Hands-On Pedigree Practice for Middle & High School Genetics.
Bring the University of Utah’s popular Inheritance of Nicotine Addiction activity to life with this ready-to-use companion worksheet. Designed to give structure and depth to the lesson, this worksheet guides students step-by-step through the activity while keeping them engaged and on track.
📘 What’s Included:
A skeleton framework to help students construct and analyze pedigree charts
Scaffolded questions that lead students to discover inheritance patterns
Opportunities to connect pedigree analysis to molecular biology, as students examine nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and explore how protein differences can influence addiction
Practice exercises where students build pedigree charts from family descriptions
💡 Teacher Note:
Since Pedigree Investigator has recently returned but may have some video issues, I’ve included a shared Google Doc with timestamped YouTube links to the interviews. Students can access it easily with a QR code, so the experience runs smoothly in any classroom. Everything else on the University of Utah site works as intended.
✨ Why Teachers Love It:
Saves prep time with a clear, structured worksheet
Supports applied reasoning by connecting pedigree analysis to real-world health issues
Perfect for reinforcing pedigree analysis skills in a meaningful, applied context
With this resource, students don’t just learn pedigree charts—they connect them to molecular genetics and human health in a way that’s memorable, relevant, and engaging.
To preview this activity, click here.
NGSS Alignment (High School):
HS-LS3-1; HS-LS3-3
NGSS Alignment (Middle School):
MS-LS3-1; MS-LS3-2
Science & Engineering Practices (SEPs):
Developing and Using Models
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Constructing Explanations
Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs):
Structure and Function
Cause and Effect
Patterns
Common Core (Literacy in Science):
RST.6-8.1 / RST.9-10.1; RST.6-8.4 / RST.9-10.4
Hands-On Pedigree Practice for Middle & High School Genetics.
Bring the University of Utah’s popular Inheritance of Nicotine Addiction activity to life with this ready-to-use companion worksheet. Designed to give structure and depth to the lesson, this worksheet guides students step-by-step through the activity while keeping them engaged and on track.
📘 What’s Included:
A skeleton framework to help students construct and analyze pedigree charts
Scaffolded questions that lead students to discover inheritance patterns
Opportunities to connect pedigree analysis to molecular biology, as students examine nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and explore how protein differences can influence addiction
Practice exercises where students build pedigree charts from family descriptions
💡 Teacher Note:
Since Pedigree Investigator has recently returned but may have some video issues, I’ve included a shared Google Doc with timestamped YouTube links to the interviews. Students can access it easily with a QR code, so the experience runs smoothly in any classroom. Everything else on the University of Utah site works as intended.
✨ Why Teachers Love It:
Saves prep time with a clear, structured worksheet
Supports applied reasoning by connecting pedigree analysis to real-world health issues
Perfect for reinforcing pedigree analysis skills in a meaningful, applied context
With this resource, students don’t just learn pedigree charts—they connect them to molecular genetics and human health in a way that’s memorable, relevant, and engaging.
To preview this activity, click here.
NGSS Alignment (High School):
HS-LS3-1; HS-LS3-3
NGSS Alignment (Middle School):
MS-LS3-1; MS-LS3-2
Science & Engineering Practices (SEPs):
Developing and Using Models
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Constructing Explanations
Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs):
Structure and Function
Cause and Effect
Patterns
Common Core (Literacy in Science):
RST.6-8.1 / RST.9-10.1; RST.6-8.4 / RST.9-10.4
