Genes Activity: 8 Hands-On Stations for Teaching Genes, Chromosomes, DNA, and Inherited Traits (TEKS 8.13B)

Chris Kesler · 8 min read

Ask 8th graders to put genes, chromosomes, DNA, and the nucleus in order from smallest to largest and watch the room split. Some kids start with chromosomes because they sound big. Some put DNA last because they assume "DNA" is the whole package. A few quietly mix all four together and shrug. The relationship between these four structures is exactly what TEKS 8.13B asks them to nail down.

Here's the order, smallest to largest: gene, DNA, chromosome, nucleus, cell. A gene is a segment of DNA. DNA is wound up into chromosomes. Chromosomes live in the nucleus. The nucleus lives in the cell. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes (46 total) and roughly 20,000 to 25,000 genes. Get those numbers right and the rest of genetics makes sense.

The Genes Station Lab for TEKS 8.13B walks kids through this in one to two class periods. They build pony-bead-and-pipe-cleaner models of genes, DNA, and chromosomes with their hands, sequence the structures from smallest to largest using clue cards, and label a hierarchy diagram from cell down to gene. By the end, they can tell you exactly how a gene fits inside a chromosome and how that chromosome passes a trait to the next generation.

⏱ 1–2 class periods 📓 8th Grade Science 🧪 TEKS 8.13B 🎯 Built-in differentiation 💻 Print or Digital

8 hands-on stations for teaching genes and inherited traits

A station lab is a student-led activity where small groups rotate through 8 stations (plus a 9th challenge station for early finishers) at their own pace during one to two class periods. You become a facilitator instead of a lecturer. You walk around, spot-check, and break misconceptions while kids work through the rotation.

The Genes Station Lab has four input stations (where students take in new info on genes, chromosomes, DNA, and inherited traits) and four output stations (where they show what they learned). Here's what's at each one.

📷 Image slot 1 — add screenshot

📷 Image slot 2 — add screenshot

4 input stations: how students learn genes

🎬 Watch It! —

A short YouTube video introduces inherited traits using a dog named Spike. Students answer three questions: what are inherited traits and what traits did Spike inherit from his parents, what is something other than DNA that can influence an organism's appearance (the environment), and how many chromosomes do humans have and where do they come from. The third question lays the groundwork for 23 pairs and the inheritance-from-each-parent idea.

📖 Read It! —

A one-page passage called "Inside the Cell: The Blueprint of Life" walks students through the blueprint analogy. Cells contain a nucleus, the nucleus holds chromosomes, chromosomes are made of DNA, and DNA contains genes that code for specific traits like cat fur color and coat length. Three multiple-choice questions follow plus five vocabulary terms (nucleus, chromosome, DNA, gene, inherited trait). Comes in two reading levels (Dependent and Modified) plus a Spanish version.

🔬 Explore It! —

This is the heart of the lab. Students build a physical model with pony beads and pipe cleaners. Step 1: place one bead on a pipe cleaner — that's a gene (a segment of DNA coding for one trait). Step 2: add nine more beads, then twist a second 10-bead pipe cleaner around the first — that's DNA. Step 3: coil the twisted DNA into a tight, X-shape — that's a chromosome. Then they answer seven questions: how many chromosomes do humans have (46) and dogs (78), how DNA differs from chromosomes, the relationship between genes and DNA, and the smallest-to-largest order of cell, chromosome, nucleus, gene, DNA. The hands-on model makes the size relationships click.

💻 Research It! —

Students examine 5 unlabeled "Structure" cards (A through E) showing a chromosome (A), a nucleus inside a cell (B), a DNA double helix (C), a gene segment within DNA (D), and a full eukaryotic cell (E). A clue card gives size relationships: "Structure A is larger than Structure C but smaller than Structure E," and so on. Three questions ask them to order all five structures from smallest to largest, explain the relationship between chromosomes and DNA, and explain how genes relate to DNA. This is the deductive-reasoning station.

📷 Featured station deep-dive — add screenshot of the Explore It! task card

4 output stations: how students show what they learned

📋 Organize It! —

A label-and-match sort. Kids place the five vocabulary terms (cell, nucleus, chromosome, DNA, gene) on the right spots of a hierarchy diagram showing each structure nested inside the next. Then they match each term with its definition card ("a segment of DNA codes for one specific trait" → gene, "thread-like structures found in the nucleus that contain all DNA" → chromosome). The visual hierarchy makes wrong answers obvious. Easy to spot-check at a glance.

