TASK CARD: Simulated Investigation
Mendel’s Peas
Introduction
Gregor Mendel was an Austrian monk who was interested in plant breeding,
especially pea plants. He cross-pollinated many different types of pea plants to
find a pattern in how they inherited traits. In this investigation, you will simulate
some of Mendel’s experiments and analyze his results.
Predict
What do you think will be the results in the offspring when two plants with
smooth seeds are bred together?
What do you think will be the results in the offspring when a smooth-seed
plant is bred with a wrinkled-seed plant?
Hypothesis
Why do you think your predictions will be supported? (What prior
experiences makes you think this?)
Procedure
1. “Shuck” your first generation foil peas and observe the resulting offspring.
Record your F1 observations ONLY in the data table below. (Provide a
title.)
Smooth
Peas
Wrinkled
Peas
F1 Count
F1 Class Total
F1% (of total)
F2
F2 Class Total
F2 % (of total)
2. “Shuck” your second generation foil peas and observe the resulting
offspring. Record your F2 observations ONLY in the same data table above.
Conclusion
1. Compare the F1 class data to the F2 class data. What trends or patterns do
you observe?
2. Was your hypothesis supported or refuted? Explain.
3. What does Mendel’s experiment demonstrate about heredity? (How do
traits seem to be passed from parents to offspring?)