Traits Review

Which of the following is a learned skill?

• drinking

• writing

• sleeping

• breathing

Which of these actions is a learned behavior?

• The dog drools when he smells meat.

• The dog sheds his winter coat in the spring.

• The dog brings a stick back when playing fetch.

• The dog scratches in response to insect bites.

Ava is watching a spider on a tree branch. The spider begins to spin a web between the branches. An insect gets caught in the web and the spider wraps it up in silk. Ava needs to determine if this action is instinct or a learned behavior. Which question would help Ava make this decision?

• Does the spider do the action immediately without thought?

• What color is the spider that is observed?

• What kind of food is the insect?

• How big is the web?

Where do traits come from?

• from genes influences by the male parent.

• from genes influenced by the environment.

• from genes inherited from both parents.

• from genes inherited from the female parent.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

A student is observing a number of traits of different organisms. They need to make a table to classify if the trait is an inherited trait or an acquired trait. The student’s table is seen above. How many of these traits are inherited?

• one

• two

• three

• none

Amir and Elizabeth are having a baby. Elizabeth is a tall woman with brown eyes, red hair, freckles, and a love of Italian food. Amir is of average height with dark brown hair. He plays the guitar and loves classical music. Which of these traits are inherited?

• brown eyes

• love of Italian food

• freckles

• A and C

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

Many organisms have inherited traits to help them survive in their environments. Which is an example of inherited characteristics that will help an organism survive in its environment?

• cows rubbing against fence posts

• owls resting in their nests

• birds drinking from ponds

• snakes having scaly skin

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

The picture above shows three cats with differences in patterns and fur length. What is the most likely cause of these differences?

• the cats come from different environments and the fur changes in response

• the differences in the type of food caused the fur to grow in unique patterns

• the cats inherited the physical traits of their different parents

• the’ fur was damaged by disease when they were kittens

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

The duck lives near ponds and lakes. The shape of a duck’s foot helps it to walk on muddy ground and swim in the water. All ducks have similar feet. Which of the following statements explains this?

• The environment of the animal is the only factor that determines the appearance of the foot and how it moves.

• The animal grows and changes in response to its habitat. The duck’s foot is shaped by the way the duck walks and swims.

• The genes that are inherited from the parents and grandparents of the duck determine the appearance and shape of the duck’s foot.

• The history of the climate and rainfall affects the number of ducks that have the same feet.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Lady, a sheep dog, has a job of herding sheep. She has thick fur to keep her warm on windy days. Lady has a blaze of white around her neck. She responds to whistles in order to know where to move the sheep. She has a great sense of smell to track lost sheep. If Lady has puppies, which statement would be true about her offspring?

• The puppies will have thick fur when they are grown.

• The puppies will easily respond to a whistle.

• The puppies will not have a long tail.

• The puppies will herd sheep easily without training.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-4