The Wobbledog Genome Project: Designing a Creature

Materials Needed:

• Computer with internet access
• Access to the games Wobbledogs and Geniventure (Geniventure is free online)
• Notebook and pencil/pen, or a digital drawing tool/document
• Colored pencils or markers (optional, for sketching)

Subject & Grade Level

Biology, High School (Approx. Grade 10)

Time Allotment

Approximately 2 - 2.5 hours (can be split into two sessions)

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

1. Explain the relationship between genes, alleles, and traits using examples from the games.
2. Apply the principles of dominant and recessive inheritance to predict why a creature looks and acts the way it does.
3. Design a unique virtual creature, justifying its physical and behavioral traits with logical genetic explanations.

Standards Alignment (Next Generation Science Standards)

• HS-LS3-1: Ask questions to clarify relationships about the role of DNA and chromosomes in coding the instructions for characteristic traits passed from parents to offspring.
• HS-LS3-3: Apply concepts of statistics and probability to explain the variation and distribution of expressed traits in a population.

Lesson Activities

Part 1: The Field Biologist - Deconstructing Your Wobbledog (30 minutes)

The first step for any geneticist is observation! Let's study a creature in its natural habitat.

1. Play Wobbledogs for 15-20 minutes. Your goal is not just to play, but to observe. Choose one of your favorite or most interesting dogs to study.
2. Create a "Field Report" in your notebook. List all the observable traits (the phenotype) of your chosen Wobbledog. Be as detailed as possible!
   • Physical Traits: What is its body color? How many legs does it have? Does it have wings? A tail? What is its body shape? How stable is it?
   • Behavioral Traits: Is it aggressive or passive? Is it very active? How does it eat?
3. Discuss & Hypothesize: Let's think about this together.
   • Where do you think these traits came from?
   • If this dog had puppies, what traits do you think they would inherit?
   • What is the "code" inside the dog that controls all these features? (This leads us to the idea of genes!)

Part 2: The Geneticist's Toolkit - A Crash Course with Geniventure (45 minutes)

Now that we have observed the traits, let's go inside the cell to see how they are actually controlled. Geniventure is a game specifically designed to teach this.

1. Open Geniventure. We will play through specific levels that act as our training.
2. Complete Case 1 (Levels 1-4). This will introduce the core concepts:
   • Genes: The instructions for a trait (e.g., the "wing" gene).
   • Alleles: The different versions of a gene (e.g., the "wings" allele vs. the "no wings" allele).
   • Dominant & Recessive Alleles: Some alleles are stronger and will always show up if they are present (dominant), while others only show up if both copies are the same (recessive).
3. Pause & Connect: After completing Case 1, let's connect it back to your Wobbledog.
   • For your Wobbledog's body color, what might the different alleles be? Which do you think is dominant?
   • The combination of alleles an organism has is its genotype. The physical trait we see is the phenotype. Let's practice using these words to describe one of the dragons from Geniventure.

Part 3: The Creative Challenge - The Design-A-Dog Project (60 minutes)

You've been hired by a virtual pet company to design a brand-new, exciting Wobbledog species! You must not only design how it looks but also the basic genetic code that creates it.

1. Step 1: Brainstorm & Sketch (The Phenotype).

   In your notebook, sketch your new Wobbledog. Don't worry about making it perfect! Think about a "theme" for your dog. Is it built for speed? For swimming? For being extra goofy? Give it a name!

   List at least 5 key traits that make your dog unique. For example: has a hard outer shell, can change colors, has feathered wings, etc.

2. Step 2: Build its Genetic Code (The Genotype).

   Now, create a "Genome Card" for your creature. For each of the 5 traits you listed, you need to invent the genes and alleles that control it. Decide which allele is dominant and which is recessive. Use a letter to represent each allele (capital for dominant, lowercase for recessive).

   Example Genome Card Entry:

   • Trait Name: Outer Shell
   • Gene: Shell Gene (S)
   • Alleles:
     • S = Hard Shell (Dominant)
     • s = No Shell (Recessive)
   • My Dog's Genotype for this Trait: Ss
   • Justification: "My dog has a hard shell for protection. Even though it carries the 'no shell' allele, the hard shell allele is dominant, so that's the trait we see."

   Complete this for all 5 unique traits of your creature.

Part 4: Project Showcase & Reflection (15 minutes)

It's time to present your creation!

1. Present Your Design-A-Dog: Show your sketch and explain your dog's unique features.
2. Explain its Genome: Walk me through its Genome Card. Why did you make certain traits dominant? What would a dog with a "ss" genotype look like compared to yours?
3. Reflection Questions:
   • How is the selective breeding you do in Wobbledogs (choosing which dogs to breed to get certain traits) similar to how scientists or farmers create new types of plants or animals?
   • What was the most challenging part of designing your dog's genome?
   • If you were to breed your dog with a standard Wobbledog, what is one trait you would be most excited to see in the puppies?

Assessment

Your "Design-A-Dog" project (the sketch and Genome Card) will be our main assessment. I'll be looking for:

• Creativity and thoughtfulness in the design of your creature.
• Correct application of genetic terms (gene, allele, genotype, phenotype, dominant, recessive).
• Clear and logical justification for why your dog has its specific traits based on the genotype you created.

Extension & Deeper Dive (Optional)

If you're excited and want to go further:

• Introduce a new concept: Research "incomplete dominance" or "codominance" and add a trait to your dog that follows one of these patterns (e.g., red and white alleles make a pink phenotype).
• Predict Offspring: Draw a Punnett square to predict the probability of different traits appearing if you bred your designed dog with another dog of a known genotype.