Inherited Traits
For 5 th Grade
Introduction
In this lesson, you will learn the difference between inherited traits and learned behavior .
Do you know what an inherited trait is?
Do you know what a learned behavior is?
Go to the Menu, find the definitions, and see if you are right! Then look at the examples of each concept. Finally, complete the quiz!
Inherited traits are characteristics that an offspring receives from their parents at birth.
These traits result from an individual’s DNA.
Some examples include a child’s hair or eye color.
Not all traits are physical traits like hair and eye color.
Some traits are behaviors - the way an animal acts.
For example:
You swallow food.
You blink your eyes.
You did not learn these traits, you already knew how to do them when you were born!
~They were inherited!
Learned behaviors are the result of life experiences.
These behaviors are learned by an individual by observing others or being taught.
Learned behaviors are not inherited.
This means that, although offspring may have learned a skill or behavior from their parents, it was not something the child knew from birth. It was learned later in their life.
The ability to roll your tongue was inherited from your parents. Can you?
Do you have a hitchhiker’s thumb
?
Whether you do or not, it was inherited from your parents!
The color of your eyes was inherited from your parents.
Fish are born with gills to breathe underwater.
A cactus grows with thorns to prevent wild animals from drinking its water.
Monkeys inherit their strong tails from their parents. Also, they inherit the ability to hang from their tails!
These two dogs are very different in size . Each dog inherited its size and features (such as spotted or solid brown fur and floppy or pointy ears) from its own parents.
This dog’s owner taught him to catch a Frisbee.
This kid learned how to ride a bike. His parents probably taught him.
A circus master taught these elephants to do a trick.
People learn how to type to increase their efficiency in writing papers or novels.
Wolves learn to hunt in packs to increase their chances of catching prey.
Sunflowers learn to face the sun to maximize their growth.
Anyone can learn how to play a saxophone. Do you play any musical instruments?
Which is NOT an inherited trait of a human?
Which of the following is an inherited trait of a dog?
A. The dog rolling over for a treat
C. The dog coming when you call its name
Which of the following is a learned behavior in a human?
A. Playing the guitar in a band
B. Blinking your eyes all day long
C. Breathing softly while sleeping
D. Having blond hair when born
Which behavior of a bat is most likely a learned behavior?
D. Using sound to find objects
Is the activity in the picture an inherited trait or a learned behavior?
A cat has very sensitive whiskers to help it feel around in the dark. Is this an example of an inherited trait or a learned behavior?
Awesome!
You finished the quiz!
Back to
Menu
Credits
• http://mspan.weebly.com/mspans-science-blog.html
• http://supaslim.tumblr.com/post/11410131799/hitchhikers-thumb-a-common-autosomal-recessive
• http://www.woofys.ca/can-your-dog-catch-a-frisbee/
• http://www.hdwallpapers.in/blue_eyes_cute_baby-wallpapers.html
• http://www.freeinfosociety.com/article.php?id=447
• http://nettleslawblog.com/blog-old/?currentPage=13
• http://www.how-to-draw-cartoons-online.com/dna-sequencing.html
• http://eloquentanimals.wordpress.com/category/circus-animals/
• http://egotvonline.com/2011/06/13/a-gallery-of-animals-riding-bikes/
• http://onlyhdwallpapers.com/high-definition-wallpaper/cactus-desktop-hd-wallpaper-381716/
• http://anorthyorkshirejournal.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html
• http://eyetrackingupdate.com/2009/11/03/pupil-tracking-being-used-to-discover-why-people-blink/
• http://openclipart.org/detail/10535/question-by-yves_guillou-10535
• http://senior-media.com/new-study-hints-at-doggie-pessimism/
• http://www.wallpapersfreedownload.org/animal-wallpapers/2012/10/605.html
• http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-touchtyping.htmhttp://howlingforjustice.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/for-immediate-release-howling-forwolves-in-helena/wolf-pack-19/
• http://www.royalcanin.us/puppies-and-dogs/dogs/size-based-nutrition
• http://www.123rf.com/photo_5382908_juvenile-male-spider-monkey-hanging-from-tree-by-tail-costarica-1.html
•
http://myqacorner.blogspot.com/2012/02/sunflowers-rotate-to-keep-flower-facing.html
• http://www.ci.yuma.az.us/events_28233.htm
• http://www.f1online.pro/en/image-details/5527400.html
• http://www.rachelkasa.com/?p=136
• Clip Art: Animation Factory from Microsoft PowerPoint
Credits/TEKS
TEKS:
(10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms undergo similar life processes and have structures that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to:
(A) compare the structures and functions of different species that help them live and survive such as hooves on prairie animals or webbed feet in aquatic animals;
(B) differentiate between inherited traits of plants and animals such as spines on a cactus or shape of a beak and learned behaviors such as an animal learning tricks or a child riding a bicycle; and
(C) describe the differences between complete and incomplete metamorphosis of insects.
Credits and Reference Links
Information Researched:
“Inherited Traits and Learned Behaviors”: http://burch.excellence-
\sa.org/ourpages/auto/2011/1/27/66972712/inherite%20traits.pdf
“Learned Versus Unlearned”: http://peace.saumag.edu/faculty/kardas/courses/GPWeiten/C6Learning/Learned
Unlearned.html
“Animal Behavior”: http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/bionet/biol116/o7/presentations/T1L6P1_Ani mal_Behavior_with_text.pdf
“Teacher Guide: Inherited Traits and Learned Characteristics”: http://rescu.rice.edu/scope/29/teacher_guide
“What Are The Inherited Traits in Humans?”: http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Are-The-Inherited-Traits-in-Humans?&id=6371637
