The story that is written in our DNA and the Human Genographic project

The Grade 4 students recently read a book called The Code which describes how genes code for a living thing's characteristics and those genes come from its parents.

We have been discussing the differences between the characteristics that we inherit in our genes and the characteristics that we acquire during the course of our life time.  This is such an exciting time to be learning about genetics and the human genome because there is new research being reported every week from some area of this field.
The amount of information that we have about the human genome and the history of the human species has exploded in the last few years.  Thanks to the information provided by analysis of the variations in our DNA we have a new window into our deep history and how humans moved across the planet from our African origins.  There is a National Geographic sponsored project called the Genographic project that is collecting small samples of DNA from people who take a cheek swab and send in their sample for genetic analysis.  The data that is generated is helping with basic research and the funds that people pay to find out more information about their ancestral migration patterns is used to conserve and revitalize indigenous cultures around the world.  They already have DNA samples from more than 500,000 people and it is increasing all the time.

Here is the link for more information on the  National Geographic Genographic Project

Here is an news story from a few years ago that describes the project

Recently, US journalist Paul Salopek started out on what will become a 21,000 mile journey that will pass along some of the major migration routes taken by human beings over the course of the last 50,00-70,000 years as they migrated from Africa across the adjacent continents and then across the whole Earth.

What do you Pack for a Seven Year Walk?  - Paul Salopek in Ethiopia in early January as he is about to embark on the walk that will take him all the way to the tip of South America.

Why do this?  "The short version is I'm interested in narrative, I'm interested in storytelling,"

Here is the route he plans to take ending in South America seven years from now

Here are the links to these stories:
BBC Story on Paul Salopek

NPR interview with Paul Salopek

And here is a link to Paul Salopek's blog so you can follow his journey - it is going to be a good story.