Information covering important topics for today's educators and parents. This software, developed for grades 4 to 9, is part of the Life Sciences Series. The series is designed to complement intermediate grade science textbooks by providing simulations, color graphics, and animations of biological phenomena. Each program unit consists of detailed tutorials and review questions. This unit presents the essential concepts of reproduction and the inheritance of traits from generation to generation using animated simulations of mitosis, meiosis, and plant growth.
Students select the lessons they wish to view from the menu.
Topics include sexual reproduction, Mendelian genetics, genotype vs. phenotype, and Punnett squares. The program includes live action, time lapse movies of chromosome segregation during mitosis. Animated simulations guide students through Mendel's experiments with pea plants, and gives them experience predicting the genotype of offspring using the Punnett square as a tool. A glossary of pertinent terms is accessible at any time. The teacher's guide provides a description of the program, answer keys to quizzes, learning objectives, work sheets, and a word find puzzle.