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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 3 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Passed Down, or Picked Up?

3-LS3-1

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.A puppy has floppy ears like its mother. Is that inherited or learned?
  • A.Learned at puppy classes
  • B.Learned from watching its mother
  • C.Inherited, passed down from its parents
2.Which of these could a dog NOT learn from its owner?
  • A.The color of its coat
  • B.Sitting when told
  • C.Walking beside its owner
3.A girl can ride a bicycle and her baby brother cannot yet. Why?
  • A.She inherited it and he did not
  • B.Babies are too heavy to ride
  • C.Riding a bicycle is learned by practicing
4.A young chimpanzee learns to crack nuts with a stone by watching its mother. What kind of characteristic is that?
  • A.Learned
  • B.Inherited
  • C.Part of its body
5.A child speaks the language her family speaks at home. Is that inherited or learned?
  • A.Inherited, like eye color
  • B.Neither
  • C.Learned, from hearing it every day
6.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
7.Young chaffinches raised without hearing other chaffinches sing a simpler song. What does that show?
  • A.The birds were unwell
  • B.Part of the song is learned by hearing other birds
  • C.Songs are never learned
8.A boy has curly hair like his father. Is that inherited or learned?
  • A.Learned from his father
  • B.Learned at school
  • C.Inherited

LessonPrint · 3-LS3-1 · Set 3 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Passed Down, or Picked Up?

Set 3. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Inherited, passed down from its parents
  2. 2.The color of its coat
  3. 3.Riding a bicycle is learned by practicing
  4. 4.Learned
  5. 5.Learned, from hearing it every day
  6. 6.A zebra foal's stripes
  7. 7.Part of the song is learned by hearing other birds
  8. 8.Inherited

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 3-LS3-1 of the Next Generation Science Standards.