C Curriculum Explorer
Science·Organisms & Life Processes·conceptual

Inherited characteristics

Analyse and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms

Suggested ages 8–9

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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

  • Define inherited traits as characteristics passed from parents to offspring
  • Collect or interpret data showing variation within a group (e.g. different heights, colours, sizes)
  • Explain that while traits are inherited, there is natural variation among individuals of the same species

Assessment prompt

If Inherited characteristics measures the height of all the sunflowers in the garden, can they see that they're all sunflowers but each one is a slightly different height?

Standards alignment

3-LS3-1US · ngss-k5

3-LS3-1

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-5