Traits from genes, traits from surroundings, and traits from both

Grade 7 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   A bean seedling on a windowsill grows bent toward the glass. Esme sorts the bend. Where does the direction of the bend come from?

   • The surroundings: the light came from one side
   • The genes: the seedling is born bent
   • Inherited: the bend is passed down to seeds
   • Learned: the seedling practiced bending
2. 2.

   A bigleaf hydrangea in a school garden has blue flowers. The soil there is acidic. Jun sorts the trait. Which fits best?

   • Genes: the plant was born blue
   • Soil: the acid changed the plant's genes to blue
   • Both: its genes, and the acidic soil
   • Learned: the plant copied a blue neighbor
3. 3.

   The same bigleaf hydrangea is moved to alkaline soil. Kira predicts the color of the new flowers. What is the best prediction?

   • White, since the plant needs more aluminum
   • Blue, since the genes stay the same
   • Pink, since the soil changed the genes
   • Pink, since less aluminum is available
4. 4.

   Luz's class grew cuttings from one coleus plant for four weeks. Row 3 repeats the water of row 1. Predict the height in the box.

   • About 15 cm, since the height is halfway between
   • About 18 cm, since the water matches row 1
   • About 12 cm, since the same genes give one height
   • About 24 cm, since water changes the genes
5. 5.

   Milo turns a pot so the window light now comes from the right. What will the new shoots do?

   • Bend away from the right, since shoots avoid light
   • Bend left, since the old light changed the genes
   • Bend toward the right, since shoots grow toward light
   • Stay bent left, since the old bend is in the genes

6. Read this first

   Use the table

   Coleus cuttings (model data). Trait chart.

   Genes	Surroundings	Trait
   cuttings from one coleus plant (same genes)	bright window	14 cm tall
   cuttings from the same plant (same genes)	dim shelf	20 cm tall

   Investigation card: Question: Does light change how tall cuttings grow? Changed: the light each cutting gets. Measured: height after four weeks. Kept the same: parent plant, water, pot and soil.

7. 6.

   Noah's class tested light on coleus cuttings from one plant. Which one thing did the class change on purpose?

   • The water each cutting received
   • The light each cutting received
   • The height of each cutting
   • The parent plant of the cuttings
8. 7.

   Pia's class grows hydrangea cuttings from one bush in two soils. What must stay the same in both groups?

   • The acidity of the soil
   • The parent bush, the pot size and the water
   • The flower color that appears
   • The genes, which change with the soil
9. 8.

   Ren's class tests whether light from one side bends seedlings. What should the class measure?

   • The kind of seed planted in each pot
   • The side of the pot the light comes from
   • The genes inside each seedling's cells
   • The bend of each shoot from straight up
10. 9.

    An arctic fox grows a white coat each fall and a brown coat each spring. Zee explains the change. Which explanation fits?

    • The genes set the coat, so the season has no effect on it
    • The fox learns to turn white by watching its parents each year
    • Cold weather changes the genes, so the fur turns white each fall
    • Shorter days trigger a white coat; the genes stay the same
11. 10.

    A bean plant by a window grew bent toward the glass. Ari plants seeds from that plant in a room with light from straight above. The seedlings grow straight. Why?

    • The bend came from the light, so it is not passed on
    • The seedlings have different genes, since they look different
    • The light changed the seeds' genes to grow straight
    • The bend was passed on, but the new light hid it