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This Mystery is out of date! Please proceed to Fates of Traits to see the updated version.
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What kinds of animals might there be in the future?

Fates of Traits Unit
Lesson 2 of 5
Trait Variation, Inheritance, & Artificial Selection
4.8 (21970 reviews)
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
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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

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)?

Reveal answer

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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

Video trouble?

Designer Dogs Question #1 of 4:

cockerspaniel-poodlequestion

Designer Dogs Question #2 of 4:

pug-beaglequestion

Designer Dogs Question #3 of 4:

germanshepherd-lab-question

Designer Dogs Question #4 of 4:

schnauzer-Pom-question

Designer Dogs Answer #1 of 4:

cockerspaniel-poodleanswer

Designer Dogs Answer #2 of 4:

pug-beagleanswer

Designer Dogs Answer #3 of 4:

germanshepherd-lab-answer

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

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


1 of 7

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

generation


2 of 7

all the living things born and living at around the same time
Video trouble?
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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

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
What kinds of animals might there be in the future?
Fates of Traits Unit
Lesson 2 of 5
Trait Variation, Inheritance, & Artificial Selection
4.8 (21970 reviews)

Featured Reviews

“The kids LOVED this lesson! Thanks for making lessons that are easy for me to plan and work into curriculum while still engaging the kids!”
· Regina · Teacher
“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.”
· Mary · Teacher
“This is one of my favorite lessons, perfect way to teach selection and inherited traits!”
· Amanda · Teacher
“Students were engaged the entire lesson. Very easy to prep and teach. We love Mystery Science. ”
· Gabrielle · Teacher
“Students really enjoyed the dog activity. They were definitely new to the idea of selection, and they seemed to understand the basic concept after this lesson.”
· Catherine · Teacher
“The children were very stimulated by this concept. The worksheet was simple but caused a lot of great interaction and active learning.”
· Justine · Teacher
“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.”
· · Teacher
“i teach at an esl school, the language was well chosen, slow and clear, repeated and so interesting ”
· Franesca · Teacher
“Really a GREAT time in the classroom! ”
· · Teacher
“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. ”
· Joanne · Teacher
“The colored photos brought the lesson to life! thanks”
· Gabriella · Teacher
“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.”
· Dorothy · Teacher
“The kids loved creating and naming the designer dogs...Lots of good discussions going on!”
· Lara · Teacher
“Having the kids exposed to the idea of selection and how the mating process can lead to specific types of character traits or adaptations in kid friendly language.”
· Amanda · Teacher
“Making designer dogs - the students after doing the worksheet, came up with their own ideas of what breeds they would like to see!”
· Sripriya · Teacher
“We loved the idea that animals can be changed by selection. It was new idea to the third graders and really got them thinking about their own animals.”
· Carol · Teacher
“The students loved every minute of this lesson and it was SO easy to follow!”
· Sarah · Teacher
“I can't get enough of Mystery Science!”
· Mimi · Teacher
“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. ”
· Jill · Teacher
“I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE!!! My class begs to do an activity everyday and they learn so much!! ”
· Leslie · Teacher
“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! ”
· Cgalas · Teacher
“It enabled my students to ask really deep questions and hooked them in quickly due to the cool topics”
· Mel · Teacher
“This matched up to our science lesson perfectly! My son enjoyed the worksheet lesson and had a great time coming up with names for the new breeds. Our favorite lesson thus far!”
· · Homeschooler
“This lesson was engaging for the students. They were interested all the way through, and wouldn't let me stop the video!”
· Cathy · Teacher
“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 :] ”
· Lizzie · Teacher
“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!" ”
· Nikki · Teacher
“Great pictures. Explained a complicated topic in a way that was easy to understand.”
· Sarah · Homeschooler
“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:)”
· Nicole · Homeschooler
“We are LOVING Mystery Science. Learning is fun, and my student excitedly looks forward to each lesson! This was another great lesson, and the resources at the end are always great.”
· Andrea · Homeschooler
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep
This is an archived Mystery Science resource. Archived resources are not updated to reflect current scientific understanding or best pedagogical practices. To access the current version of this lesson, please click here.
In this lesson, students learn how people create new breeds of animals by mating (selecting) individuals with desirable traits. In the visual activity, Designer Dogs, students are shown pairs of adult dogs and three potential puppies. They study the physical traits of the dogs and look for the puppy that shares these traits.
Preview activity

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I have a Mystery Pack

Designer Dogs worksheet 30 copies
Prep Instructions

We suggest that students work in pairs for this activity. Homeschool students can work alone.

Standards

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Exploration

25 mins

Hands-On Activity

20 mins

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Credits
 
Selection Lesson 2: What kinds of animals might there be in the future?

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