MC	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

When collecting data on inherited traits, which of the following would be included in the survey?

a. braided hair

b. pierced ears

c. learning to read

d. widowÕs peak

Correct Answer: d

I	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Use the chart to answer the following questions.

Plant	Petal Color	Center Color	Stem Height
A	White	Orange	Tall
B	Red	Yellow	Tall
C	White	Orange	Tall
D	Pink	Yellow	Short
E	White	Orange	Tall
F	White	Orange	Short
G	Red	Orange	Tall
H	Red	Yellow	Tall

1. Among these eight offspring of plants, which physical traits appear more frequently?

a. White petals with orange centers and tall stems.

b. White petals with yellow centers and tall stems.

c. Red petals with orange centers and short stems.

c. Red petals with yellow centers and short stems.

2. Describe the possible physical traits of the two parent plants of these eight offspring.

Correct Answers:

1. a

2. (These could be done in any combination.) One parent plant must have white petals and the other red petals. One parent plant must have a white center and the other an orange center. One parent plant must have a tall stem and the other a short stem.

Scoring Guide:

0 No attempt made or response is illogical.

1 Limited attempt, one logical physical trait given for each parent plant.

2 Two logical traits given for each parent plant.

3 Each parent plant has three logical physical traits but not all traits are listed.

4 Each parent plant has three logical physical traits and all traits are covered.

P	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

How Much Alike Are We?

Activity Description:

Students will decide on (10) specific observable physical traits that are passed on through the heredity process. Students will conduct a survey, collect data, organize information into a chart, and compare data to national statistics. Students will then write a conclusion how their data compares with national averages.

Time Needed: 3 days with 30-45 minutes blocks of time

1st Day - Determine the (10) specific observable physical traits used in the survey.

2nd Day - Conduct survey and collect data.

3rd Day - Analyze data and compare with national averages.

Procedure:

Day 1

1. Group students into cooperative groups of 4-5 students per group.

2. Have a class discussion reviewing physical attributes that are inherited.

3. As a class, determine the (10) specific observable physical traits. These could include hand span, dimples, Ôhitch-hikersÕ thumb, straight thumb, attached ear lobs, unattached ear lobs, freckles, widowÕs peak hairline, naturally curly hair, ability to roll tongue, taste PTC (Phenylthiocarbamide) test paper, right or left handedness.

4. Have students prepare a chart for collecting data from among the schoolÕs 5th grade population.

Day 2

1. Collect data using the schoolÕs 5th grade population.

2. Record data in the chart.

Day 3

1. Have each cooperative group total each observable trait category and predict how their data compares with class and national frequencies.

2. As a class, combine the data and calculate the frequency in a percent and compare this with national data.

3. Have students write a conclusion relating their collected data to national averages.

4. Cite two examples how heredity plays out in real life.

National Averages

Trait	Frequency Form 1	Frequency Form 2
Gender	Female ∆ approximately 50%	Male ∆ approximately 50%
Earlobes	Unattached (free) ∆ more frequent	Attached ∆ less frequent
Thumb extension	Straight thumb ∆ 64-75%	HitchhikerÕs thumb ∆ 25-36%
Tongue rolling	Can roll tongue ∆ 65%	Cannot roll tongue ∆ 35%
Cheek dimples	Dimples ∆ more frequent	No dimples ∆ less frequent
Handedness	Right handed ∆ more frequent	Left handed ∆ less frequent
Hand clasping	Left over right ∆ 55%	Right over left ∆ 44%
Hair curl	Curly hair ∆ more frequent	Straight hair ∆ less frequent
PTC Tasting	Can taste PTC ∆ 70%	Cannot taste PTC ∆ 30%
Hairline	WidowÕs peak ∆ more frequent	Straight hairline ∆ less frequent
Color vision	Normal color vision ∆ females 100%; males 92%	Color blind ∆ males 8%

Scoring Guide:

¥ Student is knowledgeable of what makes an observable inherited physical traits, able to independently conduct the survey, records data accurately, computes frequency, compares their data with national frequencies, writes a logical conclusion referring to their data for supportive evidence, and writes two examples of heredity.................. 50 pts.

¥ Student is somewhat knowledgeable of what makes an observable inherited physical traits, conducts the survey with peer help, records data, computes frequency with assistance, compares their data with national frequencies, writes a basic conclusion but doesnÕt use their data for supportive evidence, and writes one example of heredityÉÉÉÉÉ... 40 pts.

¥ Student shows some confusion with knowing observable inherited physical traits, participates in the survey, helps to record data, unable to compute frequency or calculates with many errors, compares their data with national frequencies, attempts to write a conclusion but includes many errors, does not include an example of heredity....ÉÉÉÉ... 30 pts.

P	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Note to teachers: For this activity, you will need to bring in an apple of the same variety for each student in the class.

Problem: What can you learn about how apples are the same?

