LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Inherited Traits of Leaves
ENGAGE (5 min.)
 Review the expectations of working in the outdoor classroom.
 Ask students to think about the different shapes of leaves. Are
they all the same? What are some of the distinct shapes that
leaves may have?
Grade
3rd grade
Timeframe
1 class period
EXPLORE (15 min.)
Materials
 Allow students to wander the outdoor classroom collecting
 Journals and pencils
samples of different types of leaves. Challenge individuals to
collect at least 10 or more different types of leaves. Encourage
them to look for leaves that have already fallen off of a plant, but do allow them to gently remove
leaves from living plants if necessary.
 Bring students back to a central location and divide them into groups of 3.
 Ask students to sort their leaves according to common traits/characteristics.
EXPLAIN (10 min.)
 After groups have had a chance to sort their leaves, invite groups to share and explain their categories
(large, round, oval, spiked, skinny, etc.).
 Ask students to think about whether or not the shapes of the leaves represent an inherited or learned
trait from the “parent” plant.
 Ask them to look back at the different traits they sorted and discuss how they think those different
traits benefit the plant. (Ability to hold water, protection from consumers, ability to repel water during
heavy rains, etc.)
EVALUATE (5 min.)
 Ask each student to choose one or two leaves to describe and tape into their journals. How do they
think the trait of that leaf has helped the plant to adapt to its environment?
OBJECTIVES
Science
3.10B Explore that some characteristics of organisms are inherited such as the number of limbs on an
animal or flower color and recognize that some behaviors are learned in response to living in a certain
environment such as animals using tools to get food
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