Double take
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Question Sheet: Double take

SCIENCE

Before reading:

1. What distinguishes twins from other pairs of brothers and sisters?
2. What do you think scientists hope to learn by studying twins?
3. What makes twins so similar? Having similar genes? Growing up in the same household at the same time — sharing all household experiences at the same age?
4. What do you expect are the advantages of being a twin — and disadvantages?

During reading:

1. What’s the difference between fraternal and identical twins? And what happens differently in the womb to give rise to one type of twins or the other?
2. What is DNA and how many chromosomes do people have. (Hint: How many sets are there?)
3. The University of Minnesota study also tracks “virtual twins.” What are these?
4. Name one major finding from the twins study.
5. How do twin differences change with age?

After reading:

1. What kinds of information can the study of twins offer that might apply to nontwins?
2. In the nature vs. nurture debate, what does twin research tell us about the importance of nurture?
3. When women go to fertility clinics and end up having multiple babies — what kinds of twins or triplets or quadruplets do these tend to be: fraternal or identical?
4. Even identical twins can have different traits — from height and health to personality. What factors can lead to such differences?
5. Some scientists study twins who were separated at birth and raised by different families. What can these investigations tell us about the role of genetics in people generally? And why are twins so useful in identifying those points?

SOCIAL STUDIES

1. How many twins are born each year, and does the number vary by country or ethnic group?
2. Some families have many sets of twins. What information is there to suggest why that might happen?
3. Twins can be far more costly to a family than just having two children a couple years apart. Why is that, and how much more expensive can twins be? (Hint: How useful are hand-me-downs?)

LANGUAGE ARTS

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