TITLE: Taster or Non-Taster?
AUTHOR: Judith H. Westbrook, Oregon School for the Deaf,
Salem, OR
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 4-12 Genetics
OVERVIEW: The study of genetics/inherited traits is more than
simply tracing back or predicting eye and hair color. Our genetic
code is specific from one person to another. We do pass on other,
more "unusual" traits, such as the ability to discern specific tastes
in foods.
PURPOSE: This activity was designed to involve students, family
members, and selected peers in the process of determining whether
an individual can be classified as a "taster" or a "non-taster."
OBJECTIVES: The student will be able to:
1. Determine whether he/she is a taster or nontaster.
2. Test selected individuals from his/her family and peer
group for the trait.
3. Chart all findings from all students to determine which
trait is dominant.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
Teacher materials:
Large sheet of butcher paper
PTC Taste Paper
Sodium Benzoate Taste Paper
Thiourea Taste Paper
Control Taste Paper
(Frey Scientific: Vials of 100)
Envelopes containing three complete sets of Taste Papers,
numbered to match the sequence of the activity.
Student materials:
Notebook paper, pencil, paper cup of water
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Students will share traits they know are dominant in
their immediate families and peer group. (i.e., hair and eye
color, right/left handedness)
List traits and post.
2. Students will number 1-5 on notebook paper.
3. Distribute paper cups of water to "cleanse the palate."
4. Distribute PTC taste paper, one to each student with
instructions to taste the paper, and without sharing with others,
write down what it tasted like. It is OK if it tastes like nothing,
or like paper. (That would be the control!) It could also taste
salty, sweet, bitter, hot, etc.
5. Continue with the other taste papers, students recording
how each paper tasted.
6. Collect results and graph the data on large sheet of
butcher paper. (save!)
7. Using the chart, predict which trait (taster or non-taster)
is dominant in their families, and in the general population.
8. Assignment: Each student will take three complete sets of
taste papers home to test parents and one friend. Test papers are
to be numbered to correspond with the sequence of the previous
activity. (If a student has one parent or is living with a relative,
he may go ahead and test that person or persons.)
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:
Students will share their experiences with their families and
friends. Students can place tally marks on yesterday's chart.
Discuss whether their predictions were correct. Analyze findings.
Follow up activities could include the construction of a Punnett
Square using the information collected from parents. The
percentage of offspring that are tasters could be predicted, and
more testing done to check.
Some may hypothesize that people who tend to be overweight are
tasters, or that thinner people are non-tasters. Is this how obesity
seems to run in families???? An experiment could be designed and
carried out to prove the hypothesis.
This is a great activity to get family members involved in
Science. It can snowball into a very large data gathering activity.
The MacIntosh has a great program, Excel, that is very helpful
organizing and graphing this kind of data.
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