Passed Down, or Picked Up? is a free printable Grade 3 science worksheet on using evidence to tell traits passed down from parents from things learned, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 3-LS3-1. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
1.Young chaffinches raised without hearing other chaffinches sing a simpler song. What does that show?
A.The birds were unwell
B.Songs are never learned
C.Part of the song is learned by hearing other birds
2.A child speaks the language her family speaks at home. Is that inherited or learned?
A.Learned, from hearing it every day
B.Inherited, like eye color
C.Neither
3.A girl can ride a bicycle and her baby brother cannot yet. Why?
A.She inherited it and he did not
B.Riding a bicycle is learned by practicing
C.Babies are too heavy to ride
4.A dog fetches a stick when its owner says "fetch." Is that inherited or learned?
A.Learned, through training
B.Inherited from its parents
C.Neither
5.A young chimpanzee learns to crack nuts with a stone by watching its mother. What kind of characteristic is that?
A.Part of its body
B.Learned
C.Inherited
6.Which of these could a dog NOT learn from its owner?
A.Walking beside its owner
B.The color of its coat
C.Sitting when told
7.A puppy has floppy ears like its mother. Is that inherited or learned?
A.Inherited, passed down from its parents
B.Learned from watching its mother
C.Learned at puppy classes
8.Which of these is inherited rather than learned?
A.A horse jumping a fence
B.A parrot saying hello
C.A zebra foal's stripes
LessonPrint · 3-LS3-1 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Passed Down, or Picked Up?
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.Part of the song is learned by hearing other birds
2.Learned, from hearing it every day
3.Riding a bicycle is learned by practicing
4.Learned, through training
5.Learned
6.The color of its coat
7.Inherited, passed down from its parents
8.A zebra foal's stripes
Questions about Passed Down, or Picked Up?
What does the Passed Down, or Picked Up? worksheet cover?
It practices using evidence to tell traits passed down from parents from things learned — 8 questions for Grade 3, all on NGSS 3-LS3-1: Use data to show traits are inherited and still vary within a group. The instruction to students is “Circle the best answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which NGSS performance expectation does Passed Down, or Picked Up? practice?
3-LS3-1, under Life Science for Grade 3. The published performance expectation reads: “Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms.” The worksheet assesses that performance expectation rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Passed Down, or Picked Up? is written for Grade 3, typically ages 8-9. It is one of the sheets on 3-LS3-1, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Passed Down, or Picked Up? come with an answer key?
Yes. All 8 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Passed Down, or Picked Up? can I print?
25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Passed Down, or Picked Up? free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Passed Down, or Picked Up?, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
More practice for 3-LS3-1
Use data to show traits are inherited and still vary within a group.