Caveat Academy course · Grades 8 to 12

Genetics and Heredity

A semester course on how traits pass from parents to children, from DNA and meiosis to Punnett squares, pedigrees, blood types and the tools of modern genetics. Six self-paced modules with every cross and probability worked step by step.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
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Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the STEM explorations set, $49 for 9 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 12 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: DNA, genes and chromosomes

    Apply base pairing to DNA and RNA, transcribe and translate codons, and explain how substitutions and frameshifts affect proteins.

    • The structure of DNA
    • Genes, chromosomes and genomes
    • From gene to protein
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Cell division and the passing of chromosomes

    Compare mitosis and meiosis and compute chromosome numbers and gamete combinations, and explain how nondisjunction changes a karyotype.

    • Mitosis: making identical cells
    • Meiosis: making eggs and sperm
    • When chromosome division goes wrong
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Mendel and the rules of inheritance

    Predict offspring ratios with Punnett squares, test crosses and the product rule for one and two traits.

    • Mendel's pea experiments
    • Punnett squares
    • Two traits at once
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Beyond simple dominance

    Analyze incomplete dominance, codominance, multiple alleles, polygenic traits and environmental effects on phenotype.

    • Incomplete dominance and codominance
    • Multiple alleles and blood types
    • Many genes, and the environment
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Human heredity

    Interpret pedigrees, predict X-linked inheritance and explain why some harmful alleles stay common.

    • Reading pedigrees
    • Sex-linked traits
    • Genetic conditions and testing
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Genetics in populations and in the lab

    Compute allele and genotype frequencies with the Hardy-Weinberg model, explain biotechnology tools, and evaluate ethical questions about genetic data and editing.

    • Genes in populations
    • Biotechnology tools
    • Genomes, medicine and ethics
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 6 · Genes in populations

Worked example: estimating carriers

  1. In a population, 1 in 2,500 people has a recessive condition, so q² = 1/2,500 = 0.0004.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Enrichment · STEM ExplorationsAlso for Academics · High School$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished semester of genetics: you can transcribe and translate a gene, compare mitosis and meiosis, predict offspring with Punnett squares and the product rule, explain codominance, blood types and polygenic traits, read pedigrees and X-linked crosses, compute Hardy-Weinberg frequencies, and weigh the uses and ethics of genetic testing and editing. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 8 to 12 studying genetics on their own, previewing or reviewing a biology unit, or exploring an interest in medicine and biotechnology; homeschool families who want a complete semester unit. The math is fractions, percentages and simple probability.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 12 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the STEM explorations set ($49) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The STEM Explorations space in Caveat Enrichment; also listed for the High School space in Caveat Academics (the same course serves the high school Genetics & Heredity title).
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms: genome.gov/genetics-glossary
  2. MedlinePlus Genetics (U.S. National Library of Medicine), conditions and inheritance patterns: medlineplus.gov/genetics
  3. Learn.Genetics, University of Utah: learn.genetics.utah.edu
  4. Mendel’s 1866 paper, Experiments on Plant Hybridization, in English translation (public domain): mendelweb.org
  5. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act: eeoc.gov

Genetics and Heredity is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. It follows the sequence of a typical one-semester course but does not replace a school course, award credit or substitute for supervised lab work. It teaches general science, not medical advice. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.