Patterns

In this modeling exercise, students explore familial relationships through music to learn about the cross-cutting concept “Patterns”.

This modeling exercise leverages music as a phenomenon to encourage students to be curious about how familial relationships are best depicted. To gain this initial curiosity have students listen to the song “I am my own grandpa” by Ray Stevens. Afterwards ask them how he could be his own grandpa? Then play the song a second time and ask students to try and draw out the relationships in the song to come to the answer. This tends to be difficult for students and it’s hard for them to figure out what is going on in the song. This generates a “need to know” in which pedigree charts work well. After introducing pedigree charts and having them use them to figure out the song. Students can follow up by modeling other interesting pedigree related phenomena including genetic diseases in families (e.g. hemophilia). Pedigree charts are a great way for students to explore patterns of inheritance in the curriculum.

Suggested Modeling Elements: This exercise incorporates pedigree charts as the main tool to form student understanding. For teachers interested in customizing this exercise further into students' modeling-making, we encourage you to explore the visual library tool and choose the modeling elements/moves that best fit your instructional plan, if applicable.

Suggested Sensemaking Components: Flow of Matter, Movement/Motion, Zoom in/out