Traits and Behaviors

Which of the following is an instinctive behavior that an animal could inherit from its parents?

• A raccoon taking lids off of trash cans to find food

• A dog barking loudly when the doorbell rings

• A seal balancing a ball on the end of its nose

• A bee flying from flower to flower to get nectar

Which of the following is an example of a learned behavior?

• A turtle laying its eggs on the beach

• A dog retrieving a stick for its owner

• A bird migrating south for the winter

• A baby chick cracking open its shell

Which of these is a learned trait that a bear could acquire during its lifetime?

• Taking food from human campsites

• Having an excellent sense of smell

• Growling when there is danger

• Hibernating during the winter

A group of science students created a chart to show what they knew about inherited traits and learned behaviors in children. Which of these is an inherited trait the students could put in that column of the chart?

• Cooking a meal

• Speaking English

• Crying when hurt

• Using a pencil

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

How do genetic traits differ from learned behaviors?

• Genetic traits are inherited from parents, while learned behaviors are acquired through experience.

• Learned behaviors are inherited from parents, while genetic traits are acquired through experience.

• Both are inherited from parents.

• Both are acquired through experience.

Tags

DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

Six animal behaviors are listed. Which of the behaviors are inherited?

• Behaviors 1, 3, and 5 only

• Behaviors 2, 3, 4, and 6 only

• Behaviors 2, 4, 5, and 6 only

• All 6 behaviors

Tags

5.10B

Consider a bird that learns to mimic sounds. What does this tell us about learned behaviors?

• Learned behaviors are always inherited.

• Learned behaviors can be influenced by the environment.

• Learned behaviors are the same for all animals.

• Learned behaviors are not influenced by the environment.

Tags

DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

The stripes on a Zebra make it stand out on the African savannah, but when in large groups (herds) the stripes of many Zebras together make each individual blend into the crowd. This makes it harder for predators to focus in on one individual. These stripes are an example of....

• An acquired trait

• A learned behavior

• An inherited trait

• An inherited behavior (instinct)

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Which of these is an inherited trait in human beings?

• Playing soccer

• Having blue eyes

• Being able to read

• Speaking Spanish

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

A student drew a picture of their pet parrot and listed its traits. Which of the parrot’s traits is learned?

• It has brightly colored feathers.

• It eats seeds and drinks water.

• It repeats words after me.

• It has wings and can fly.

Tags

NGSS.3-LS3-2