1. Today’s Objectives
Understand the difference between nature vs. nurture
Bell Ringer
Do you think who you are today is mostly because of genetics (biological reasons) or how & where you were raised (your environment)? Choose 1 and explain why!

2. Directions:
In your groups, you will do ALL 4 of the following situations and write how each perspective would look at or explain the situation:
A teenage boy who joins a gang
A famous actress’s drug & alcohol addiction
A teenager with depression
An elementary student who is a bully

3. Discuss this with the person sitting next to you. (2 minutes)
Imagine…
Your adoring parents & you believe you are perfect so they decide to clone you, creating a perfect genetic replica of you. Would the new baby, your identical twin, grow up to be exactly like you?
What if the baby were exposed to a different prenatal environment- one polluted (or not) by drugs or viruses?
What if your parents had to give this baby up for adoption or decided to move to a different part of the world?
How would this child be affected by growing up in a different generation?
These questions illustrate one of psychology’s big issues: How do our families, our friends, and the culture in which we live affect us?
Discuss this with the person sitting next to you. (2 minutes)

4. Behavior Genetics Nature- genetics, biological influences
The study of the relative effects of genes and environmental influences on our behavior
Genes are the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes
Many genes together make up chromosomes

5. Nurture=Environment
Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us
Any influence, other than genetic, on an individual’s behavior
Include:
The culture someone is raised in
One’s family
Socioeconomic group

6. Genetics in Brief
Chromosomes-Threadlike structures made up of DNA that contain the genes
46 in each cell
23 received from each parent
Where certain disabilities can occur
Ex. Down Syndrome-3rd chromosome on the 21st pair

7. DNA
A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes
Blueprint of life (has the instructions for making an organism)
codes for your genes
shape of a double helix
made of repeating subunits called nucleotides
ATGC

8. Cellular Makeup

9. Cellular Makeup

10. Cellular Makeup

11. Mutation
Random errors in gene replication that lead to a change in the individual’s genetic code;
The source of genetic diversity
Can be desirable or undesirable changes
Ex. Better eyesight or cancer

12. Predisposition
The possibility of something happening through the genetic code
Ex. Easily sunburned
Can you think of other examples?

13. Group Project (3) Create a poll about the Nature vs. Nurture issue
Include at least 5 questions
Questions need to determine the opinions of students about the role of biology and environment in shaping people’s traits and personality
Questions must be approved by Mrs. Lynch
Poll at least 5 students in the school (not in this class)
Use poll data to create a chart illustrating student opinions on nature vs. nurture.
You will present these on Thursday