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Gregor Mendel: The Father of Genetics — Reading Comprehension

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MS-LS3-1
MS-LS3-2

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This informational reading passage introduces students to Gregor Mendel, the Austrian monk whose pea plant experiments laid the foundation for the modern science of genetics. Aligned to NGSS standard MS-LS3-2, the passage explains key genetic concepts like dominant and recessive traits, heredity, and the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction. It uses clear language appropriate for middle school readers, while integrating real-life examples and vocabulary terms important for understanding heredity. This passage supports reading comprehension in science and helps students connect scientific discoveries to real-world applications such as inherited diseases and plant breeding. Ideal for NGSS-aligned instruction, this passage strengthens science literacy and content knowledge through engaging, standards-based reading.

CONTENT PREVIEW

Gregor Mendel was an Austrian monk who is known as the father of genetics. In the 1800s, he performed experiments that helped scientists understand how traits are passed from parents to offspring. Mendel used pea plants in his experiments because they had easily observable traits, such as flower color and seed shape. His careful observations and data collection led to the discovery of patterns in how traits are inherited. This work formed the foundation for modern genetics, the study of heredity.

Mendel’s most famous experiments involved cross-pollinating pea plants with different traits. For example, he crossed tall plants with short ones and noticed that all the first-generation (F1) plants were tall. However, when he crossed those F1 plants with each other, the next generation (F2) had a mix of tall and short plants. From these results, Mendel concluded that traits are determined by "factors" (now called genes) that come in pairs—one from each parent. Some traits are dominant, meaning they show up even if only one parent passes them on, while others are recessive and only appear if both parents pass them on.

Mendel’s discoveries explain why offspring from sexual reproduction have genetic variation. Each parent contributes one copy of each gene, and these combinations can produce different traits in the offspring. This explains why siblings often look similar but not exactly alike. In contrast, asexual reproduction produces offspring that are genetically identical to the parent, since all genetic material comes from one source.

Today, Mendel’s work helps scientists understand everything from inherited diseases to how plants can be bred for better crops. His simple pea plant experiments changed science forever.

Fun Fact: Gregor Mendel was also a beekeeper and studied how bees passed traits to their offspring, but he found them much harder to work with than pea plants!

What is Gregor Mendel best known for?

Discovering cellsStudying gravityFounding geneticsInventing microscopes

Why did Mendel use pea plants in his experiments?

They grew in waterThey had clear traitsThey lived a long timeThey needed no care

What happened when Mendel crossed tall and short pea plants?

All were shortAll were tallAll diedAll changed color

What do we now call Mendel’s "factors"?

ProteinsHormonesGenesCells

What is a dominant trait?

Trait that fadesTrait from one plantTrait that always appearsTrait with no effect

How does sexual reproduction cause variation?

Traits copy exactlyOnly one parent gives genesGenes are mixed from both parentsGenes stay the same forever