🎨 Illustrate It! —

Students invent a mnemonic device to remember the order: Genes are inside DNA, which is inside Chromosomes, which are inside the Nucleus of a Cell. The example given is "My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos" (the planets). Kids write their own and sketch it. The first letter of each word matches G-D-C-N-C. The mnemonic is what kids will actually remember on test day.

✍️ Write It! —

Three open-ended questions: explain the relationship between genes, chromosomes, and DNA; do all organisms in the same species have the same variation of genes (and why or why not); and define an inherited trait in your own words. The second question is the genetic-diversity question that connects this lab to TEKS 8.12C. This is the writing practice middle schoolers need and rarely get in science class.

📝 Assess It! —

Eight multiple-choice and fill-in-the-paragraph questions tied to TEKS 8.13B vocabulary (nucleus, chromosome, DNA, gene, inherited trait). Includes the smallest-to-largest order question, where DNA is stored in a eukaryotic cell, and which statement best describes genes. The fill-in paragraph weaves all five vocabulary words into one passage about how chromosomes determine inherited traits. If you're grading the lab, this is the easiest station to grade.

Bonus Challenge It! station for early finishers

🏆 Challenge It! —

Four optional extensions: build a labeled 2D model of how genetic material is organized in a cell, write a research report comparing chromosome counts across species (humans vs. their favorite animal), design three vinyl sticker designs about heredity, or create an acrostic poem using the word HEREDITY. Requires teacher approval before they start.

How this fits into a complete genes unit

This Station Lab is the Explore day of our full Genes Complete 5E Lesson for TEKS 8.13B. The complete two-week unit follows the 5E method of instruction and includes an Engage hook, the Genes Station Lab for Explore, PowerPoint slides and interactive notebook pages for Explain, student choice projects to Elaborate, and an Evaluate assessment.

Most teachers grab the full 5E because the Station Lab lands hardest with the days around it. But if you just need a strong hands-on day on genes, chromosomes, and inherited traits, the Station Lab on its own does the job.

Two options

Full 5E Lesson $13.20 Get the 5E Lesson

Just the Station Lab $7.20 Get the Station Lab

Materials needed to teach genes and inherited traits

Materials beyond what's in the download:

Pony beads — about 20 per group rotation for the Explore It! gene-DNA-chromosome model. Any color works.
Pipe cleaners (chenille stems) — 2 per group rotation. Standard 12-inch craft pipe cleaners are perfect.
Colored pencils or markers for the Illustrate It! station — kids draw their own mnemonic devices, so a few colors really help.
Scissors and a small basket or envelope for the Organize It! sort cards (cut and laminate before the first rotation, then reuse).
Pencils and the printed answer sheets (included)
A device with internet for the Watch It! station

Standard covered: Texas TEKS 8.13B —

Describe the function of genes within chromosomes in determining inherited traits of offspring. Supporting Standard.

See the full standard breakdown →

Grade level: 8th grade life science

Time: One to two class periods (45–110 minutes total). Plan for two periods the first time you run a station lab.

Common student misconceptions this lab fixes

"DNA is the same thing as a gene."
Different sizes, different roles. DNA is the long molecule made of base pairs. A gene is a small segment of that DNA that codes for one specific trait (like fur color). One DNA molecule contains thousands of genes. Humans have roughly 20,000 to 25,000 genes spread across all of their DNA. The Explore It! pony bead model makes this concrete: one bead = one gene; the full string of beads = DNA. The Research It! Structure D and Structure C cards visually show a gene as a bracketed section of a longer DNA strand. If a kid uses "DNA" and "gene" interchangeably on Write It!, they're stuck on this misconception.
"Brown eyes are dominant over blue, so blue eyes will eventually disappear."
Real human eye color is controlled by multiple genes (it's polygenic), not one simple Mendelian trait. The classic brown-vs-blue Punnett square is an oversimplification. "Dominant" doesn't mean "more common over time" or "stronger" — it just means which version of one specific gene shows up when both versions are present. Blue eyes aren't going anywhere. The Write It! variation question ("do all organisms in the same species have the same variation of genes?") opens the door to this conversation. The Watch It! Spike video also calls out environmental factors as a piece of appearance.
"Dominant means stronger or better."
Dominant just means the version of a gene that's expressed when paired with a recessive version. It says nothing about quality, strength, fitness, or value. Recessive traits aren't weaker — they're just hidden when paired with a dominant version. The lab doesn't introduce dominant/recessive as terms (that's TEKS 8.13D and the Punnett square work), but if your students are already using the words, watch for value-judgment language on Write It!. "Dominant traits are the good ones" is a red flag.
"Every cell in the body has different genes for different jobs."
Every cell in your body has the SAME 46 chromosomes and the same complete set of genes. The difference is which genes get "turned on" in which cell type. A skin cell turns on the skin-protein genes; a liver cell turns on the liver-protein genes. The Read It! passage and the Explore It! model both reinforce that genes are stored in chromosomes inside the nucleus of every cell. The Assess It! "where is DNA stored" question hits this directly. If a kid thinks brain cells have different DNA from kidney cells, they need a quick reset.

