Genetics Project - Three Selected Case Studies in Genetics

The first case study is modified from the case study, The Death of Baby Pierre. I changed the name of the child to make it less likely for my students to search and copy the answers to the questions, from the answers online. So, if my students have decided to look at my blog, they have found the source of Case Study #1, and they can check their answers. For the Hardy-Weinberg equation, I re-wrote that section of the case study, as a guided approach to the answers, because my students have had minimal exposure to the application of quadratic equations. Some of my students still find the equation difficult to understand, but having a question that guides them through the equation, as least makes them somewhat aware that there is a way to apply genetic principles to populations, as well as individuals.
Herreid, Clyde Freeman, "The Death of Baby Pierre," National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, 18 June 2008. University at Buffalo. <http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/pierre.htm>.
Case Study #1 is about the genetic inheritance of tyrosinemia. Here is a video about a victim of this disorder. The first 5 minutes is informative and I can show that part to my students. The ending includes the family drama of the disorder.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT2erjfwE0s>

Case Study #1

CASE STUDIES IN GENETICS
A DEMONSTRATION OF ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE
Project Description
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY
CASE 1 – Recessive Inheritance

Student Name ________________________ Period _____
Due Date:

The genetics project consists of three directed case studies. For these case studies, you will complete an introductory activity, which is included with this packet. You will receive a “mark of completion” in the teacher’s grade book for having completed the introductory activity, and then you will receive the information that is required for analyzing the cases: The Death of Baby Jeanette, Huntington’s Disease – A Family History, and Hemophilia: The Royal Disease. For these cases, you will be drawing, organizing, and analyzing pedigrees, demonstrating your knowledge of Mendelian genetics, and answering structured questions that are designed to show, in your answers, your understanding of basic genetic principles. This also includes your knowledge of the DNA molecule and its role in inheritance. You will also be playing the role of decision maker as you analyze and state your findings about the cases. So, here we begin:

Case Study #2

This case study was adapted from the case study on this web site:

Martin, Carolyn N, "Its Those Annoying CAG Repeats, A Huntington's Disease Pedigree Using Direct Genetic Testing," Access Excellence at the National Health Museum - Activities Exchange. <http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/1995/martin_testing.php>

A short documentary video about Huntington's Disease can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65xf1olEpQM
NBC News video (May 10, 2010): Hacking the Gene Code of Huntington's Disease
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#37073339

CASE STUDIES IN GENETICS
A DEMONSTRATION OF ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE
Project Description
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY
Case Study #2 – Inheritance of Dominant Alleles

Student Name ________________________ Period _____
Due Date:

The genetics project consists of three directed case studies. For these case studies, you will complete an introductory activity, which is included with this packet. You will receive a “mark of completion” in the teacher’s grade book for having completed the introductory activities, and then you will receive the information that is required for analyzing the cases: The Death of Baby Jeanette, Huntington’s Disease – A Family History, and Hemophilia: The Royal Disease. For these cases, you will be drawing, organizing, and analyzing pedigrees, demonstrating your knowledge of Mendelian genetics, and answering structured questions that are designed to show, in your answers, your understanding of basic genetic principles. This also includes your knowledge of the DNA molecule and its role in inheritance. You will also be playing the role of decision maker as you analyze and state your findings about the cases. You have completed Case #1, which was an exploration of the inheritance of recessive alleles. So, here we are ready to tackle Case #2:

The case study, which is about the inheritance of dominant alleles, can be found on this web site: http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/1995/martin_testing.php

Here is another case study activity that is on the same topic, Huntington's Disease:

http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/CURR/science/core/bio/genetics/huntington.htm

Case Study #3

Case study #3 demonstrates the pattern of sex-linked inheritance. The case study can be found at this web site:
Aronova-Tiuntseva, Yelena and Clyde Freeman Herreid, "Hemophilia: The Royal Disease,"
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, 18 June 2008. University at Buffalo.
<http://www.sciencecases.org/hemo/hemo.asp>

CASE STUDIES IN GENETICS
A DEMONSTRATION OF ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE
Project Description
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY
Case Study #3 – Sex-Linked Inheritance

Student Name ________________________ Period _____
Due Date:

The genetics project consists of three directed case studies. For these case studies, you will complete an introductory activity, which is included with this packet. You will receive a “mark of completion” in the teacher’s grade book for having completed the introductory activities, and then you will receive the information that is required for analyzing the cases: The Death of Baby Jeanette, Huntington’s Disease – A Family History, and Hemophilia: The Royal Disease. For these cases, you will be drawing, organizing, and analyzing pedigrees, demonstrating your knowledge of Mendelian genetics, and answering structured questions that are designed to show, in your answers, your understanding of basic genetic principles. This also includes your knowledge of the DNA molecule and its role in inheritance. You will also be playing the role of decision maker as you analyze and state your findings about the cases. You have completed Case #1, which was an exploration of the inheritance of recessive alleles. You tackled Case #2, which was an exploration of the inheritance of dominant alleles. Now, for the challenge of Case #3: