Biology Lesson: Punnett Squares and Genetics

Link for Punnett Square and Genetics lesson plan.
Link for Punnett Square and Genetics training video.
Step-by-step - How to make a Punnett Square. 

Punnett squares are interesting diagrams that allow us to figure out the probability, or odds, of an offspring having certain traits, based on the parents' genetic contributions. This method considers whether the parents have dominant and/or recessive genes being contributed to the offspring, and then by looking at all the possible pairings of a gene from the mother and another from the father, probabilities are determined from the pool of pairings.

For humans, traits for eye and hair color, skin tone, the size and shape of ears and other body parts, and so on, can be considered and the odds determined from a Punnett square.

This technique and topic also presents a fairly rare instance of mathematics being used in middle school or high school level biology. Punnett squares are a nice application of probability in a math class, and can be used to show connections between some math classes and a biology class.