This packet is everything a parent or guide needs to assess Unit 05 at home — learning targets, the answers that count as correct, the mastery rubric, calibration examples, and a clipboard score sheet. No multiple-choice test: the student shows mastery by solving genetics crosses and reading a pedigree, then explaining the reasoning.
By the end of the Heredity unit, a student should be able to:
Six criteria, each judged Not yet / Approaching / Mastered (Page 3).
Crosses and a pedigree worked live, with reasoning shown.
The student explains probability and inheritance in their own words (Page 4).
Punnett squares and pedigree work shown step by step, not just answers.
You are making a decision, not adding up points. For each criterion, decide whether the work is Not yet, Approaching, or Mastered — the column language tells you which. A criterion counts as mastered only when the student can both get the answer and justify the genetics behind it. A student carries three tokens per term; one token buys a re-do of one criterion on another day, so a single bad afternoon never sinks the unit.
Accept any answer in the synonyms column — they are pre-approved as equivalent. The third column flags the confusions that look close but are not yet, so you can coach precisely.
| Canonical answer | Accepted synonyms | Common confusion / discriminator |
|---|---|---|
| Meiosis & variation | ||
| Meiosis | gamete formation; reduction division | Makes haploid sex cells; not mitosis |
| Crossing over | recombination | Swaps segments between homologs; source of variation |
| Independent assortment | random alignment | Homolog pairs sort independently in metaphase I |
| Mendelian genetics | ||
| Allele | version of a gene | An allele is a variant; a gene is the locus |
| Genotype | allele combination (e.g., Bb) | The genes; phenotype is the visible trait |
| Homozygous / heterozygous | pure / hybrid (BB/bb vs Bb) | Two same vs two different alleles |
| Non-Mendelian patterns | ||
| Incomplete dominance | blended phenotype | Heterozygote is intermediate (red × white → pink) |
| Codominance | both alleles expressed | Both show fully (e.g., AB blood) — not blended |
| Sex linkage | X-linked trait | Carried on a sex chromosome; affects the sexes unevenly |
| Criterion | Not yet | Approaching | Mastered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meiosis & variation | Confuses meiosis with mitosis. | Knows meiosis makes gametes; vague on variation. | Explains variation via crossing over and independent assortment. |
| Punnett / probability problems | Cannot set up a cross. | Sets up the square; stumbles on ratios or probability. | Solves crosses and states outcomes as probabilities. |
| Non-Mendelian patterns | Assumes all traits are simple dominant/recessive. | Names a pattern but applies it inconsistently. | Recognizes incomplete dominance, codominance, and sex linkage. |
| Pedigree analysis | Cannot read the symbols. | Reads the chart but cannot infer genotypes. | Interprets a pedigree to infer genotypes and inheritance mode. |
| Connecting to molecular basis | Sees traits as unconnected to DNA. | Links traits to genes loosely. | Connects inherited traits to DNA and alleles. |
| Integration (cross-domain) | Treats the science as isolated facts. | Names a link to history, reading, or writing but cannot defend it. | Connects the unit across History · Reading · Writing and defends why it matters. |
The split between Approaching and Mastered is probability reasoning: not just filling the square, but saying why a 3:1 ratio means a three-in-four chance. Ask “what are the odds for one offspring, and why?”
Read these before you grade. They show what Mastered and Not yet actually sound like, plus the edge cases where you should coach rather than decide on the spot.
Student: ______________________________________ Date: _______________ Guide: _________________________
| # | Criterion | Decision | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meiosis & variation | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 2 | Punnett / probability problems | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 3 | Non-Mendelian patterns | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 4 | Pedigree analysis | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 5 | Connecting to molecular basis | NY / Appr / Mast | |
| 6 | Integration (cross-domain) | NY / Appr / Mast |
☐ No ☐ Yes — for criterion: __________ Tokens remaining: ☐ 3 ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ 0
NY = Not yet · Appr = Approaching · Mast = Mastered · Unsure between two levels? Circle the lower one and note what a re-do would need.