View largerInherited traits poster for 3rd grade
Telling inherited traits from learned behaviors and traits changed by the environment
1 page103 KB
Inherited Traits Worksheets
Sort inherited traits from learned behaviors, read trait data from a dog family, and see how the environment can change traits.
Download the inherited traits worksheets
Inherited or learned?
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View all 2 pagesInherited or Learned? traits sort worksheet
Sorting examples into inherited traits and learned behaviors
Answer key on page 2
2 pages50 KB
View all 2 pagesInherited traits or learned behaviors cut and paste
Sorting examples into inherited traits and learned behaviors
Answer key on page 2
2 pages62 KB
View largerInherited traits and learned behaviors writing page
Describing inherited traits and learned behaviors with examples
1 page26 KB
Traits, variation and data
View all 2 pagesInherited traits Data: A dog family
Analyzing data to show that young inherit traits from parents and that siblings vary
Answer key on page 2
2 pages53 KB
View all 2 pagesInherited traits reading passage for 3rd grade
Reading an informational passage about inherited traits and variation
Answer key on page 2
2 pages178 KB
Traits and the environment
View all 2 pagesTraits and the environment worksheet for 3rd grade
Explaining that some traits are inherited and some are changed by the environment
Answer key on page 2
2 pages430 KB
View all 2 pagesTraits and Environment: plant growth data
Using plant growth data as evidence that the environment can influence traits
Answer key on page 2
2 pages49 KB
Words and review
View all 2 pagesInherited traits vocabulary fill in the blank
Using the vocabulary of inherited traits, variation and the environment
Answer key on page 2
2 pages37 KB
View all 2 pagesInherited traits quiz for 3rd grade
Reviewing inherited traits, learned behaviors, variation and the environment
Answer key on page 2
2 pages39 KB
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About these inherited traits worksheets
Why does a puppy have spots like its mother but floppy ears like its father? Third graders learn that living things inherit traits from their parents, that brothers and sisters vary, and that some traits can be changed by the world around them.
These inherited traits worksheets begin with a poster and an inherited-or-learned sort, then use data: a dog family’s traits, two bean plants grown in sun and shade, and a set of real-world examples of traits shaped by food, light and wind. A short passage about a litter of kittens teaches the word variation.
Every page is black and white, prints on US Letter or A4, and every page with right answers has an answer key on page 2.
Standards
NGSS 3-LS3-1Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms.NGSS 3-LS3-2Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.4Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
How to use them
- Show family photos of pets or garden plants and ask what the young have in common with the parents.
- Use the sort or its cut and paste twin, then talk through any tricky cards together.
- Read the dog family table as a class: point to each puppy’s trait and find which parent has it.
- Grow two bean plants, one in a window and one in a dim corner, and compare them with the sun and shade data page.
- Finish with the My Traits writing page and the quiz.
Teaching tips
- Inherited traits come from parents (fur color, leaf shape). Learned behaviors are taught or practiced (riding a bike).
- Many traits are shaped by both: height is inherited, but food and health matter too.
- Avoid tongue rolling and attached earlobes as examples. They are not simple one-gene traits, though many old worksheets say so.
- Variation means differences among living things of the same kind, like kittens in one litter.
- Be sensitive with human examples: some children are adopted or do not know a parent. Pets and plants work well.
Questions teachers and parents ask
What are inherited traits?
Inherited traits are features passed from parents to their young, such as eye color, fur pattern or the shape of a plant’s leaves.
What is the difference between an inherited trait and a learned behavior?
An inherited trait comes from parents and is present without being taught. A learned behavior is something a living thing learns by practice or by being taught, like reading or a dog sitting on command.
Can the environment change a trait?
Yes. A plant grown in dim light can be pale and thin, a flamingo’s pink color comes from its food, and an animal that gets too little food may grow smaller.