What you get with this genes activity

📷 Inside-the-product — add screenshot of Read It passage or sample answer sheet

When you buy the Station Lab, you get a single download with everything you need:

Print version at two reading levels (Dependent for on-grade, Modified for additional support) plus a Spanish Read It! passage
Digital version as PowerPoint files (works in Google Slides too) at both levels — for 1:1 classrooms or Google Classroom
Teacher Directions and Answer Key for both versions, all keys included
Station task cards ready to print, laminate, and drop in baskets at each station
Reference cards for the Research It! station (5 unlabeled structure cards plus a clue card with size relationships)
Sort cards for the Organize It! station (5 vocabulary terms with definitions and a hierarchy diagram)
Diagram visual for the Explore It! station showing how cell, nucleus, chromosome, DNA, and gene nest together
Student answer sheets for each level

No login required. Download once, use forever. Reprint as many times as you want.

Tips for teaching genes in your 8th grade classroom

Two things make this lab go smoother the first time:

1. Pre-bag the pony beads and pipe cleaners.

The Explore It! station works fastest if every group has a small zippered bag with 20 pony beads and 2 pipe cleaners ready to go. Spilled beads roll. Kids wander to find pipe cleaners. Pre-bagging turns a 5-minute setup into a 30-second handoff between groups. After the lab, dump the beads back in the bag and you're ready for next period.

2. Stand near Research It! and check the order question.

The Research It! card sort (smallest to largest: gene, DNA, chromosome, nucleus, cell) is the easiest place to spot a kid who memorized the words but doesn't get the size relationships. Stand near that station during the first rotation, glance at the order, and call out anyone who put chromosomes before DNA or DNA before genes. Five seconds of correction here saves you a wrong answer on Assess It! and the same wrong answer on the unit test.

Get this genes activity

Genes Station Lab for 8th grade life science — TEKS 8.13B

Buy the Station Lab — $7.20

Or if you want the full two-week experience with the Engage hook, Explain day, Elaborate extension, and Evaluate assessment all included:

Buy the full 5E Complete Lesson — $13.20

(Station Lab is included)

Frequently asked questions

What does TEKS 8.13B cover?

Texas TEKS 8.13B asks 8th grade students to describe the function of genes within chromosomes in determining inherited traits of offspring. Students should be able to define gene, DNA, chromosome, nucleus, and inherited trait, and explain how these structures nest inside one another (gene is part of DNA, DNA winds into chromosomes, chromosomes live in the nucleus). It's a Supporting Standard for the 8th grade STAAR.

What's the difference between a gene, DNA, and a chromosome?

A gene is a small segment of DNA that codes for one specific trait (like fur color). DNA is the long double-helix molecule made of base pairs that contains many genes. A chromosome is DNA wound up tightly into a thread-like structure inside the nucleus. So smallest to largest: gene → DNA → chromosome. Humans have 46 chromosomes (23 pairs) and roughly 20,000 to 25,000 genes total.

How long does this genes activity take?

One to two class periods (45 to 110 minutes total). The Explore It! pony bead model station is the slowest, so plan for two periods the first time you run a station lab. Once your class has the routine down, most groups can finish all 8 stations in one period.

Do I need to provide my own materials?

Just pony beads, pipe cleaners, colored pencils, and scissors. Total cost for a class of 30: under $10 if you don't already have these supplies. Pony beads and pipe cleaners are about $5 each at a craft store and last for years. The Watch It! station also needs a device with internet.

Can I use this in a 1:1 digital classroom?

Yes. The full digital version (PowerPoint or Google Slides) works in 1:1 classrooms and Google Classroom. Students drag and drop the labels and structure cards on screen instead of physically. The pony bead model in Explore It! works best with real materials, but the digital version includes diagram-based questions that get at the same concept.