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Science Launch G3 / Week 06 / Monday
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Week 06 · Family Traits

Monday

What is a trait?
// Like parent, like young
⏱ about 15 min

Monday: What Is a Trait?

At the zoo, Rocket watches a tall giraffe walk beside a baby giraffe. "They look so alike!" he says.

Raven studies the brown patches on their necks. "What do you notice about their spots?"

Nova zooms in on both necks. "Compare the shapes, not the sizes," she says.

Rocket squints. Some of the baby's spots look like its mother's.

Traits are features

A trait is a feature of a living thing.

Spot shape, leaf shape, fur color and eye color are all traits.

Offspring are the young of a plant or animal.

Offspring often look like their parents. That is because they inherit traits.

To inherit means to get a trait from your parents.

  • A baby giraffe has spots, like its parents.
  • A sunflower seed grows into a sunflower, like its parent plant.
  • A kitten has whiskers and fur, like its parents.
TRAIT OR NOT?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Which one is a trait of a giraffe?
What are offspring?
StatementTrue or false?
Leaf shape is a trait.?
Offspring often look like their parents.?
A sunflower seed grows into a pine tree.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEOffspring inherit traits, so they are the same kind as their parents.
To get a trait from your parents is to ____ it. Type one word.
WHY THIS EXERCISEInherit means to get a trait from your parents.

Traits of plants and animals

Plants have traits too. A sunflower has yellow petals and a big center.

A bean plant has a certain leaf shape. Its offspring have that leaf shape too.

Animals have traits like fur color, ear shape and spots.

A trait is part of the living thing. Where it lives or its name is not a trait.

IS IT A TRAIT?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
A kitten has striped fur. Is fur pattern a trait?
A dog sleeps in a red bed. Is the bed color a trait of the dog?
A plant has round leaves. Is leaf shape a trait?
StatementTrue or false?
Plants have traits.?
A baby giraffe has spots, like its parents.?
A kitten grows up to be a puppy.?
Ear shape can be a trait.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEPlants and animals have traits, and offspring are the same kind as their parents.
The young of an animal are its ____.
Spot shape is a giraffe ____.
Try it
Look at a pet, a plant or a picture of an animal family.
Find three traits the young and the parents share.

Nice trait spotting! Tomorrow we look at real data about giraffe spots.