Name: ________________________________________________ Period: _________ Date: ______________

Superhero Genetics Autobiography

Supermans ability to fly, Spidermans spidey senses, The Hulks strength, what if you possessed one of these or many
other genetic traits? Nows your chance!

Part 1: Autobiography
In this paper, provide information about your genetic history and how you came to inherit your superhuman genetic
trait. You did inherit this trait, it was not a mutation between your parents DNA and your own. You werent bit by
anything either. Your acquired trait could be inspired by TV, comics, movies, or your own imagination.

Answer the following questions about your superhuman ability.

What is the trait you possess?

o What did you name it?

How did you inherit the trait?

o Did your mother carry the trait or express the trait?

o Did your father carry the trait or express the trait?

How does the trait affect your body?

o Is it mostly a muscular ability?

o Does it change your skeletal system?

o What about your nervous system?

o What other body systems might be altered and how?

 Search for a gene that might be responsible for your trait and explain why you picked that gene. (This answer is
based on research and should be fact based.)

How did you first discover your ability?

o Were you taking a special class when it first appeared?

o Did you know about it and able to use it since birth?

o How have you fine-tuned or controlled your ability?

Do you hide your ability or do you let the public know who you really are?

How do you cope with your ability in everyday life?

Do emotions effect how you control your ability?

o What about when you are stressed?

Use the questions above to write an autobiography about your superhuman self. To help organize your superhuman
thoughts, as a pre-writing activity, complete the character chart: F.A.S.T.feelings, actions, sayings, and thoughts. Use
this character chart to help put a voice to your new superhuman self. This assignment combines creative writing with
science facts. You will be graded on both portions, the accuracy of your understanding about genetics and the human
body as well as the story you generate.

Part 2: Punnett Squares

Seeing as most humans arent throwing cars or flying to school, lets assume your trait is recessive, therefore, less
prevalent in the human population. Supplementing your paper, configure Punnett Squares for all of the possible
genetic combinations your parents could have in order to pass the trait on to you. Put your mothers trait across
the top and your fathers trait down the side of the Punnett Squares. Record the percent chance that you would inherit
the trait with each given combination.
Calendar: Fill in the dates on the lines below.
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Grade Distribution:
Part 1: Autobiography
Part 2: Punnett Squares
Character Chart
Total:
Submit your chosen superhuman trait
Turn in the F.A.S.T. Character chart
Bring 1st draft of paper to English class for peer review
Submit Part 2: Punnett Squares
Bring 2nd draft of paper to English class for peer editing
Submit final paper to both Science and English. Submit the previous two drafts
to English.
75 pts.
15 pts.
10 pts.
100 pts.
Grading Rubric: Part 1 - Autobiography

A B C D/F Total
(100-90%) (89-80%) (79-70%) (<69%)
1. Content The paper The paper The paper The paper fails to /40
(science) demonstrates a demonstrates an demonstrates demonstrate an
Accuracy of full incomplete minimal understanding of
information understanding of understanding of understanding of heredity and
Quality of heredity and heredity and heredity and genetics. None of
answer in genetics. The genetics. The genetics. The the questions in
questions in questions majority of majority of the prompt were
the prompt provided were questions were questions were answered. There
answered with answered with not answered was little to no
evidence of full some evidence of and/or were not evidence of
and accurate knowledge on the answered with knowledge on the
knowledge on the subject. adequate subject.
subject. knowledge on the
subject.
2. Content The paper is fluid The paper is There is evidence The paper just /20
(creative writing) in its writing. It is descriptive, but of an attempt to answered the
Story design clear and lacks clarity, create a story, questions asked
descriptive. The making it difficult but the writing in the prompt.
characters are to follow the present is difficult
fully developed. story line. The to follow. The
characters have characters are
dimension, but flat and need to
could be further be developed.
developed.
2. Revisions and The paper The paper The paper The paper does /15
Editing incorporates incorporates incorporates few not incorporate
Was the suggestions from some suggestions suggestions from suggestions from
peer revision the peer review from the peer the peer review peer review and
and peer and edit. If the review and edit. and edit. There edit because one
edit paper does not There are fewer are grammatical or both of those
incorporated incorporate peer grammatical errors present drafts were not
into final revisions, there is errors in the final that make it submitted. There
paper a note as to why. paper than the difficult to read, is no evidence of
With editing, The paper is drafts. but an effort to revision and
did the grammatically improve errors editing to the
grammatical correct. from draft phase paper. There are
errors in the is present. many
paper grammatical
improve errors.
/75

Grading Rubric: Part 2 Punnett Squares

1. Number of punnet squares possible4@2.5 pts. /Punnett Square
Number completed __________ /10
2. Percent chance provided for each square1.25 pts /Punnett Square /5
Total /15
 F.A.S.T. Character Chart

Feelings Actions

Sayings Thoughts