Traits/Heredity

Students should be able to...

• Know life processes and species characteristics that define a population are transmitted from parent to offspring.
• These processes and characteristics cover structures, functions, and behaviors.
• These processes and characteristics can vary substantially from individual to individual.
• Know that some likeness from parents to offspring are inherited, others are learned.
• For an offspring to resemble their parent, there must be a way to transfer genetic information.
• List characteristics that animals and plants acquire from their parents and what things they don’t. List characteristics they are unsure about either way.
• Build the notion of a population whose members are alike in many ways, but show some variation.

Resources

• Heredity - Study Jams
• What is a trait? - Video
• Traits - Flexbook

Vocabulary

inherit: to receive traits from a parent or parents

• For example: getting brown hair from your mother, or green eyes from dad

trait: a characteristic or property of an organism

• For example: brown eyes, freckles, etc.

offspring: the product of a male and female parent.

• For example: a puppy or a baby

acquired trait: a characteristic that a living thing gets during its lifetime.

• For example: a scar

learned behavior: a skill that an animal develops after it is born

• For example: a baby bird learning to fly