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Investigation 1: Mitosis and Human Chromosomes
Explore the building blocks of life! In this Investigation, students will discover how chromosomes carry the genetic instructions that create a unique human gamete! They will also learn how the sex of the new embryo is determined at conception and how the process of mitosis is responsible for the growth of a single-cell gamete to a full-term baby.
Click an image below to download the full Student Guide or Teacher Guide for this Investigation.
Student PDF Lab Guide
Teacher PDF Lab Guide
Next Generation Science Standards: Investigation 1
MS-LS1-1: Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.
→ Students model cell division with clay/LEGO, reinforcing that human development begins with a single cell that divides repeatedly.
MS-LS1-2: Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of cells contribute to the function.
→ Mitosis modeling emphasizes how chromosomes are duplicated and distributed, ensuring that each new cell can function as part of the developing embryo.
MS-LS3-2: Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information.
→ The mitosis activity makes clear that early embryonic cells are genetically identical, as DNA is faithfully copied in each division.