Population Genetics and Allelic Frequencies - Grade 11

Through this fully resourced lesson students will determine allele frequencies based upon the Hardy-Weinberg principle. This lesson is an introduction to this concept therefore the calculations are quite simple and the main aim is for students to understand the concept of the Hardy-Weinberg principle. My following lesson ‘Calculating Allele and Genotype Frequencies’ explores calcuations in much greater depth. Students will first recall the terms allele, homozygous dominant, homozygous recessive and heterozygous which they should have already covered in a previous topic before being able to access this lesson. Students will then be introduced to the Hardy-Weinberg principle and the conditions it requires. Students will then learn how to calculate simple allele frequencies using the equation p+q=1. Throughout the lesson students will also have the opportunity to apply their knowledge and understanding to exam style questions.