Procedures:

a. Choose ten traits that you think you will find in all the apples. Create a chart listing those traits.

b. Study your apple carefully

c. In your chart, put a check mark if your apple has the trait.

Questions:

1. Which traits were the same for every apple in the room?

2. Which traits were not the same for every apple in the room?

3. Does your apple have a trait that is different from every other apple? What is it?

4. Were there more traits that were the same, or more traits that were different?

5. Why?

Correct Answers:

Example of student generated chart:

Trait	Yes	No
Red color
Presence of stem
Same number of bumps
Crisp texture
Smooth skin
Markings on skin
Number of seeds
Diameter measurement
Leaf on stem

MC	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

In what way will a puppy always be like its parents?

a. bark the same when it wants into the house

b. learn the same tricks

c. have the same body structure

d. live in the same places

Correct Answer: c

MC	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

How does a breeder of Cocker Spaniels make sure every puppy they raise looks like a Cocker Spaniel?

a. They cross a female Cocker Spaniel with a Golden Retriever.

b. They dock their tails and ears as soon as they are born.

c. They train the puppies to act like all Cocker Spaniels do.

d. They make sure the mother and father are Cocker Spaniels.

Correct Answer: d

I	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Compare the picture of the parent and its offspring.

Which traits are similar in the parent and the offspring?

Which traits are different between the parent and the offspring?

Possible organisms: Trees and saplings, bear and cub, chickens and chicks, cat and kitten, human and baby.

I	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Use this chart to answer the next two questions:

Student	Eye Color	Height
Jose	Dark Brown	135 cm
Anna	Dark Brown	140 cm
Stephanie	Blue	130 cm
Caleb	Green	133 cm
Andy	Light Brown	145 cm

1.  Which students would you most expect to have parents with brown eyes?

a.  Stephanie and Caleb

b.  Andy and Caleb

c.  Stephanie and Anna

d.  Jose and Anna

2.  Which trait could be influenced by the environment?

a.  Eye color, it changes with the seasons.

b.  Eye color, it changes as you get older.

c.  Height, it is affected by what you eat.

d.  Height, you can stretch to grow taller.

Correct Answers:

1. d

2. c

E	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

List 10 traits of humans that are inherited from their parents.

Correct Answer:

Eye, hair, skin color; number of legs, arms, eyes, noses, ears; eyesight; facial structure; athletic ability.

P	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Create a Pet

Activity Description:

Students will research physical traits of a species and design an offspring for that species.

Materials:

Assorted reference materials such as encyclopedias, nature magazines, animal books, field guide books, or the Internet, colored pencils or markers if desired, and student sheet (see next page).

Time needed:

20 - 45 minutes

Procedure:

1. Students will choose an animal or plant they might like to have as a pet.

2. Have students research physical traits of that species using the reference materials provided.

3. Students will list at least six physical traits from each parent, and draw each parent.

4. Students will choose from the parent traits at least six inherited traits for their pet, then draw the pet.

Scoring Guide:

0 No attempt made, choice of parents is illogical.

They were not chosen from the same species.

1 Choice of parents is reasonable, but only listed one observable trait for each parent. Offspring is illogical for parent traits listed.

No illustrations given.

2 Only two to three observable traits are listed for each parent.

Offspring has two to three observable traits.

One illustration given.

3 Only four to five observable traits are listed for each parent.

Offspring has four to five observable traits.

Two illustrations given.

4 At least six observable traits are listed for each parent.

Offspring has at least six observable traits.

Three illustrations given.

Name _____________________________

Create a Pet

Choose a living organism (plant or animal) for your pet.

Choose two likely parents of the same species with varying traits. List the parent traits and draw the parents.

From the two parents, choose the traits of your pet, and draw your pet.

Reference used ________________________________________

Parent 1 _______________ Parent 2 _____________________

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Draw:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Draw:

My Pet ___________________

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Draw:

MC	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

An egg laid by a butterfly turns into a caterpillar. How can an offspring look so different from its parent?

a. All offspring look different from their parents.

b. The caterpillar will become a butterfly.

c. When the caterpillar lays eggs, they will hatch into butterflies.

d. Butterflies are different from one another and from their parents.

Correct Answer: b

MC	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

When Sue opened an old bag of flour meal, she saw a couple of dark beetles and several worm-like animals that had a hard shell like covering. She wondered if the worm-like animals were related to the dark beetles in some way. What could Sue do to collect more information to answer her question?

a. Do an experiment to see if both the beetles and the worm-like animals both liked another type of food.

b. Do an experiment to see if both the beetles and the worm-like animals like hotter or cooler temperatures.

c. Put both the beetle and the worm-like animal in a warm, moist environment and see if they survive over time.

d. Put the worm-like animals in a controlled environment to see if they changed into the beetles over a given time period.

