Inherited and Learned Traits

A student notices behaviors in dogs and wonders which behavior the child will need to teach the dog. Which of the following testable questions will the student need to investigate to know that it is a learned behavior?

• Will my puppy drool whenever I put food in front of it?

• Will my puppy scratch itself if a bug bites it?

• Will my puppy shed its fur in the summertime when the weather changes?

• Will my puppy know how to catch a ball and return it on command?

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. Her favorite treat to eat after a long day is peanut butter. She has a great sense of smell to track lost sheep. If Lady has a litter of puppies, which question would help the owners understand which inherited physical trait the puppies will have?

• Will the puppies be able to herd sheep easily without training?

• Will the puppies develop thick fur when they are grown?

• Will the puppies easily respond to a whistle?

• Will the puppies prefer peanut butter as their favorite snack?

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

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?

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-4

Roberto’s family has much in common with each other.

Traits of a Roberto’s Family

-Dimples on their cheeks when they smile

-They speak both English and Spanish

-They can all play an instrument

-Their favorite food is pizza

Which question would help them determine which trait the family shares is an inherited physical trait?

• When did the family first eat pizza?

• What instrument does the family play?

• Were all family members born with dimples?

• Which language did the family speak first?

A fifth grade student observed the following characteristics of a butterfly found outside.

Characteristics of a butterfly

- Bright vibrant orange color

- Flies high in the sky

- One wing has a tear in it

- Likes to eat nectar

Which explanation BEST explains the traits of the butterfly the student observed?

• The bright vibrant orange coloring is an acquired physical trait, and the preference to eat nectar is an inherited physical trait.

• The bright vibrant orange coloring is an inherited physical trait, and the wing with a tear in it is an acquired physical trait.

• The bright vibrant orange coloring is an inherited physical trait, and the preference to eat nectar is an acquired physical trait.

• The bright vibrant orange coloring is an acquired physical trait, and the ability to fly high is an inherited physical trait.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

The picture shows three cats with differences in patterns and fur length. All three cats had different parents.

What is the BEST explanation for the differences in this trait?

• The parents of the cats passed down their traits of patterns and fur length. This is an inherited physical trait.

• The differences in the type of food caused the fur to grow in unique patterns. This is an acquired physical trait.

• The cats come from different environments and the fur changes in response. This is an inherited physical trait.

• The fur was damaged by disease when they were kittens. This is an acquired physical trait.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

A student is observing a horse interacting with its owner. The horse does a trick by jumping over a fence when the owner says “Jump.” Which question would the student ask to determine if the behavior is a learned behavior?

• How much does the horse weigh?

• Does the horse know how to run and jump?

• What was the height of the fence the horse was jumping over?

• Was the owner showing the horse how to respond to his commands?

Two baby robins were hatched at the same time in the same nest. One fell out and broke its wing. It was rescued by humans and lived its life in a cage without ever being able to fly again. The other baby bird stayed with its mother bird until it was able to survive on its own. Which explanation gives the best reason for the baby birds’ traits?

• The baby bird that fell out of the tree has a broken wing, which exhibits an inherited physical trait that is developed throughout a lifetime.

• The baby bird that fell out of the tree has a broken wing, which exhibits an acquired physical trait that is developed throughout a lifetime.

• Both baby birds exhibit an inherited physical trait of having broken wings just like the mother bird had.

• Both baby birds exhibit an acquired physical trait of developing the same physical appearance that the mother bird also has.

A 5th grader is observing a sea turtle hatching on the beach and heading straight towards the ocean. The 5th grader is wondering if the behavior is a learned behavior. Which question would the 5th grader ask to determine that the behavior is an instinct?

• Did the sea turtle watch another turtle to learn where to go once it was born?

• Did the sea turtle automatically know where to go once it was born?

• What time of the day did the sea turtle hatch?

• Did the sea turtle need its mother to show the turtle the way?

A student went to the Georgia Aquarium for a field trip to observe animal behavior and traits. She noticed that a penguin had a chipped beak. She turned to her friend to ask what happened to the penguin. Which explanation would BEST explain the chipped beak?

• The penguin shows an inherited trait here because it was not likely born with this chipped beak and probably broke it when trying to break up its food.

• The penguin shows an acquired physical trait here because it was not likely born with this chipped beak and probably broke it when trying to break up its food.

• The penguin shows an acquired physical trait here because it was most likely born with the chipped beak because if a parent penguin has a chipped beak, the offspring will too.

• The penguin shows an inherited trait here because it was most likely born with the chipped beak because if a parent penguin has a chipped beak, the offspring will too.