Heredity and Traits Lesson

Heredity and Traits Lesson

​What Are Traits?

• ​Traits are characteristics of living things.​

• Physical traits are things you can see such as hair or eye color.

• ​Behavioral traits describe how a living thing acts or behaves.

Inherited Traits

​Inherited traits are traits that are passed down from parents to their offspring, or child. This process is called heredity.

Variation of Traits

​Animals, including humans, don't look exactly like their parents. They get some traits from their mom and some from their dad. This is called a variation of traits.

Variation of Traits in Plants

Variation also happens with plants. Plants have parents like we do. The pollen from a male plant is carried by either the wind or insects to a female plant, which then produces seeds that grow new plants. These plants won't look exactly like their parent plants.

Dominant Traits

Some inherited traits are stronger than others. These traits are more likely to show up in offspring and are called dominant traits.

Recessive Traits

Some inherited traits are weaker than others. These traits are less likely to show up in offspring and are called recessive traits.

Acquired Traits

Acquired traits are traits that are learned. Things you are good at because you have learned how to do them are acquired traits, like being a good reader or being good at basketball.

Multiple Choice

What are traits?

• characteristics of matter

• characteristics of living things

• characteristics of a movie

• characteristics of a school

Multiple Choice

What are inherited traits?

• traits that are learned

• traits that are given to offspring from their grandparents

• traits that are passed down from parents to their offspring

• traits that are gifted from a stranger

Multiple Choice

What are acquired traits?

• traits that are learned

• traits that are given to offspring from their grandparents

• traits that are passed down from parents to their offspring

• traits that are gifted from a stranger

Multiple Choice

What does it mean to have a variation of traits? 

• Animals and plants will not look exactly like their parents

• Animals and plants have a variety of parents that give them their traits

• Animals and plants will look exactly like their parents

• Animals and plants pass down all their traits to their offspring

Multiple Choice

What are dominant traits?

• traits that affect how an animal behaves

• traits that are weaker than others and less likely to show up in offspring

• traits that will always show up in offspring

• traits that are stronger than others and more likely to show up in offspring

Multiple Choice

What are recessive traits?

• traits that affect how an animal looks

• traits that are weaker than others and less likely to show up in offspring

• traits that will always show up in offspring

• traits that are stronger than others and more likely to show up in offspring

Multiple Choice

What is an example of an inherited trait?

• being good at drawing

• having red hair

• being good at reading

• having red shoes