Trading Traits
	Science Process Skills observing communicating comparing inferring
	Materials (per person) pencil trait list
	Doing the Activity Read through the list of traits (see below). When you hear the "go-ahead", move around the room and start checking out the other people in your group. Find someone else in your group who has one of these traits. Ask each person to sign his/her name next to the trait that he/she has. Try to get each person to sign the sheet only once. __________________ brown eyes __________________ blue eyes __________________ green eyes __________________ brown hair __________________ blond hair __________________ red hair __________________ many freckles __________________ some freckles __________________ no freckles __________________ curly hair __________________ straight hair __________________ dimpled cheeks __________________ no dimples in cheeks __________________ dimpled chin __________________ no dimpled chin __________________ left handed __________________ right handed __________________ ambidextrous (can write with both hands) __________________ has a gap between front teeth __________________ no gap between front teeth __________________ the second toe is longer than the big toe __________________ the second toe is shorter than the big toe __________________ ring finger is longer than index finger __________________ index finger is longer than ring finger __________________ little finger is bent toward ring finger __________________ hair on second segment of fingers __________________ color blind (has trouble distinguishing red and green) __________________ no color blindness __________________ if hands are clasped together, left thumb is on top of right thumb __________________ if hands are clasped together, right thumb is on top of left thumb
	Reflecting What happened? Were you able to find people that had the same traits? different traits? What traits do you possess? What was the most common trait?
	Applying How could scientists apply common traits to plants and animals? How are certain traits affected by disease?
	What's Happening Every organism requires a set of instructions for specifying its traits. Heredity is the passage of these instructions from one generation to another. Heredity information is contained in genes, located in the chromosomes of each cell. Each gene carries a single unit of information. An inherited trait of an individual can be determined by one or by many genes, and a single gene can influence more than one trait. A human cell contains many thousands of different genes.
	More Challenges Do a survey of everyone in your neighborhood. What are their common traits? Find out how identical twins are affected by genes. What traits do they have in common. Make a family tree including traits. How common are certain traits in your family?
	Activity Source "Spuds n' Bugs," David Mitchell, State 4-H Office, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-3015, (208)885-7182, FAX (208) 885-4637.

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