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What you will learn from this videoWhat you will learn
- Most traits are passed down from parents.
- Different individuals have different traits.
- Some traits are influenced by the environment.
- Discussion Questions
Before Video
What is a trait?ANSWERA trait is a characteristic of an individual that can be inherited or passed down from parents.
No. Offspring may look similar to the parents because traits were passed down from both the mother and the father to the offspring.
No. Different traits from the mother and father are passed down to each offspring. Siblings (like two sisters) may look very similar but not EXACTLY the same.
No. Individuals of any type of animals have different traits, even if they look similar.
After Video
Why do the puppies look different from their mom and dad?ANSWERThe puppies look different from their mom and dad because they have inherited traits from both the mom and the dad. Each puppy inherited slightly different traits.
Common examples of traits you can see include eye color, height and hair color in humans. In the puppies, common examples include fur color, ear shape, tail length, size and snout length.
If one alligator’s eyes are positioned so that it can see more than another, it may be more likely to survive because it can better detect predators.
The lemurs were similar in shape and size. They all had long tails and pointed ears.
The different lemurs had differences in fur color and patterns. One had a bump on its nose. Another had large eyebrows. One had a different color fur on its head. There were also differences between males and females.
Different species in the same environment might have similar challenges in surviving. For example, white fur on polar bears and white fur on arctic bunnies helps both of them blend into the snow.
White fur makes it more difficult to blend into the forest making it easier for their prey to see them coming. This means it is harder for them to find food, which makes it harder to survive.
- Vocabulary
- Traits DEFINE
Characteristics of an individual that can be inherited from parents.
- Offspring DEFINE
The children of animal parents (that includes humans too!)
- Inherit DEFINE
The process of traits being passed down from parents to offspring.
- Predator DEFINE
An animal that eats other animals.
- Prey DEFINE
An animal that is eaten by other animals.
- Camouflage DEFINE
A pattern, color or shape that helps a living thing blend into its environment. It is usually used to help prey avoid predators or for predators not to be seen by prey.
- Traits DEFINE
- Reading Material
- DIY Activity Guide
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- Lesson Plan
- Teacher Guide