Selective Breeding (Part 3)

What You'll Learn

Selective breeding is when humans choose organisms with desired traits to reproduce. Dog breeds, crop varieties, and livestock have been developed through thousands of years of selective breeding.

Key Words

natural selection
adaptation
fossil record

Materials Needed

colored pencils
coins (for Punnett squares)
tape
index cards

Safety First

Handle glass items carefully to avoid breakage.
Do not mix unknown chemicals together.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Review the background information on Heredity before starting.

Step 2 — Do

Create a Punnett square to predict the offspring of two parents. Use a trait like eye color or seed shape. Calculate the probability of each outcome.

Step 3 — Observe

Note any unexpected results and think about why they happened.

Step 4 — Record

Share your findings with the class or a partner and discuss what you learned.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What is a mutation?