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WorksheetsUnit 3 - Learned Behavior vs Inherited (ECOMM)
Total questions: 19
Worksheet time: 2hrs 35mins
Which of the following is a learned skill?
breathing
drinking
writing
spelling
Which of these actions is a learned behavior?
The dog drools when he smells meat
The dog brings a stick back when playing fetch
The dog scratches in response to insect bites
The dog sheds his winter coat in the spring.
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?
Sandpipers are birds that stay in the dry part of the beach until a wave crashes on the shore. When the wave pulls back into the ocean, they race out to dig up small clams with their long thin beaks. The chicks are able to do this after watching their mother and observing the waves. Which statement is an example of this type of behavior in another animal?
The Canadian goose flying south for the winter to stay warm during the colder months
The fruit bat sleeps upside down and in groups for a quick escape from predators
The human child stands while holding onto objects and taking steps to imitate those around him.
A baby sea turtle hatches and digs through the sand nest. When it emerges, the turtle crawls to the ocean to begin its life in the sea
(double check) A student is observing a dog interacting with its owner. The dog does a trick by jumping through a hoop when the owner says “Jump.” Which question would the student ask to determine if the behavior is a learned behavior?
Did the dog learn how to perform the trick as a young puppy?
Did the dog watch his parents to learn how to complete the trick?
Did the dog know how to complete the trick once the dog was born?
Did the dog learn how to perform the trick as an adult dog?
(double check) A 5th grader is observing a spider spinning a web in the backyard. The 5th grader is wondering if the behavior is a learned behavior. Which question would the 5th grader ask to determine if the behavior is an instinct?
Did the spider watch another spider to learn how spin its web?
Did the spider know how to spin its web once it was born?
Did the spider know how to spin its web once it was an adult spider?
Did the spider watch its parent spider to learn how to spin its web?
Where do traits come from?
from genes influenced by the environment
from genes inherited from the female parent
from genes influences by the male parent
from genes inherited from both parents
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 below. How many of these traits are inherited?
one
two
three
none
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.
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
Roberto’s family has much in common with each other. They all have dark brown hair and large brown eyes. The family can speak both English and Spanish. All of them can play an instrument. Their favorite food is pepperoni pizza. Everyone in the family has dimples.
Which of these statements can correctly explain who could be a sibling in Roberto’s family and why?
Ella could be Roberto’s sibling because she can speak Spanish and play an instrument. Dimples are not an inherited trait.
Sophie could not a sibling because she did not inherit the ability to play an instrument.
Jorge could be a sibling because he has brown hair and brown eyes. He has the ability to play an instrument which can be learned later in life.
A student is observing a large tree at the school playground. The student notices a large hole in the tree and wonders how the hole got there. Which question would BEST generate that the hole was an acquired physical trait?
Did the tree grow watching another tree and develop a hole to mimic the trees around it?
Did the mother and father tree of the plant also have this hole?
Is there an animal that might have carved out this hole over time?
Does a plant nearby also have this large hole?
A student is observing his feet after a basketball game. During practice, his shoes stayed on tightly. The student unties the laces and has to rip off the shoes since they are so sweaty and tight. He notices a large sore blister at the bottom of his foot. Which type of trait does this exhibit and which question should he ask?
The blister is an inherited trait. He should go home and ask if his parents also get blisters.
The blister is an inherited trait. He should go home and ask his parents if his shoes are too tight.
The blister is an acquired trait. He should go home and ask his parents if his shoes are too tight.
The blister is an acquired trait. He should go home and ask if his parents also get blisters.
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
snakes having scaly skin
birds drinking from ponds
owls resting in their nests
The picture above shows three cats with differences in patterns and fur length. What is the most likely cause of these differences?
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
the cats come from different environments and the fur changes in response
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.
Two baby robins were hatched at the same time in the same nest. One fell out and was rescued by humans. It lived its life in a cage and ate only the food that was given to it. The baby bird was only able to sing one normal song. The other baby bird stayed with its mother bird until it was able to survive on its own. It was able to sing more variations on the song. Which explanation gives the best reason for the baby birds’ traits?
The birds will not be the same in appearance or behavior due to the difference in the environments. Environment is the only thing that influences an animal’s appearance and behavior.
The birds will be the same in appearance and behavior due to the inherited traits or genes. The birds have the same parents and will have the same genes.
The birds will be different in appearance but not in behavior. A bird will behave the same no matter what its environment or upbringing.
The birds will be the same in appearance due to the same inherited genes but the behavior of the birds will be different. The behavior can be greatly influenced by the environment.
A student was walking in the woods and observed living organisms throughout her walk. Which of the following situations BEST describes an example of an acquired physical trait?
A black bear is hibernating in a cave.
A pine tree has a large scratch in it from bear claws.
A pine tree has the same size needles as the pine trees surrounding it.
A squirrel has a long bushy tail.
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 most likely born with the chipped beak because if a parent penguin has a chipped beak, the offspring will too.
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 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 inherited trait here because it was not likely born with this chipped beak and probably broke it when trying to break up its food.
