Traits: inherited and environmental
Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment as well as inheritance
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Teaching Table
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“Can your child explain why two identical seeds might grow into different-sized plants if one gets more sunlight than the other?”
Full guide and materials
- Activity. Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment as well as inheritance
What to notice. Explain that traits result from both inheritance and environmental factors • Give examples of environmental influence on traits (e.g. sunlight affects plant growth, diet affects animal size) • Distinguish between inherited traits (e.g. eye colour) and environmentally influenced traits (e.g. muscle strength from exercise)
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Can your child explain why two identical seeds might grow into different-sized plants if one gets more sunlight than the other?
Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment as well as inheritance
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Check understanding
- Explain that traits result from both inheritance and environmental factors
- Give examples of environmental influence on traits (e.g. sunlight affects plant growth, diet affects animal size)
- Distinguish between inherited traits (e.g. eye colour) and environmentally influenced traits (e.g. muscle strength from exercise)
“Can your child explain why two identical seeds might grow into different-sized plants if one gets more sunlight than the other?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Organisms & Life Processes
- Age range
- Ages 8–9
Standards