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Traits and Reproduction

Lesson 1.5: Investigating Proteins and Traits

Lesson purpose: for students to reinforce their understanding of how protein molecules determine traits in spiders and apply this understanding to a human context

Please refer to this lesson’s Materials & Preparation section in the digital Teacher’s Guide or the print Teacher’s Guide for information about preparing to teach this lesson, including any applicable safety notes. Below are links to resources used in this lesson.

Traits and Reproduction Simulation

Traits and Reproduction Investigation Notebook, pages 23–33

Traits and Reproduction Glossary

Traits and Reproduction Multi-Language Glossary

Note: These materials are made available exclusively for use by students and teachers for whom the corresponding materials have been purchased or licensed from Amplify. Any alterations you make should only be shared within your own school or district. Any other distribution or reproduction of these materials is forbidden without written permission from Amplify.

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Warm-Up

5 MIN

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Activity 1

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Investigation Notebook pg 24

Activity 1

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

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Revisiting Darwin’s Bark Spider Claims

5 MIN

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Activity 2

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Investigation Notebook pg 25

Activity 2

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

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Activity 2

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

What do we know so far about why the spider family’s offspring have different traits for silk flexibility?

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Activity 2

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Darwin’s Bark Spider Claims

Question: Why do traits for silk flexibility vary within this family of Darwin’s bark spiders?

Claim 1: The offspring have mutations that affect their traits.

Claim 2: The offsprings' traits depend on which parent the offspring received more traits from.

Claim 3: The offspring received different combinations of traits from their parents.

Do we have enough evidence to support or eliminate any of the claims?

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Activity 2

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Why do you think Offspring B has the trait for medium silk flexibility?

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Key Concept

Activity 2

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

4.

Organisms can have different proteins in their cells for a particular feature.

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Testing Protein to Trait Predictions

20 MIN

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Activity 3

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Activity 3

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Previously, you used the Sim to compare spiders with different traits for the same feature. We observed that spiders with different traits had different proteins in their cells.

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Activity 3

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Today, you will use the Sim to add different proteins to a spider’s cell and observe how the proteins affect that spider’s trait. First, let’s look at an example together.

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Investigation Notebook pg 26

Activity 3

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

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Activity 3

👉Teacher action:

Open the Sim and model how to observe a spider’s traits and the proteins in a spider’s cells:

Select the spider named Greg.
Say, “Notice that the silk flexibility feature is already selected.”
Ask students to make observations about Greg’s trait and proteins for this feature. (Greg has protein 1 and the trait for low silk flexibility.)
Make connections to the crosscutting concept of structure and function by asking students to describe how the structure of Greg’s protein molecules affects his trait for silk flexibility. (His molecules make lots of connections, so his silk is less flexible.)
Say, “Now record this information in the first column of the first data table.”
Without adding any proteins, point out that you can add more protein molecules by dragging them into the cell from the Possible Proteins for Silk Flexibility key at the bottom of the screen.
Say, “Proteins can only be added to the circular drop zone that appears in the cell when a protein is selected. Additional proteins cannot be added until the cell resets.”

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Activity 3

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Investigation Notebook pg 26

Let’s discuss and record a prediction about Greg’s trait for silk flexibility.

What will happen if we add protein 1 molecules to Greg’s cells?

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Activity 3

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Now we’ll check our predictions by observing what happens in the Sim.

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Activity 3

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Activity 3

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Why was there no change to Greg’s trait for silk flexibility?

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Investigation Notebook pg 26

Activity 3

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

You’ll continue investigating how adding proteins affects spiders’ traits.

For each spider and trait, record your observations and make and test your predictions.

👉Teacher action:

Explain that students will add a different protein to Greg’s cells and then investigate the two other spiders and their features. If partners are sharing one device, they can take turns adding the proteins.�

👉Teacher action:

Circulate as partners work, encouraging students to discuss and record their predictions. If necessary, point out the following:

When a protein is added, the perimeter of the cell diagram lights up, showing a change has occurred.
When the added protein changes the composition of multiple cells, the Multiple Silk Gland Cells icon lights up. This indicates that this protein has affected all of Greg’s cells.
If the added protein is enough to change the trait, the description of the spider’s trait will ultimately change. (This process will take a moment.) If the trait change is a visible trait (e.g., body color), the spider will change accordingly. Otherwise, only the trait description will change, and an asterisk will appear beside it.

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Activity 3

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Let’s discuss the Sim activity.

What did you observe?

Why did traits sometimes change after protein molecules were added?

👉Teacher action:

Lead a brief class discussion about students’ observations in the Sim. Listen to students as they discuss how adding protein 2 affects Greg’s trait for silk flexibility. (Note: For more information about what students may have observed and predicted, see Possible Responses.) �

On-the-Fly Assessment 2: �Applying the Crosscutting Concept of Structure and Function to Understand Proteins and Traits.�Look for: Students will have seen that adding protein 1 did not change Greg’s low silk flexibility trait. Follow the work of several pairs of students as they discuss their predictions about whether adding protein 2 will change Greg’s silk flexibility trait. Do students point out how the different structure of protein 2, with fewer connectors, will result in fewer connections made with protein 1? Do they recognize that this will, in turn, increase the flexibility of the silk? Listen for whether or not students have a rationale, even if incorrect, for why adding protein 2 will affect the silk flexibility trait. This is an opportunity for students to address how a different protein structure will lead to a change in the function of that protein.

