A student-designed investigation using online fruit fly simulations.
This digital lab investigates inheritance patterns using a virtual fruit fly simulator. Students design and carry out genetic crosses, analyze offspring ratios, and determine whether a trait is dominant, recessive, or follows another inheritance pattern.
Students begin with a short background reading and analysis questions to establish key ideas about genetic crosses. They then select a trait to investigate using a student-directed differentiation system, choosing from structured difficulty levels that vary by trait complexity.
Students proceed through the investigation by:
planning test crosses to answer specific inheritance questions
using an online simulator to perform fruit fly crosses
recording and organizing offspring data in a lab notebook
analyzing results to determine inheritance patterns
writing a lab report using a scaffolded structure with optional prompts
The differentiated trait system allows students to work at varying cognitive levels while pursuing the same core scientific goal: identifying how a trait is inherited based on experimental evidence.
This lab is designed to support:
application of Punnett square and test cross reasoning
interpretation of genetic ratios
experimental design using simulations
structured scientific writing
It functions well as:
a digital genetics investigation
a virtual alternative to physical fruit fly labs
a core applied lab within an inheritance unit
The Google Slides format allows for low-prep implementation while preserving inquiry-based structure and analytical rigor.
To preview this lab, click here.
NGSS Alignment (High School):
HS-LS3-1
HS-LS3-2
HS-LS3-3
Science & Engineering Practices (SEPs):
Analyzing and Interpreting Data; Constructing Explanations; Engaging in Argument from Evidence; Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking; Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs):
Cause and Effect; Patterns; Systems and System Models
Common Core (Literacy in Science):
RST.9-10.3
RST.9-10.7
WHST.9-10.2
WHST.9-10.8
WHST.9-10.9
A student-designed investigation using online fruit fly simulations.
This digital lab investigates inheritance patterns using a virtual fruit fly simulator. Students design and carry out genetic crosses, analyze offspring ratios, and determine whether a trait is dominant, recessive, or follows another inheritance pattern.
Students begin with a short background reading and analysis questions to establish key ideas about genetic crosses. They then select a trait to investigate using a student-directed differentiation system, choosing from structured difficulty levels that vary by trait complexity.
Students proceed through the investigation by:
planning test crosses to answer specific inheritance questions
using an online simulator to perform fruit fly crosses
recording and organizing offspring data in a lab notebook
analyzing results to determine inheritance patterns
writing a lab report using a scaffolded structure with optional prompts
The differentiated trait system allows students to work at varying cognitive levels while pursuing the same core scientific goal: identifying how a trait is inherited based on experimental evidence.
This lab is designed to support:
application of Punnett square and test cross reasoning
interpretation of genetic ratios
experimental design using simulations
structured scientific writing
It functions well as:
a digital genetics investigation
a virtual alternative to physical fruit fly labs
a core applied lab within an inheritance unit
The Google Slides format allows for low-prep implementation while preserving inquiry-based structure and analytical rigor.
To preview this lab, click here.
NGSS Alignment (High School):
HS-LS3-1
HS-LS3-2
HS-LS3-3
Science & Engineering Practices (SEPs):
Analyzing and Interpreting Data; Constructing Explanations; Engaging in Argument from Evidence; Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking; Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs):
Cause and Effect; Patterns; Systems and System Models
Common Core (Literacy in Science):
RST.9-10.3
RST.9-10.7
WHST.9-10.2
WHST.9-10.8
WHST.9-10.9
