One Father Christmas

This seasonal activity asks about Santa's ancestors: are all the modern ones descended from one ancient ‘Father’ Christmas?  Students first explore how scientists can use DNA fingerprinting to answer this question. Then they play ‘Call My Bluff’, or sort true/false cards to deepen their understanding of inheritance.  

Learning objective

• Students summarise how researchers use DNA fingerprinting and check their knowledge of genes by playing true or false games

Blueprint curriculum link

• Unit: Genetics
• Concept: Genes: The genetic material in the nucleus of a cell is composed of DNA contained in structures called chromosomes. A gene is a small section of DNA; each one codes for a particular sequence of amino acids, to make a specific protein
• Skill: Literacy: Write: Summarise material with supporting ideas and facts
• Learning stage: Analyse

 Activity contents

• Teachers guide
• PDF file

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