Now what? If students do not offer a rationale for their predictions, prompt them to explain their ideas about adding protein 2 in terms of the structure and function of the protein molecules in Greg’s cell. Ask pairs to use these terms as they continue their discussions with their partner. If students need more support articulating their rationale, break down the task into smaller parts. First, ask students to describe the structure of both proteins 1 and 2. Ask students to describe how these two proteins might interact as they make connections to each other to build a silk strand. If students are having a difficult time describing their thoughts about connections, it may help to recall the hands-on activity from Lesson 1.3. Prompt students to think about how the structure and function of the protein molecules might affect the trait, asking questions such as: How many connections can each protein make? How many connections would these two different molecules make when they connect to each other? How do you think this would affect Greg’s silk flexibility trait?

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Activity 3

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

In the Sim, most changes to the spiders’ traits were temporary.

Why might that be the case?

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Activity 3

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

While new proteins can be added to an organism, adding one protein to a single cell would likely not change the trait in the entire body of the organism.

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Write and Share:

Human Muscle Protein

15 MIN

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Activity 4

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Activity 4 - Screen 1

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Remember, you are in the role of student genetic researchers assisting Bay Medical Company in learning more about the Darwin’s bark spiders' traits for silk flexibility.

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Investigation Notebook pg 27

Activity 4 - Screen 1

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

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Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Activity 4 - Screen 1

ACTN3 (alpha-actinin-3) is an area of current research, but it’s not yet well understood by scientists. They are researching how this protein affects traits for running ability.

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Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Activity 4 - Screen 2

Today, you’ll work in groups to do a routine called Write and Share.

Each group member will receive a different piece of evidence to write about and discuss.

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Write and Share Routine

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Activity 4 - Screen 2

Carefully read the information you're given.�
Answer your prompt using the vocabulary words.�
After everyone in your group has had a chance to write, take turns introducing your prompts and sharing your responses.�
While one student presents, the others should listen carefully.�
After each student presents, the other students in the group can ask questions or make comments.

protein

trait

feature

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Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Investigation Notebook pgs 28–30

Activity 4 - Screen 2

I’ll give each member of your group a number.

Find the piece of evidence that matches your number. This is the piece of evidence you will respond to.

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Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Investigation Notebook pgs 28–30

Activity 4 - Screen 2

Respond to your prompt, using the vocabulary words listed.

Share your ideas about the evidence with your group.

👉Teacher action:

Have students respond to their prompts individually. Remind students that they can refer to the Traits and Reproduction glossary in Digital Resources or their Investigation Notebooks and key concepts on the classroom wall for help.
Prompt students to share their responses within their groups, explaining how the evidence supports or refutes the claim.
While students are sharing, circulate and listen for indications that students understand that the fastest runners also had the highest amount of ACTN3 protein. This could mean that the trait for this feature is determined by the presence of this protein in runners’ cells.�

👉Teacher action:

If time permits, have students revise their explanations if they gained new insights from their group discussions. Students might consider revising based on the vocabulary words they heard their peers use.�

On-the-Fly Assessment 3: �Engaging in Scientific Discourse Around the Protein–Trait Relationship�Look for: Listen to students as they present and discuss their writing about the ACTN3 protein and how it relates to running speed. Introducing the ACTN3 protein in this lesson invites students to consider what they have learned about spider proteins and traits and, for the first time, apply it to humans. Students will use the Write and Share routine to help them evaluate evidence about whether human ACTN3 protein affects the feature for running ability. Students should be able to see the correlation between the trait for fast running ability with the presence of more ACTN3 protein in runners’ cells. Do students use the terms protein, trait, and feature? Listen closely to determine whether or not they are able to extend the trait and protein relationship to this human context.�Now what? It is fundamental that students understand the relationship between the proteins in an organism’s cells and its trait before moving to Chapter 2. At this point in the unit, take opportunities to reinforce the idea that traits do not arbitrarily arise. Instead, traits are linked to the activity of proteins in organisms’ cells. If students are still struggling with this idea, you may wish to use the Sim to show another example of a feature (e.g., silk stickiness). Walk students through the Protein to Trait Example. You may also want to refer back to the models students made in Lesson 1.3. Review what these models demonstrate about the relationship between proteins and traits.

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Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Activity 4 - Screen 2

We now have a lot of good ideas about the ACTN3 protein and if it determines running ability in humans.

Based on what we have learned from this evidence, would you recommend that Bay Medical Company continue researching the ACTN3 protein molecule? Why or why not?

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Homework

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Activity 5

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Activity 5

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

For this activity, you will revisit a statement from the Anticipation Guide and decide whether to revise your answer based on what you’ve learned so far.

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Investigation Notebook pg 31

Activity 5

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

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Self-Assessment

(Optional)

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

Activity 6

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Activity 6

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

For this activity, you will have a chance to reflect on your learning so far.

You will revisit these questions at the end of every chapter.

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Investigation Notebook pg 32–33

Activity 6

Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

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Traits and Reproduction: Lesson 1.5

End of Lesson

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