Learned and Instinctive Behaviors
TEKS Objective
Demonstrate that some likenesses between parents and offspring are inherited, passed from generation to generation such as eye color in humans or shapes of leaves in plants. Other likenesses are learned such as table manners or reading a book and seals balancing balls on their noses.
Essential Understanding
The student knows that organisms undergo similar life processes and have structures that help them survive within their environment.
Science Background
Both Environment and Genetic Makeup Influence Behavior: Nature (website) – Good overview of inherited and learned behaviors, and why both are important for the survival of different animal species.
Both Environment and Genetic Makeup Influence Behavior
Nature, www.nature.com
Elements of Behavior: North Carolina State University Department of Entomology (website) - Description and explanation of different kinds of behavior and learning processes in insects.
Elements of Behavior
North Carolina State University Department of Entomology, www.cals.ncsu.edu
Learning Theory: AnimalBehavior.net (website) – Detailed explanations of animal learning, including imprinting, classical conditioning and positive reinforcement.
Learning Theory
AnimalBehaviour.net
Table Manners: Etiquette Scholar (website) – Overview of essential table manners, including how to handle a knife and fork or politely leave the table.
Signature Lesson
Animal Instincts: Discovery Education (website) - Student groups investigate different animals and their habitats in order to demonstrate how inherited and learned traits enable animals to survive.
Animal Instincts
Discovery Education, www.discoveryeducation.com
- Supporting Lessons
- Extensions
- Assessment Ideas
- Literature Connections
- Related
TEKS - Additional Resources
Supporting Lessons
Pets, Oh Behave: Science NetLinks (website) - Students learn the difference between inherited traits and learned behaviors in pets, and develop an understanding of how innate and learned behaviors, combined with the environment, determine behavior. Includes assessment and extensions.
Pets, Oh Behave
Science NetLinks, www.sciencenetlinks.com
Traits and Traditions: A Make-a-Match Game (PDF) – Students use sets of cards to explore inherited traits and learned traditions or behaviors.
A Make-a-Match Game
Traits and Traditions, learn.genetics.utah.edu
Elaboration Lessons and Extensions
Animal Behavior and Training: Sea World/Busch Gardens (PDF) - This detailed teacher’s guide for an instructional unit on animal training (learned behaviors) includes background information, images, and a wide range of integrated activities that help students understand behavior patterns of humans and marine animals, and to differentiate between learned behaviors and inherited traits.
Animal Behavior and Training
Sea World/Busch Gardens, www.seaworld.org
Tablescapes, Setting the Table: Captioned Media Program (PDF) - Short lessons on table manners at home and when dining out, and on table settings for different meals.
Tablescapes, Setting the Table
Captioned Media Program, www.dcmp.org
Assessment Ideas
Family Traits Trivia: Genetic Science Learning Center (PDF) - In this take-home game/activity, students conduct inherited traits surveys of their families. Then, in class, students chart their data and write descriptions of their discoveries.
Family Traits Trivia
Genetic Science Learning Center, teach.genetics.utah.edu
Literature Connections
Where Are Your Manners? Cultural Diversity. Underwood, Deborah (ISBN-13: 978-1410926234)
The Mysteries of Animal Intelligence. Steiger B. and Steiger S. (ISBN-13: 978-0765357489)
Emily Post’s Etiquette, 18th Edition. Post P., Post A., Post L. and Senning, DP. (ISBN-13: 978-0061740237)
Additional Resources
Mealworm Behavior: McGraw Hill (website) – Students investigate and observe instinctive (innate) feeding behaviors of mealworms using this interactive website.
TEKS Navigation
Grade 4
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