Traits: Inherited vs Acquired

What determines whether a trait is inherited or acquired?

• Whether the organism got the trait from its parents or learned it

• Whether the organism shows the trait all the time or sometimes

• Whether the organism can change the trait

• When the trait begins to show during the organism’s life cycle

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

Which of the following is an inherited trait?

• Having an interest in sports

• Being a good hunter

• Knowing how to send a text using a phone

• Having attached earlobes

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which of the following is an acquired trait?

• The color of a flowering plant’s petals

• Having straight hair

• Swimming ability

• Thick, waxy leaves on rain forest plants

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Traits that an organism gets from its parents, like the color of its fur or the shape of its leaves, are ___ traits.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

Fill in the table with the type of trait. Write inherited or acquired. An elephant herd surrounds the youngest members when facing a predator.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-4

Fill in the table with the type of trait. Write inherited or acquired. A child learns to play the violin.

Fill in the table with the type of trait. Write inherited or acquired. A dog fetches a ball and returns it to its owner.

Tags

NGSS.3-LS3-2

Fill in the table with the type of trait. Write inherited or acquired. A zebra has a unique pattern of stripes in its fur.

This is a live oak tree, which can grow 40 to 80 feet tall.

This is a coconut palm tree, which can grow 60 to 80 feet tall.

Find one trait these two trees pass on to their offspring.

• tree height

• tree fungus

• tree decay

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

These are flowers on a dogwood tree.

Find what is inherited from the parent dogwood tree plant.

• 
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Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-4