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Discuss: Suppose you want to get bluer iguanas. Which iguana should you pick to have babies with your iguana? Iguana

Reveal answer

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Video trouble?

Discuss: Now that you know how the first small dog breed was created, how do you think we created big dogs, like the Great Dane? GreatDane

Reveal answer

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Discuss: How do you think life was different for people before they discovered selection and created all these different breeds of animals (dairy cows, muscular cows, chickens that lay big eggs)?

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Discuss: What’s an animal or trait you might like to see in the future? If you want to know what we'd like to see, click "Reveal Answer" below.

Reveal answer

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Designer Dogs Question #1 of 4:

cockerspaniel-poodlequestion

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Designer Dogs Question #2 of 4:

pug-beaglequestion

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Designer Dogs Question #3 of 4:

germanshepherd-lab-question

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Designer Dogs Question #4 of 4:

schnauzer-Pom-question

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Designer Dogs Answer #1 of 4:

cockerspaniel-poodleanswer

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Designer Dogs Answer #2 of 4:

pug-beagleanswer

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Designer Dogs Answer #3 of 4:

germanshepherd-lab-answer

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Designer Dogs Answer #4 of 4:
schnauzer-Pom-answer

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Extend this lesson

Assessments

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# Extensions

Below are ideas for extending this topic beyond the activity & Exploration which you just completed.

Lesson Assessment and Answer Key
Reading: Friendly Foxes tells of a research project to make foxes that are as friendly as dogs.
Activity: Spot the differences , an exercise in observation and writing.
Online videos: Watch an excerpt from Naturethat shows how the Bedouin people bred fast-running dogs to create the Saluki, the fastest dog in the world.

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trait

1 of 7

something you can observe about a living thing, such as the pointy ears of a dog

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generation

2 of 7

all the living things born and living at around the same time

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variation

3 of 7

the different versions of a trait, such as the size of a dog

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artificial selection

4 of 7

the process of humans choosing certain traits of living things so that they are passed to the offspring

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inherited trait

5 of 7

a trait of a living thing that comes from its parents

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species

6 of 7

one specific kind of living thing that has similar characteristics and can produce offspring with one another

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extinct

7 of 7

a type of living thing that once lived on Earth but no longer exists

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Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Exploration

cat by Joseph Morris , used under CC BY-ND

dog by Katherine , used under CC BY

goat by ceridwen , used under CC BY-SA

sheep by Donald Macleod

T-Rex in museum by Jeff Kubina , used under CC BY-SA

wild cat by Chris Fourie

domestic fox by Raffaele Esposito

holding fox by Jorbasa Fotografie , used under CC BY-ND

mammoth by WolfmanSF , used under CC BY-SA

yawning fox by Peter Trimming , used under CC BY

hippo-fish by Takeshi Kitano's

long haired cat by Tambako The Jaguar , used under CC BY-ND

rooster by David Goehring , used under CC BY

dogs of the world by Poster Revolution

Black Lab by Jared and Corin , used under CC BY-SA

Blood Hound by Sally Wehner , used under CC BY

Bull Dog by sabianmaggy , used under CC BY

Chihuahua by Kevin , used under CC BY

Pitbull by Hugo A. Quintero G. , used under CC BY

small white dog by tiarescott , used under CC BY

rooster skeleton by Chickenosaurus 12

bird-like skeleton by Ted & Tira

cows by barn by William Garrett , used under CC BY

chickenosaurous by guest_5655

cow close up by Positive

bears by Tambako The Jaguar , used under CC BY-ND

black bull by Jaap Rouwenhorst , used under CC BY-SA

giraffe up close by Tambako The Jaguar , used under CC BY-ND

teddy bear by thepeachpeddler , used under CC BY-SA

bright green lizard by Chad Sparkes , used under CC BY

udders by stux

dairy cow by Keith Weller/USDA

oxen pulling cart by John P. Mosesso

iguana by Pete Markham , used under CC BY-SA

ox up close by TrollGod14337

iguana up close by Cyborg , used under CC BY

wild boar by Pete Shacky

cat by Magnus Bråth , used under CC BY

chicken and eggs by Dew Tyme Family Farm

horse by Paul VanDerWerf , used under CC BY

pig by Brent Moore , used under CC BY

Basset Hound by patchattack , used under CC BY-SA

Bichon Frise by Jeffrey Beall , used under CC BY-SA

Chow Chow by Prayitno , used under CC BY

German Sheperd by Marilyn Peddle , used under CC BY

Greyhound by Marianne Perdomo , used under CC BY-SA

Siberian Husky by S.McWilliam

Cocker Spaniel by Norman Mackenzie

Dachshund by Hugo Daniel

Labrador by Kevin Rodriguez Ortiz , used under CC BY

Rottweiler by El Coleccionista de Instantes , used under CC BY-SA

horses running by hlseffigy , used under CC BY-ND

poodle by chuck_heston , used under CC BY-SA

Chinese Emperor by Royal Academy of Arts

Pekingese by CH PalaceGarden Malachy

small dog by Helmuts R , used under CC BY-SA

Great Dane by Jon Hurd

Credits

“The graphics showing the genetics elements made it easy for kids to follow. The follow-up activity of dog breeds made the lesson realistic since students were familiar with different dog breeds.”

“I love this lesson. The kids enjoy talking about their favorite animals, and being creative about the traits they'd like to change, and the video lesson is filled with interesting, extraordinary animals. The focus is on selection and traits, and the students really understand what that means by the end.”

“The children loved this lesson. I actually didn't print out all the sheets but had them note the answers on one piece of paper (this was to save paper). For the last 15 minutes of the lesson they looked at different types of dogs on a website and created their own puppy from 2 different breeds. It was fun. ”

“They liked the idea of the chicken into a T-Rex. They came up with really great ideas for pet through selection breeding, for instance, pandas, elephants. It so brought up a discussion on how long it would take to breed if the animal only could have one baby at a time. So afterwards, students said if they wanted a pet through selection, they would need an animal that laid eggs or a litter of babies, like cheetahs and turtles. Students also enjoyed making up names for the dogs on the activity.”

“My kids immediately related this Mystery to apples and selection. It was fantastic to hear them refer and relate to something they have already learned about. The best part was the picture of the chicken/dinosaur. They had a good time renaming the animals in the activity. ”

“My students were so excited to hear how scientist could create a dinosaur by process of selection- they oooed and aaaahed at the ideas. The dog worksheets were engaging. Great job. Mystery Science Fridays Rock! ”

“The kids LOVED it! We loved talking about what animals might be in the future and they loved thinking about the animals that they would want! Great reviews from the students! They want to do one every day :] ”

“The additional activity with dog breeds was a huge hit! I let this lesson for a sub to do with the class, and she was very impressed. "It was easy to use, and kept the class engaged the entire time!" ”

“My girls and I loved this lesson,it was very interesting to learn how different breeds came about and the possibility of new breeds to come ...leaves a lot to think about. Learning science this way is learning that is looked forward to each day and talked about with friends and family afterwards. My kids are excited about learning science now!!! thanks so much:) highly recommend:)”

What kinds of animals might there be in the future?

Vocabulary