Science·Organisms & Life Processes·conceptual
Traits: inherited and environmental
Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment as well as inheritance
Suggested ages 8–9
Learning journey
Your child is discovering how the human body works — learning about the digestive system and how different types of teeth help us eat and break down food.
Evidence of understanding
- Explain that traits result from both inheritance and environmental factors
- Give examples of environmental influence on traits (e.g. sunlight affects plant growth, diet affects animal size)
- Distinguish between inherited traits (e.g. eye colour) and environmentally influenced traits (e.g. muscle strength from exercise)
Assessment prompt
Can Traits: inherited and environmental explain why two identical seeds might grow into different-sized plants if one gets more sunlight than the other?
Standards alignment
3-LS3-2US · ngss-k5
3-LS3-2
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-5