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Inherited or Acquired Traits

Main Core Tie

SEEd - Grade 7
Strand 7.4: REPRODUCTION AND INHERITANCE

Time Frame

1 class periods of 60 minutes each

Group Size

Individual

Authors

Utah LessonPlans

Summary

The students will learn the difference between inherited and acquired traits. They will fill out a chart of traits for their classmates and identify which of them are inherited.


Materials


Student Prior Knowledge

Inherited traits are characteristics that come from the parents. Acquired traits are learned and practiced since birth.


Instructional Procedures

  1. Bring in a worn stuffed animal or pair of jeans. Ask the students to list the traits of the item. Discuss which traits are "inherited" and which are "acquired".
  2. Hand out the papers and go over the instructions. If you are worried about students teasing one another, have them use a "code" name and write their own characteristics on their paper and collect the papers, then write on the board or overhead the traits of ten students, using their code name. See if the class can guess who they are. Hand back the paper so the students can copy the data and finish.
  3. Give students time to complete chart.
  4. Assign reading from your textbook and or discuss the differences between inherited and acquired traits.
  5. Complete the rest of the worksheet.


Assessment Plan

Scoring Rubric:

1. Complete, best effort, used equipment correctly and safely……….…4
2. Complete, best effort, ……..…………………...3
3. Partially complete and lacking effort…………………………..2
4. Started lab and did not complete……………………………1


Bibliography

Lesson Design by Jordan School District Teachers and Staff.


Created: 10/03/2014
Updated: 02/05/2018
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