Is It Inherited or Acquired?

Is It Inherited or Acquired? Worksheet: Inherited and acquired traits (Grade 4 Science)

Students sort traits of shelter dogs and a shelter helper as inherited from parents or acquired during life, then read about Max, a dog at the shelter, and sort his traits. The page teaches the idea first, so no prior lesson is needed, and every answer is on the page.

What's Inside

• A teach box that defines inherited and acquired traits, with a puppy example
• Part A: four pictured traits; circle inherited or acquired
• Part B: four traits of Max, a shelter dog; circle inherited or acquired
• A raccoon guide with a hint that matches the answer key
• An answer key with answers marked in red, plus a short teacher note with what to watch for

How Teachers Use It

Read the teach box and the worked example together, then let students try Part A and Part B. It takes 8 to 10 minutes and prints clearly in black and white. The focus skill is differentiating between inherited and acquired physical traits. Standards: TEKS 4.13B: differentiate between inherited and acquired physical traits of organisms.

Why It Works

Shelter dogs make the difference between traits from parents and traits from life easy to see. Questions are short, mostly circle answers, and the reasoning is on the teacher key.