Traits: From Parents and From Life
- Biology
- Ages 8–11 · Grades 3–5
What you’ll find out
- A trait is a feature of a living thing; many traits are inherited from parents.
- Brothers and sisters inherit different mixtures of traits, so they are alike but not identical.
- Some traits are shaped by the environment, and some behaviours are learned.
No sign-up and no real names. In the lesson you check your understanding as you read, and practise until it sticks.
Traits passed down
A trait is a feature of a living thing, such as the colour of its fur, the shape of its leaves or the length of its tail. Many traits are passed down from parents to their young. Two black cats often have black kittens, and kittens get their eye colour and fur pattern from their parents. Plants pass on traits in the same way: seeds from a red flower often grow into red flowers. Traits passed on like this are called inherited traits.
Traits shaped by life
Not every trait comes from parents. Some are shaped by the environment, which means the place and conditions a living thing grows up in. Two plants grown from the same kind of seed can end up very different: the one with plenty of sunlight and water grows tall, while one in a dark, dry corner stays small and pale. Other traits are learned. A dog can learn to sit when asked, and you learned to read and ride a bike. Nobody is born knowing how.
Curriculum links: NGSS 3-LS3-1 · NGSS 3-LS3-2 · England KS2: Evolution and inheritance · Cambridge Primary Stages 4–6: Biology · NCERT Environmental Studies, Classes 3–5