Seventh graders at Fairplay Middle School are studying genetics in their science classes.
Recently, after studying DNA, mutations, genes and chromosomes, students chose a topic of interest to further investigate and then designed an infographic to teach others about the subject.
Nolle Belaski, who teaches seventh and eighth grade advanced and gifted science and serves as the Gifted Department Chairperson at Fairplay, said studies show that students learn and retain 95% of what they attempt to teach each other.
She said by having a deeper understanding of DNA, genes and chromosomes, the students can then use this background and apply it as they move on to how traits are passed from parent to offspring, how selective breeding and genetic engineering can be used to breed for desired traits and how a species may change over time due to changes in their DNA.
“By incorporating genetics into our curriculum, we are empowering our students to recognize disease patterns such as cancer or diabetes in their families, enabling them to take proactive prevention measures,” Belaski said.