Traits and Characteristics of Living Things
Traits and Characteristics of Living Things
Objectives
In this lesson, students will learn to distinguish between inherited and acquired traits. Students will:
- differentiate between inherited and acquired traits in white-tailed deer.
- explain how inherited traits and certain behaviors can help organisms survive and reproduce in different environments.
Essential Questions
Vocabulary
- Acquired Trait: A trait that an organism develops from experience or observing other organisms. An example is larger muscle size from exercise or from avoiding predators.
- Adaptation: Inherited trait that increases an organism’s chances for survival.
- Behavior: How an organism responds to its environment.
- Characteristic: A feature or trait that is inherited by an organism from its parents.
- Gene: Determines the characteristics that organisms inherit from their parents.
- Inherited Trait: A trait that is passed down from parents to the next generation by genes. An example is human eye color.
Duration
45 minutes/1 class period
Prerequisite Skills
Prerequisite Skills haven't been entered into the lesson plan.
Materials
- White-tailed Deer Biology and Adaptations: A General Overview
http://sfr.psu.edu/youth/sftrc/deer/wtd-lesson1
- White-tailed Deer Biology and Adaptations PowerPoint presentation (S-5-5-3_White-Tailed-Deer PPT.ppt)
- White-tailed Deer Biology and Adaptations PDF presentation (S-5-5-3_White-Tailed-Deer PDF.pdf)
- Inherited and Acquired Traits worksheet (S-5-5-3_Inherited and Acquired Traits and KEY.docx)
Related Unit and Lesson Plans
Related Materials & Resources
The possible inclusion of commercial websites below is not an implied endorsement of their products, which are not free, and are not required for this lesson plan.
- Habitat Adaptations of Some Common Trees of Pennsylvania
www.envirothonpa.org/documents/HabitatAdaptations.pdf
- Peregrine Falcons (a lesson plan on how peregrine falcons have adapted to urban areas in Pennsylvania, including a class activity to show the effects of DDT on organisms in a food chain)
www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/falcon/images/FS2565.pdf
- Adaptations to a Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome
www.vtaide.com/png/temperateBiomes.htm
- Forest Adaptations (image with four animals’ adaptations)
www.eduplace.com/science/hmsc/ga/content/etransparencies/3/fscommand/3_972944_13.pdf
- Hey, Where Did You Get That From?
http://utahscience.oremjr.alpine.k12.ut.us/sciber01/7th/cells/html/inhvsacq.htm
Formative Assessment
Suggested Instructional Supports
Instructional Procedures
Related Instructional Videos
Note: Video playback may not work on all devices.
Instructional videos haven't been assigned to the lesson plan.
DRAFT 05/04/2011