Influencing Child Influencing Child Development:Development:

Heredity & EnvironmentHeredity & Environment

Influencing Child Influencing Child Development:Development:

Heredity & EnvironmentHeredity & Environment

Child Studies 11Child Studies 11

Outcomes

• GLO #2: Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Human Development

• 2.1B: It is expected that students will describe how personal characteristics are inherited

• 3.1A: It is expected that students will identify the characteristics and areas of human growth and development.

Birth OrderWho is an oldest child? Youngest ?

Middle child ?

Activity• We will have 3 different groups,

based on the colour of the candy that you have..one group is the middle child, one is the oldest, and one is the youngest. List all of the stereotypes associated with your birth order on the chart paper. You will share your list with the rest of the class.

Birth Order• Birth order can affect the general

health and well-being of offspring.

• Laterborns, for example, are less likely than firstborns to be vaccinated (Why?), and in developing countries laterborns tend to be shorter and to suffer higher rates of childhood mortality than do their older siblings.

Birth Order…• Birth order also may influence

intelligence and personality, doing so through differences in parental investment, as well as through sibling interactions

Birth Order..• Research shows that firstborns

tend to have higher IQS than laterborns, although this difference is small (IQ is reduced about one point with each successive birth rank in the family).

Birth order..• Firstborns tend to have higher IQs than

laterborns because firstborns spend more time alone with their parents, and more time in smaller sibling groups.

• Children of different birth orders vary in age, size, and family roles. In addition, siblings compete with one another for parental investment (including love, attention, and scarce resources), and parents sometimes favor one child over another even when they try not to do so.

Heredity:It’s in the genes!

• Modified from http://www.msbroome.com/2007-2008/Power%20Points/Heredity%20BW.pdf

What is heredity?

• Heredity is the passing of traits from parent to offspring.

• You inherit traits from your parents

What are traits?

• Eye Color• Hair Color• Height• Weight• Body Structure• Facial Features• Skin Color

• http://www.dance-classes.ca/photos/faces/faces_2004W_comp1.jpg

What traits did you inheritfrom your parents?

Activity: Genetic Scavenger Hunt! 10 minutesBe ready to share with the class.

Environment

• The other factor that influences child development is the environment.

• Environment can also be thought of in two ways: “nature” and “nurture”.

• Includes experiences children have in:• their home• School• Community• Some people refer to this as "nurture."

Environment (cont.)

• The environment can either improve or harm a child's genetic blueprint.

• Ex: malnourished children who live in developing countries may not reach their IQ potential because of the impact of their environment ( not enough nutrition) on their brain development.

• Some people refer to this as "nature."

The Great Debate:

• Psychologists have been debating this idea for years:

• “Nature vs. Nurture”

Domains of Development

• Development is described in three domains.

Domains of Development• Physical Domain:

– body size– body proportions– Appearance– brain development– motor development, perception

capacities, physical health.

Domains of Development

• Cognitive/Intelligence Domain:– thought processes and intellectual abilities

including:– Attention– Memory– problem solving– Imagination– Creativity– academic and everyday knowledge– Metacognition– language.

Domains of Development

• Social/Emotional Domain:– self-knowledge (self-esteem,

metacognition, sexual identity, ethnic identity)

– moral reasoning– understanding and expression of emotions – self-regulation– Temperament– understanding others– interpersonal skills– friendships

Exit Slip• Fill out the exit slip as you watch

the video.. This will prepare us our field trip on Monday!

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlnHVxJKEiM