored pipe cleaners
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  pair of large craft eyes and a pair of small craft eyes for each pumpkin
• 
  Play-Doh
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  scissors
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  craft glue

Procedure:

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  divide the class into pairs and give each group of two: one pumpkin, two sets of eyes, Play-doh, 1 coin, scissors, glue, and the choice of two hair colors
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  explain: the reason you look the way you do is because you have certain traits that can show and some that do not. The ones that show are dominant. The dominant traits will be the side of the coin facing up and your pumpkin kid will have these. The side facing down are recessive and will not show, but can be past down to other generations.
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  asign one of each traits to a side of the coin: Big nose, little nose; big ears, little ears; big eyes, little eyes; big lips, little lips; and one of two hair colors.
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  have each group flip the coins for each trait and assemble the pumpkin kid. i.e big eyes are heads, little eyes are tales- the coin lands on tales so the pumpkin gets little eyes.

Other activities:

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  compare results: See how many pumpkins have each trait. Is it %50 %50?
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  Create other traits such as gender, curly hair or strait hair.

What did you learn

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  Do the students understand that there are many possible traits that are passed down but only one shows?
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  Do the students generally understand the difference of dominant traits and recessive traits? Reinterate what they are. Explain that some traits overshadow others and will always come out.