Correct Answer: d

I	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Egg------------Tadpole------------Frog

Egg------------Caterpillar------------Butterfly

Egg------------Mealworm------------Darkling Beetle

Seed------------Seedling------------Vegetable Plant

Study the diagram above. Which of the following research questions would best give you more information about offspring that donÕt initially resemble their parents?

a. Do all offspring start out as eggs?

b. Are insects the only organisms that change?

c. What other examples of plant and animal offspring go through changes until they resemble its parent?

d. How do the stages of change that an offspring goes through effect the surrounding environment?

Correct Answer: c

I	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Compare the picture of the parent and its offspring.

Which traits are similar in the parent and the offspring?

Which traits are different in the parent and the offspring?

Possible organisms: Frog and tadpole, butterfly and caterpillar, darkling beetles and mealworms

MC	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Which of these is a learned trait of bears?

a. Whether to catch fish from the stream or bank.

b. Whether their main food is fish or rodents.

c. Whether their fur is brown or black.

d. Whether their claws are long or short.

Correct Answer: a

MC	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Which of these is an example of heredity?

a. A tree leaning away from a constant wind.

b. A dog able to fetch a ball on command.

c. A sheep with a black face and white body.

d. A student memorizing the names of states and capitals.

Correct Answer: c

I	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Sort the following traits into the appropriate categories.

1. eye color

2. hair color

3. playing tennis

4. attached earlobes

5. playing the piano

6. cooking

7. tongue rolling

8. shooting a basketball

9. dancing

10. thumb print

11. drawing

12. hitchhikerÕs thumb

13. skin color

14. foot size

15. painting

Inherited Traits

Acquired Traits

What is the difference between traits that are inherited and traits that are acquired?

Correct Answers:

Inherited Traits: 1,2,4,7,10,12,13,14

Acquired Traits: 3,5,6,8,9,11,15

Inherited traits are traits that you are born with. Acquired traits are traits that are learned.

E	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Describe two of your traits that you inherited from your parents. Describe two of your traits that you did not inherit from your parents.

Correct Answer:

Inherited traits include body structures, some behaviors, and some illnesses. Acquired traits include specific learned knowledge like how to read, speak, some behaviors and skills such as playing sports or a musical instrument.

MC	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Students were asked to predict the eventual outcome of planting several kernels of multi-colored Indian corn. Which of the following statements offers the best prediction?

a. Every plant will be totally different because one ear of Indian corn has lots of color.

b. Every plant will resemble the parent plant but there will also be some variations too.

c. Every plant will be exactly the same because it came from the same parent plant.

d. Every plant will start out differently but will eventually grow to be an identical copy.

Correct Answer: b

MC	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Seeds from the same parent plants were planted in a garden. The average height of these plants was 15cm, but two plants grew twice as tall (30cm). Which sentence explains a logical possibility?

a. One of the grandparent plants had white blossoms.

b. The two seeds were not buried as deep as the others.

c. One of the grandparent plants was tall.

d. The two seeds were older than the other seeds.

Correct Answer: c

P	5^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 01. Using supporting evidence, show that traits are transferred from a parent organism to its offspring.
ILO:

Raising Seeds

Activity Description:

Students will grow seeds from a parent plant and investigate variations between the offspring.

Materials:

Seeds (if you can get a parent plant with seeds, like a sunflower, that would be best) if not get a packet from the store and suggest to students that they could be from the same parent. Radishes and beans germinate quickly. Potting soil, containers, water, light source or window. Student sheet (see below)

Time Needed:

30 minutes initially, a few minutes of observation time over 3-4 weeks, 30 minutes to finish

Procedure:

1. Explain to students that they will be planting seeds from the same "family".

2. Ask students to predict how the seeds will be alike and different.

3. Show students how to plant the seeds and where to put them. Students may work in groups or individually but they need to be able to see 5-6 plants eventually.

4. Allow time for students to observe plants over the next few days and weeks.

5. Summarize the experiment when plants are large enough to see well. Students can measure their height with rulers, count leaves, measure leaf width or observe color and shapes.

6. Have students answer questions on student sheet.

Scoring Guide:

1. Students make predictions 5 pts

2. Students plant seeds and take care of them 10 pts

3. Students make observations 10 pts

4. Students summarize plant characteristics 10 pts

5. Students answer questions correctly 5 pts

Correct Answers:

1. The plants will be similar in color, shape, and size.

2. The plants will be slightly different in color, shape, size and speed of development.

3. Likenesses are inherited from their parents.

4. Differences are also inherited but may be due to the environment of each plant.

5. The plants are a lot more alike that different.

6. Most of an organismÕs traits are inherited.

Student Sheet Name __________________________________

Introduction:

In this activity you will plant seeds that are all related to one another. You will predict how they will be alike and different. After planting them, you will watch them for a few weeks and make observations. At the end you will see if you predicted correctly.

Predictions:

1. How will the seeds be alike?

2. How will the seeds be different?

Data:

Date	Observations

Summary:

1. How were the plants alike?

2. How were they different?

3. Why were they alike?

4. Why were they different?

5. Do you think your plants had more things alike or different?

6. Why?