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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 7 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 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.Inherited
  • C.Learned
2.How could you find out whether a behavior is learned?
  • A.Weigh the animal
  • B.Ask the animal
  • C.See whether animals that were never shown it can still do it
3.A dog fetches a stick when its owner says "fetch." Is that inherited or learned?
  • A.Inherited from its parents
  • B.Learned, through training
  • C.Neither
4.Which of these is inherited rather than learned?
  • A.A zebra foal's stripes
  • B.A parrot saying hello
  • C.A horse jumping a fence
5.A puppy has floppy ears like its mother. Is that inherited or learned?
  • A.Learned from watching its mother
  • B.Inherited, passed down from its parents
  • C.Learned at puppy classes
6.Which of these could a dog NOT learn from its owner?
  • A.The color of its coat
  • B.Walking beside its owner
  • C.Sitting when told
7.A boy has curly hair like his father. Is that inherited or learned?
  • A.Learned at school
  • B.Inherited
  • C.Learned from his father
8.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

LessonPrint · 3-LS3-1 · Set 7 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Passed Down, or Picked Up?

Set 7. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Learned
  2. 2.See whether animals that were never shown it can still do it
  3. 3.Learned, through training
  4. 4.A zebra foal's stripes
  5. 5.Inherited, passed down from its parents
  6. 6.The color of its coat
  7. 7.Inherited
  8. 8.Part of the song is learned by hearing other birds

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