Name: ______Date:______Period:___

Student Sheet 54.1

Investigating Human Traits

Group Data

Characteristic / Trait / Group Members / Total
Eye Color / Blue
Brown
Green
Hazel
Tongue Roll / Yes
No
Hand Clasp / Right on Top
Left on top
Height / 130-139 cm
140-149 cm
150-159 cm
160-169 cm
170-179 cm
180-189 cm
Ear lobes / Attached
Unattached
Pinkies / Bent
Straight
Middle Knuckle hair / Peak
No peak
Widows Peak / Peak
No Peak

Class Data

Directions: For each of the six characteristics you studied, how many versions, or traits, are observed in your class? For example, if your class has people with brown and blue eyes only, they you would fill in the second column with “brown and blue”, and the third column with “2” to represent the two colors observed.

Characteristic / Types of Traits / Total Traits
Eye color
Tongue rolling
Hand clasp
Height
Earlobes
Pinkies
Mid Knuckle Hair
Widow’s Peak

Questions

1.  What is the difference between a trait and a characteristic? ______

2.  Do you think that all the traits were inherited? If so - explain why. If not – indicate which one(s) were not and explain why you don’t think they were inherited. ______

3.  If you studied more people in your area, do you think you would find more traits for each characteristic? Explain.

______

Homework: Gather data from 10 people who are not in your class.

Characteristics / Trait / Total
Eye Color / Blue
Brown
Green
Hazel
Gray
Tongue Roll / Yes
No
Hand Clasp / Right on Top
Left on top
Height / 140-149 cm
150-159 cm
160-169 cm
170-179 cm
180-189 cm
190-200 cm
Ear Lobes / Attached
Unattached
Pinkies / Bent
Straight
Middle Knuckle hair / Hair
No hair
Widows Peak / Peak
No Peak

Graph: Choose one of the characteristics you collected data on and graph the results

______

(Characteristic Name)

1.  Explain how your thinking has changed, or what you are now aware of, since doing this exploration (I used to think… but now I know…)

______

______

______

2.  What, if anything, needs clarification?

______

2