3rd grade · Science · Unit 5 of 10
Traits & Variation
Traits come from parents, and the environment matters too.
What your child practices
Practices how plants and animals inherit traits from their parents, how traits vary within a family, and how the environment can change traits like size or health.
Oregon State Standards learning standard: 3.LS3.1; 3.LS3.2 · traits are inherited from parents, vary within a group, and can be influenced by the environment
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
A plant grows short because it got little sunlight. This trait was affected by…
- the environment
- the moon
- its parents only
- magic
the environment
Hint: Surroundings matter.
Question 2
Two tomato plants from the same seeds. One gets fertilizer and grows bigger. Why?
- It is a different species
- It is older
- The environment was different
- It had different parents
The environment was different
Hint: Same seeds, different conditions.
Question 3
Where do puppies get their fur color from?
- Their parents
- Their food
- The weather
- Their toys
Their parents
Hint: Inherited traits come from parents.
Question 4
Sunflowers in a field are different heights. This shows…
- variation
- they are the same
- they are not plants
- they are rocks
variation
Hint: Not all the same.
Question 5
Which can a parent pass to its young?
- A broken leg
- Spots on its fur
- A learned trick
- A muddy coat
Spots on its fur
Hint: Inherited traits are in the body.
Question 6
Which pair shows an inherited trait AND an environmental effect?
- Tall parents, but a short child who ate poorly
- Blue eyes and brown eyes
- Brown fur and a long tail
- Two black cats
Tall parents, but a short child who ate poorly
Hint: Both heredity and surroundings.