The Case of Desiree's Baby

By Patricia Schneider

Abstract

This case is based on Kate Chopin’s short story “Desiree’s Baby,” a tragic tale of race and gender in antebellum Louisiana first published in 1893. Students read the story and then answer a series of questions about the genetics and evolution of skin color. The case was developed for a general biology course organized around the general theme of evolution. It could also be used in anthropology and biology courses for non-majors.

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Date Posted

05/21/2003

Overview

Objectives

Explain polygenetic inheritance.
Describe the inheritance of skin color.
Discuss the “sunscreen” and “vitamin” hypotheses of skin color evolution.
Write a short essay summarizing the key points in a popular science article.

Keywords

Skin color; skin pigmentation; polygenetic inheritance; allele; genotype; Mendelian genetics; Punnett square; evolution; racism; race; racial; Kate Chopin; Desiree's Baby

Subject Headings

Anthropology

Biology (General)

Evolutionary Biology

Genetics / Heredity

Sociology

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

High school, Undergraduate lower division

FORMAT

PDF

TOPICAL AREAS

Social issues, Social justice issues

LANGUAGE

English

TYPE/METHODS

Interrupted

Teaching Notes & Answer Key

Teaching Notes

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Answer Key

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Materials & Media

Supplemental Materials

Videos

The Biology of Skin Color
In this short video, Penn State University anthropologist Dr. Nina Jablonski walks us through the evidence that the different shades of skin color among human populations arose as adaptations to the intensity of ultraviolet radiation in different parts of the world. Running time: 18:58 min. Produced by: HHMI BioInteractive.