9781422284896

Try It Yourself

What did the kittens’ parents look like? Sometimes it is possible to trace the traits of the parents by looking at the off- spring. What if you could make your own “paper pet” and give it some unique and wacky traits. What would its parents have looked like?

Materials:

Construction paper Scissors Stickers of various shapes, sizes, and colors Markers, colored pencils

1. Decide on four unique traits you want your “pet” to have. Will it have long legs or short legs? Curly fur or long fur? Pointed ears or rounded ears? List the traits that you will highlight in your pet.

2. Indicate on the list whether or not the specific trait is dominant or recessive.

3. Create your pet using the materials available.

4. Draw Punnett squares for at least two of the traits your pet has—one recessive and one dominant. What traits did its parents have? What alleles made up those traits? Remember, traits come from the parents equally.

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