Preview · the opening missionRead this to the class:
A gene is written in a code with only four letters: A, T, G and C. Cells copy DNA almost perfectly, but once in a while a letter changes. Most of the time nothing happens. Sometimes the change causes a serious illness. And sometimes it helps people survive. Your team's job: decode a real human gene, change one letter, and work out when a change matters.
Teams of three, with three rotating jobs: Decoder (reads the code), Builder (writes the protein chain) and Reporter (writes what changed).
Look inside the PDF
Sample pages, stamped “preview”. The download is the clean, full lesson.
In the full lesson PDF
8 printable pages
- Predict (5–10 min)
- Hunt (20 min)
- Reveal (10–15 min)
- Act (10 min)
- Background for the teacher
- Assessment
- Student sheet
- Worksheet: Gene cards
- Worksheet: Label it
- Worksheet: Try it at home
On the student sheet
- My prediction
- Decode the gene
- Mutation results
- Museum label
- Exit ticket
- Gene cards
- Label it
- Try it at home
US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white. The student sheet is on its own page, ready to photocopy.
Free with an account (any 3 lessons), or US$19 for all 4 lessons in this unit.
What students show by the end
- Decodes the gene
- Links gene to trait
- Classifies effects
From the lesson’s rubric, which scores each one as not yet, getting there or got it.
Questions teachers ask
How long does “What happens when a gene changes?” take?
45–60 min. Group size: teams of 3.
How much prep does it need?
10 minutes: print the Gene cards (one set per team, cut apart) and the student sheet for everyone. Write HARMFUL, NEUTRAL, HELPFUL and IT DEPENDS on four sheets of paper and tape one in each corner of the room.
What materials do I need?
None. No materials needed: just the printed sheets.
Which curriculum standards does it cover?
NGSS (US): MS-LS3-1. It also matches England National Curriculum, Key Stage 3.
What’s in the lesson PDF?
A teacher guide that walks you through predict, hunt, reveal, act, background for the teacher and assessment, then a student sheet (“My prediction”, “Decode the gene”, “Mutation results”, “Museum label”, “Exit ticket”, “Gene cards”, “Label it” and “Try it at home”) on its own page, ready to photocopy. It’s US Letter and prints cleanly in black and white.
Can I try it for free?
Yes. A free account includes any 3 full lessons of your choice, and this can be one of them. After that, this unit is US$19 for all 4 lessons, yours to keep, or every lesson is US$199 a year.