When students pretend to be an adult and try on a new career they behave differently. They sit a little taller, speak with confidence and authority and they have fun. This lesson asks students to be genetic counselors and even call each other, and themselves, doctor. They get a paper with the appointments for the day, medical text and medical records for their patients. They work alone, but like real doctors, they can consult other doctors for their opinions and advice (other students) and sometimes they may even need to consult an expert in the field (the teacher). This lesson gives the teacher the opportunity to roam the room and provided one-on-one help to students who need it most. This can be used in middle school or high school. Middle School will require more scaffolding and high school can provide less up-front information and have students try this without reviewing Punnett Squares.
Lesson with answer key:
