Inherited Traits and Variation

Grade 3 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the answer.

1. 1.

   Which trait did a kitten inherit from its parents?

   • a scratch on its nose
   • its name
   • its eye color
2. 2.

   Which is a learned behavior for a dog?

   • having floppy ears
   • sitting when asked
   • having brown fur
3. 3.

   A duckling has webbed feet like its parents. How did it get webbed feet?

   • it inherited them from its parents
   • it learned to grow them by swimming
   • it got them from eating pond plants
4. 4.

   Which trait of a sunflower comes from its parent plants?

   • a stem bent by a strong wind
   • a leaf with a hole chewed in it
   • the yellow color of its petals
5. 5.

   Four puppies from the same parents have black, brown, white and spotted fur. What does this show?

   • fur color is learned
   • the puppies have different parents
   • young from the same parents can look different
6. 6.

   A girl can ride a bike. How did she get this skill?

   • she was born knowing how
   • she inherited it from her parents
   • she learned it by practicing
7. 7.

   Bean seeds from one bean plant grow into new plants. What will their leaves most likely look like?

   • shaped like oak leaves
   • a new shape on every plant
   • shaped like the parent plant's leaves
8. 8.

   Which trait of a horse is inherited?

   • a shoe nailed to its hoof
   • the color of its coat
   • knowing how to jump a fence
9. 9.

   A parrot can say 'hello.' Is this inherited or learned?

   • inherited, because parrots are born talking
   • inherited, because its parents say hello
   • learned, because someone taught it
10. 10.

    Why does a calf look like a cow and not like a horse?

    • it learned to look like a cow
    • it inherited traits from cow parents
    • it ate the same grass as cows