This week the 8th graders began learning how traits are passed on from parent to offspring.  Words like deoxyribonucleic acid, genes, chromosomes, alleles, genotype, phenotype, homozygous, heterozygous and Punnett square were being used regularly.  Students practiced using Punnett squares to determine the probability a trait will show up in offspring given a certain set of parents.   I’ve heard a lot of “ooohs and aaahs” and “that’s why I have blue eyes and my parents don’t!”  Ask your children what they know so far!

The seventh graders have been learning about the scientific process by designing their own experiment.  So far they have asked a scientific question, identified independent, dependent and controlled variables,  made a prediction by developing a hypothesis and started the process of writing an experimental procedure.  This week they spent time giving and receiving feedback in order to finalize their procedures, list of materials and design of data tables.    Students are spending a lot of time thinking, rethinking, planning and planning again and learning that the scientific process is not a linear practice.  Instead, it involves some exploration and trial and error and is an ongoing process one that leads to further questions and continuous experimentation.  Ask your child about their scientific question and how engagement in this process has been for them so far.