Inheritance review, pedigree logic, SNPs, genetic counseling, and the MP1 data inflection.
What to do if absent- CER:
- Claim, Evidence, Reasoning — make a claim, back it with evidence, explain your reasoning.
- SOP:
- Standard Operating Procedure — the exact steps to follow (especially in a lab).
- Tracker:
- Your PLTW progress log where you record completed evidence.
- myPLTW:
- The PLTW course site where you do the online activities — you open it through Schoology.
Week overview - Reading the Family Tree: Genetic Testing Launch
Use pedigree symbols and SNP evidence to predict whether a person is a carrier and explain when a family would seek genetic counseling.
- 1Open the teacher genotype dataset linked in the PLTW course shell and skim the first family before you write anything.
- 2Draw the three core pedigree symbols (square, circle, line) and label one affected, one unaffected, and one carrier individual.
- 3For two people in the dataset, write their genotype next to their phenotype and circle whether each is homozygous or heterozygous.
- 4Find one SNP column in the dataset and decide, in one sentence, whether that allele tracks with the trait or not.
- 5Predict whether a labeled person is a carrier and write a one-line reason using the words allele and pedigree.
- 6Draft one question you would ask a genetic counselor about privacy of these results, ready for the Monday debate.
- • You'll be able to read a pedigree and tell carriers from affected individuals.
- • You'll be able to connect a genotype to its phenotype using allele language.
- • You'll be able to explain why a SNP can hint at carrier status without proving disease.
Daily lessons this week
Open any day for its full lesson, the work due that day, and guided notes.
One CER (claim, two evidences, reasoning) on genetic privacy access plus a short reflection naming one counterargument.
Completed three-generation pedigree with carriers circled, mode of inheritance stated, and one sentence of evidence.
Genotype-to-phenotype table for three individuals (homozygous/heterozygous labeled) and a written carrier prediction.
Counseling memo: carrier finding in plain language, list of what the result does and does not mean, one next step, and a sentence on the role of genetic counseling.
Revised counseling memo plus MP1 tracker audit: list of complete benchmarks, any gaps with completion dates.
Quick intro to the week
- Today launches Unit 2: every disease story starts with someone's DNA, and you are the detective reading the clues.
- Goal for today: turn a pedigree and a few SNPs into a smart, careful prediction about who might carry a trait.
- Monday is our bioethics debate. Genetic privacy is the question: who should be allowed to see your genotype, and why?
- Remember, all graded work, including the genotype dataset and your debate prep, lives in the PLTW course shell, not on paper.
Your PLTW coursework this week
Do this: Advance the Unit 2 genetic-testing benchmark by submitting your pedigree-plus-SNP carrier prediction in the PLTW course shell.
- • An allele is one version of a gene, and genotype combines two alleles while phenotype is the visible result.
- • A SNP is a single-letter DNA difference that can serve as a marker linked to a trait.
- • Genetic counseling helps families interpret carrier and risk results before they make decisions.
- • Interpret standard pedigree symbols to identify carriers.
- • Match a genotype to its phenotype using a simple dataset.
📋 Tracker evidence due this week: your completed pedigree-plus-SNP carrier prediction uploaded to the PLTW course shell.
All PLTW activities are completed inside the PLTW course environment — this page only gives direction.
This week's PLTW tracker
Your week at a glance. Check off each deliverable as you finish it, then submit so Mr. Mendoza can see how the class is pacing.
Use the code Mr. Mendoza gave you, not your name. Saved on this device.
| Day | Date | Focus | Key deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Tue, Oct 13 | Genetic privacy debate | One CER (claim, two evidences, reasoning) on genetic privacy access plus a short reflection naming one counterargument. |
| Tuesday | Wed, Oct 14 | Pedigree logic | Completed three-generation pedigree with carriers circled, mode of inheritance stated, and one sentence of evidence. |
| Wednesday | Thu, Oct 15 | SNP and PTC case | Genotype-to-phenotype table for three individuals (homozygous/heterozygous labeled) and a written carrier prediction. |
| Thursday | Fri, Oct 16 | Genetic counseling memo | Counseling memo: carrier finding in plain language, list of what the result does and does not mean, one next step, and a sentence on the role of genetic counseling. |
| Friday | Mon, Oct 19 | MP1 tracker audit | Revised counseling memo plus MP1 tracker audit: list of complete benchmarks, any gaps with completion dates. |
- M: genetic privacy debate
- T: pedigree notes
- W: SNP dataset
- Th: counseling memo
- F: MP1 tracker audit
Due by week's end: Genetic counseling case memo and tracker audit.
What to do when absent
Most days, this class is your PLTW coursework — and PLTW is online and individual. So being out usually just means doing exactly what we did in class, from home.
Open Schoology (CMSD) and keep goingHow to get there: open the CMSD website, click Clever, sign in with your Microsoft (district) account, then open Schoology from Clever.
You can't do those from home — do this instead: Teacher genotype dataset.
Class still runs. A substitute will post today's plan — complete the online activity above; it's built to be self-guided. Need the concept taught without a teacher? Use this authoritative explainer:
MedlinePlus: What is genetic testing?Vocabulary
Teacher-posted resources
Classroom documents for this lesson. Ones marked “Open the file” open right here; the rest are posted in Schoology. Use the label on each card to choose the right move.
Use this after the required lesson work when you are ready for a harder application or a deeper connection.
Placement rationale
Matched Genetic testing, PTC, pedigree, SNPs by path:Medical-Interventions/Unit-2_How-to-Screen-Your-Genes/2.1_Genetic-Testing-and-Screening; keywords:genetic testing, screening, ptc. Score 150. Visibility: student-schoology (student-facing resource; link through Schoology rather than local path).
Use this as the classroom resource for Genetic testing, PTC, pedigree, SNPs.
Placement rationale
Matched Genetic testing, PTC, pedigree, SNPs by path:Medical-Interventions/Unit-2_How-to-Screen-Your-Genes/2.1_Genetic-Testing-and-Screening; keywords:genetic testing, screening, snp. Score 146. Visibility: student-schoology (student-facing resource; link through Schoology rather than local path).
Use this if you were absent, got stuck, or need another pass before you submit the lesson artifact.
Placement rationale
Matched Genetic testing, PTC, pedigree, SNPs by path:Medical-Interventions/Unit-2_How-to-Screen-Your-Genes/2.1_Genetic-Testing-and-Screening; keywords:genetic testing, screening. Score 142. Visibility: student-schoology (student-facing resource; link through Schoology rather than local path).
How to get there: open the CMSD website, click Clever, sign in with your Microsoft (district) account, then open Schoology from Clever.
Standards this week
WebXam practice
Drop your Week 9 here. Use a clear file name (your initials + project). Routine work still goes to Schoology (via the CMSD portal).
Upload a project