Environment and Traits

Grade 3 Science Worksheet

Circle the answer.

1. 1.

   Seedlings crowded in a small pot grow more slowly than the same seedlings given more space. What most likely slowed their growth?

   • seeds planted too close to the top
   • too much sunlight on the leaves
   • too little space for their roots
   • slower growth inherited from parents
2. 2.

   Fish of the same kind grow smaller in a crowded pond than in a pond with more space and food. What most likely caused the smaller size?

   • hatching later in the year
   • parents that were small fish
   • less food and space for each fish
   • colder water in the big pond
3. 3.

   Two tomato plants grow from the same kind of seed with the same sun and water. Only one gets fertilizer, and it grows bigger. What caused the size difference?

   • the fertilizer added to the soil
   • the small plant getting more shade
   • the plants being different ages
   • seeds from different parent plants
4. 4.

   A plant in a hot, sunny spot needs water more often than the same kind of plant in a cool, shady spot. Why?

   • the shady plant has bigger roots from birth
   • the shady plant is a different kind
   • the sunny plant inherited a need for more water
   • heat and sunlight dry the soil faster
5. 5.

   Sunflowers planted close together grow taller and thinner than the same kind planted far apart. All get the same water. What caused the difference?

   • getting less water than the others
   • inheriting a thin shape
   • competing with neighbors for sunlight
   • being a different variety
6. 6.

   A tree's rings are wide in wet years and narrow in dry years. What does a narrow ring tell you about that year?

   • the tree was very young
   • the year was dry
   • the tree grew faster that year
   • the year was very wet
7. 7.

   Two calves from the same herd grow to different sizes. One grazes in a large pasture with plenty of grass. The other stays in a small pen with less food. What caused the size difference?

   • the color of each calf's coat
   • the breed of each calf's parents
   • being born in different years
   • the amount of food and space
8. 8.

   Plant A got 1 hour of sun a day, plant B got 3 hours, and plant C got 6 hours. Use the graph. How much taller is plant C than plant A?

   • 6 cm
   • 3 cm
   • 12 cm
   • 9 cm
9. 9.

   Puppies in a litter have the same fur pattern, but one is heavier because it eats more. Which trait was most affected by the environment?

   • the puppy's weight
   • the puppy's fur pattern
   • the puppy's ear shape
   • the puppy's eye color
10. 10.

    Two kittens from one litter have the same eye color. One is calm around people because it was handled gently every day. Which trait was shaped by its environment?

    • its fur pattern
    • its eye color
    • its whisker length
    • how calm it is around people