Lesson Plan

Resources → Subject Notes → Biology → Notes
Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 25/02/2026
Subject: Biology
Lesson Topic: outline the following examples of selective breeding: the introduction of disease resistance to varieties of wheat and rice, inbreeding and hybridisation to produce vigorous, uniform varieties of maize, improving the milk yield of dairy cattle
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe how disease resistance is introduced into wheat and rice through selective breeding.
  • Explain the role of inbreeding and hybridisation in producing uniform, high‑yielding maize varieties.
  • Evaluate the methods used to improve milk yield in dairy cattle, including phenotypic and genomic selection.
  • Compare the outcomes of different artificial selection strategies for crops and livestock.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen
  • PowerPoint slides with breeding diagrams
  • Handouts summarising wheat, rice, maize, and cattle case studies
  • Sample DNA‑marker data sheets
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Exit‑ticket cards
 Introduction:
Imagine a world where wheat never gets rust and dairy cows produce three times more milk – that world is created by selective breeding. Review what students already know about plant and animal breeding, then state that today they will uncover the specific techniques behind disease‑resistant crops, hybrid maize, and high‑yield dairy cattle. Success will be measured by their ability to explain each method and compare its outcomes.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5') – Students list crops or animals they know have been improved by humans and share one example.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10') – Overview of artificial selection and the three case studies using slides and the suggested diagrams.
  3. Case‑study stations (15') – Small groups rotate through three stations (wheat/rice disease resistance, maize inbreeding & hybridisation, dairy cattle selection) analysing handouts and answering guiding questions.
  4. Whole‑class synthesis (10') – Groups present key findings; teacher highlights common principles and differences.
  5. Formative check (5') – Quick Kahoot/exit‑ticket quiz on terminology and expected outcomes.
Conclusion:
We recap how breeders use gene introgression, hybrid vigour, and genomic tools to achieve specific goals in crops and livestock. Students complete an exit ticket summarising one advantage of each breeding strategy. For homework, they research a modern variety that resulted from one of these techniques and prepare a short paragraph for the next lesson.