Inherited Traits Project
{Project Based Learning}
3rd Grade
Directions:
Students will research two animals that are interesting to them. After their
research students will create a fictional animal offspring from the two
animas they researched. Students will create a drawing as well as a writing
describing their new creature! Students will use a four square graphic
organizer to develop and organize their writing before taking it through
the complete writing process.
1. Define offspring-
2. Define trait-
3. What are two animals that are really interesting to you?
4. Research the first animal that your wrote down. Write down five
amazing facts about that animal and draw a picture of the animal
below.
Animal #1: ___________________________________
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
5. Research the second animal that you wrote down. Write down five
amazing facts about them and draw a picture below.
Animal #2: ___________________________________
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Create an offspring of the animals that you researched. Name your
new animal!
7. You can either draw a picture of your new animal or use SwitchZoo
and print and paste your new animal.
8. List some of the traits that your fictional animal inherited from its
parents.
*
*
*
9. What do you want others to know about your new creature? Use a
prewriting strategy to help you organize your thoughts and ideas.
Once you have an idea, open up your writing journal and start
drafting.
Inherited Traits Project Rubric
3
Completion
I completed all
parts of my
project on time.
My writing is
organized and
includes
Writing
inherited traits
with
explanations.
Uses interesting
Word Use
words and
(vocabulary
descriptions
and descriptive
throughout the
language)
writing.
My writing has
complete
sentences with
Complete
Sentences
capital letters
and correct
2
I completed
most of my
project on time.
1
Some of my
project is
complete and it
is not on time.
My writing is
My writing is
mostly organized somewhat
with some
organized with
inherited traits
some inherited
with
traits with
explanations.
explanations.
Uses some
Limited use of
interesting words words and
and descriptions. descriptions.
My writing has
mostly complete
sentences with
capital letters
and mostly
0
Many parts of
my project are
not done.
My writing is
unorganized.
Uses belowgrade level
words and no
descriptive
language.
My writing has
My writing is
some complete
lacking complete
sentences with
sentence with
capital letters
capital letters
and some correct and punctuation.
punctuation.
punctuation
marks.
Comments:
correct
punctuation.