Student Resources—746

Do your ears hang low?
Real-World Question
Is ear lobe attachment a dominant or
recessive trait?
Possible Materials
• Science Journal
• pencil
• pen
• calculator
Procedure
1. Ask your friends, family members, and
other people you know if their ear lobes
are attached or free.
2. Try to interview as many people as possible
to collect a large sample of data.
Frozen Fossils
Real-World Question
How can we model the formation of an
amber fossil?
Possible Materials
• small glass jar with lid
• honey
• ruler
• dead insect or spider or small rubber
insect or spider
• freezer
Procedure
1. Thoroughly wash and dry a small glass
jar and its lid.
2. Pour 3 cm of honey into the jar. Do not
pour honey down the sides of the jar.
Adult supervision required for all labs.
Extra Try at Home Labs
3. Record the number of people who have
attached ear lobes and the number with
free ear lobes in your Science Journal.
Conclude and Apply
1. Calculate the percentage of people who
have attached ear lobes and the percentage
of people who have free ear
lobes.
2. Infer whether or not attached ear lobes
is a dominant or recessive trait. Do
research to confirm your results.
3. Infer how many children in a family
would have free ear lobes if their parents
had attached ear lobes.
3. Search for a
dead insect or
spider around
your home or
school and drop
it into the center
of the honey’s
surface.
4. Pour another 3 cm of honey into the jar
to cover the organism.
5. Place the jar in the freezer overnight.
Conclude and Apply
1. Explain how you modeled the formation
of an amber fossil.
2. Infer how amber fossils help scientists
observe adaptations of organisms over
time.
EXTRA TRY AT HOME LABS 765
Sinclair Stammers/Science Photo Library/Photo Researchers
Extra Try at Home Labs