Grade 5 · Science · Lesson 23

Inheritance & Traits

Have you ever been told you have your mother\'s eyes or your father\'s smile? That is because some of who you are was passed down to you from your parents. The features you receive at birth are called inherited traits. Other things you do — like reading, riding a bike, or speaking a language — are learned over time.

What this lesson teaches

1Define inherited traits and learned behaviors
2Explain how DNA passes traits from parents to children
3Identify common inherited traits in humans and animals
4Distinguish between traits we inherit and skills we learn

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