Lesson Sequence
TIME TASK ANALYSIS
(Sub-tasks/topics)
7 SWBAT describe their
minutes previous experiences with
certain medical symptoms on
their index cards.
10 SWBAT identify which
minutes disease their symptoms list
corresponds to.
SWBAT explain their prior
knowledge about the
diseases.
10 SWBAT make connections
minutes between what it means to be
a carrier and how that relates
to Sickle Cell.
7 SWBAT calculate different
minutes genotype/phenotype
frequencies relating to sickle
cell gene/trait
TEACHING STRATEGY
(BW, lecture, lab, group work, handout, etc)
Bellwork/Index Cards: Give students time to respond to the
Bellwork prompt. Call on non-volunteers to share their
answers.
Index Card Explanation/Transition: Have students imagine
they are now infected with the disease that causes these
symptoms. Direct students will find 1 person with the
opposite Symptoms List. Students will share with each other
their Symptoms Lists.
Direct Instruction: What Disease Am I? – Direct instruction
about Malaria and Sickle Cell. Inform students which index
card correspond to which list of symptoms. Ask prompting
questions (what do you notice? what do you wonder?) about
the diseases statistics and call on non-volunteers. Introduce
the Unit Phenomena.
Background Knowledge Check: Ask prompting questions to
elicit student’s prior knowledge about these diseases.
Index Card Transition: Direct students to find their Symbol
Partner(s)
Direct Instruction: Review genetic vocab, relate vocab to
sickle cell trait, discuss red blood cell structure and function.
Prompt students to make predictions about what life might be
like if they were a carrier of sickle cell trait (at the cellular
level and the whole-body level).
I do/You do it together: Model how to calculate offspring
phenotype and genotype probabilities (Carrier x Carrier).
Students calculate offspring phenotype and genotype
frequencies of Carrier x normal and Carrier x Sickle cell
parents on their slates. Call on non-volunteers to share their
groups calculated probabilities/frequencies.
Index Card Transition: Direct students to find their Colored
Dot Partner(s)
WHAT ARE THE STUDENTS DOING?
(Active participation, Int. Closure)
Bellwork/Index Cards: Students will answer the
Bellwork questions about their index card symptoms list
on their slates. They will share their responses about
prior experiences with these medical symptoms.
Index Card Matchup: When directed by the teacher,
the students will find another student with the opposite
Symptoms List, sit back down, and share their
symptoms.
Direct Instruction: Students will write down which
disease their symptoms list corresponds to on their index
cards. Students will respond to prompting questions from
the teacher about Sickle Cell and Malaria statistics.
Background Knowledge Check: What do you already
know about these diseases? Students will share their
prior knowledge about the diseases.
Index Card Transition: As students are thinking about
the Unit Phenomena, they will locate their Symbol
Partner and sit with them.
Student will respond to prompting questions from the
teacher about the PowerPoint slides:
- Structure and function of normal vs sickled red
blood cells, genetic terminology/vocab review,
overall effects of being a carrier of the sickle cell
gene
Teacher Does It/We do it together: In Symbol Partner
groups, students will calculate the genotype and
phenotype probabilities of different crosses of sickle cell
trait parents (Carries, Normal, and Sickle Cell). Non-
volunteers will share their answers.
Index Card Transition: Students will locate their
Colored Dot Partner(s) and sit with them.
 10 SWBAT make a claim about
minutes which genotype/phenotype
would be more beneficial in
specific regions of Africa
(with different malaria risk)
6 SWBAT summarize in their
minutes own words why and how a
harmful trait might persist in
a population
Colored Dot Explanation: Explain that each group will be
assigned a different region of Africa and calculate offspring
genotype/phenotype frequencies. Call on non-volunteers to
share their groups claim.
Closure: Sickle Cell Disease can be DEADLY yet 40% of
people of African descent are carriers of the trait. Summarize
IN YOUR OWN WORDS why and how a harmful trait might
persist in a population.
Colored Dot Group Calculations and Claims:
Students will calculate the offspring likelihood of getting
Malaria and phenotype/genotype probabilities and make
a claim about which genotype/phenotype would be most
beneficial in their region of Africa
Closure: Sickle Cell Disease can be DEADLY, yet 40%
of people of African descent are carriers of the trait.
Summarize IN YOUR OWN WORDS why and how a
harmful trait might persist in a population.

SSTELLA PRACTICES
List the SSTELLA Practices you incorporate and describe what you do to meet them.

Contextualized – the students receive different Symptoms List index cards. They will be asked to think about their prior experiences with these symptoms. They will
also be directed to pretend and think like they themselves have the diseases on their index cards for the beginning of class.

Scientific Discourse - “students are exposed to and encouraged to engage with disciplinary specific uses of language (e.g.,scientific discourse), such as
communicating scientific explanations and arguments, and engineering solutions.” Throughout the lesson I will ask prompting questions to engage students in the
scientific discussion.

Scientific Sense Making – Students will engage in scientific sense making by exploring the phenomena/driving question (Why do some traits persist in a population
if they are harmful?) - “Students can better relate to the big idea when it is couched within a puzzling question”