SEEd - Grade 3
Lesson Plans

Strand 3.2: EFFECTS OF TRAITS ON SURVIVAL

Organisms (plants and animals, including humans) have unique and diverse life cycles, but they all follow a pattern of birth, growth, reproduction, and death. Different organisms vary in how they look and function because they have different inherited traits. An organism's traits are inherited from its parents and can be influenced by the environment. Variations in traits between individuals in a population may provide advantages in surviving and reproducing in particular environments. When the environment changes, some organisms have traits that allow them to survive, some move to new locations, and some do not survive. Humans can design solutions to reduce the impact of environmental changes on organisms.

Standard 3.2.2

Analyze and interpret data to identify patterns of traits that plants and animals have inherited from parents. Emphasize the similarities and differences in traits between parent organisms and offspring and variation of traits in groups of similar organisms. (LS3.A, LS3.B)

• 3.2.2 Lesson Plan - Human Genetic Traits
  Thanksgiving Point lesson plan about human genetic traits
• Hemingway’s Polydactyl Cats - 3-LS1-1, 3-LS3-1
  Phenomenon video for 3.2.2. Science Phenomena: 3rd grade - Life Cycles and Traits
• Mammals and Their Parents, Perfect Together
  This is a 6 lesson unit on vertebrates. The first lesson aligns with standard 3.2.2. The other lessons better support 3.2.3 and 3.2.4.

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