Sunflower Height and Seed Size - ES - LS - Inheritance and Variation

Last updated 4 months ago

5 Nsɛmmisa

Hyɛ no nsow a efi ɔkyerɛwfo no hɔ:

Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.

Akwankyerɛ

Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.

Ɛhia

DOK 3

3-LS3-1

Ɛhia

DOK 2

3-LS3-1

Ɛhia

DOK 1

3-LS3-1

Ɛhia

DOK 2

3-LS3-2

Ɛhia

DOK 3

3-LS1-1

Sunflower Height and Seed Size

Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are ideal for studying inherited traits and variation because they grow quickly and show measurable differences between generations.

When sunflower plants produce seeds, those seeds inherit traits from their parent plants - such as height, seed size, and leaf number. However, even though offspring inherit these traits, they don’t look exactly like their parents. Within a group of related plants, variation occurs naturally.

Researchers from the USDA Plant Genetics Program measured sunflower populations grown from seeds of both tall and short parent plants. Their data showed clear patterns:

Offspring from tall parents tended to be taller on average, but not all offspring were tall.
Offspring from short parents tended to be shorter on average, but still varied in height.
Seed size also showed inheritance - large-seeded parents produced larger seeds - yet with variation across individual plants.

This variation results from a combination of genetic inheritance and environmental factors like soil, water, and sunlight. Even in the same garden, not all sunflower offspring grow exactly alike, but patterns in the data show that the traits of parents influence those of their offspring.

Table 1.

Parent Type	Offspring Height (cm)	Seed Size (g)	Parent Type	Offspring Height (cm)	Seed Size (g)
Tall	184.97	0.13	Short	154.66	0.08
Tall	178.62	0.12	Short	137.74	0.09
Tall	186.48	0.12	Short	140.68	0.07
Tall	195.23	0.12	Short	125.75	0.07
Tall	177.66	0.10	Short	134.56	0.10
Tall	177.66	0.11	Short	141.11	0.11
Tall	195.79	0.11	Short	128.49	0.09
Tall	187.67	0.14	Short	143.76	0.11
Tall	175.31	0.13	Short	133.99	0.10
Tall	185.43	0.09	Short	137.08	0.08
Tall	175.37	0.12	Short	133.98	0.10
Tall	175.34	0.11	Short	158.52	0.11
Tall	182.42	0.11	Short	139.87	0.09
Tall	160.87	0.13	Short	129.42	0.11
Tall	162.75	0.14	Short	148.23	0.05
Tall	174.38	0.13	Short	127.79	0.10
Tall	169.87	0.11	Short	142.09	0.09
Tall	183.14	0.12	Short	120.40	0.09
Tall	170.92	0.13	Short	126.72	0.09
Tall	165.88	0.13	Short	141.97	0.06

Graph of Information - Figure 1.

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Graph of Information - Figure 2.

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Ɛhia

Make a claim, provide the evidence, and explain your reasoning for the statement:
“Traits such as height and seed size are inherited from parent sunflowers, but variation exists among offspring.”
Claim:
Evidence:
Reasoning:

DOK 3

3-LS3-1

Ɛhia

Refer to Table 1 in the Sunflower Height and Seed Size resource.
Compare the offspring of tall and short parent plants. What pattern do you notice about average height and seed size?

DOK 2

3-LS3-1

Ɛhia

Which statement best explains the data pattern in Table 1?

All offspring are the same height as their parents.

Offspring show variation, but on average resemble their parents in height and seed size.

Parent type has no effect on offspring traits.

Short parent plants always produce tall offspring.

DOK 1

3-LS3-1

Ɛhia

Why might two sunflower plants from tall parents still grow to different heights in the same garden?

They have identical genes and therefore must be the same height.

Environmental factors like soil and sunlight can affect growth even among similar plants.

One plant stops growing because traits are not inherited.

The taller plant doesn’t inherit any traits from its parents.

DOK 2

3-LS3-2

Ɛhia

Explain how the inheritance of traits connects to the sunflower’s life cycle, from seed to adult plant.

DOK 3

3-LS1-1

Sunflower Height and Seed Size - ES - LS - Inheritance and Variation

Sunflower Height and Seed Size

Table 1.

Graph of Information - Figure 1.

Graph of Information - Figure 2.

Make a claim, provide the evidence, and explain your reasoning for the statement:“Traits such as height and seed size are inherited from parent sunflowers, but variation exists among offspring.”Claim:Evidence:Reasoning:

Refer to Table 1 in the Sunflower Height and Seed Size resource.Compare the offspring of tall and short parent plants. What pattern do you notice about average height and seed size?

Which statement best explains the data pattern in Table 1?

Why might two sunflower plants from tall parents still grow to different heights in the same garden?

Explain how the inheritance of traits connects to the sunflower’s life cycle, from seed to adult plant.

Sunflower Height and Seed Size

Table 1.

Graph of Information - Figure 1.

Graph of Information - Figure 2.

Make a claim, provide the evidence, and explain your reasoning for the statement:“Traits such as height and seed size are inherited from parent sunflowers, but variation exists among offspring.”Claim:Evidence:Reasoning:

Refer to Table 1 in the Sunflower Height and Seed Size resource.Compare the offspring of tall and short parent plants. What pattern do you notice about average height and seed size?

Which statement best explains the data pattern in Table 1?

Why might two sunflower plants from tall parents still grow to different heights in the same garden?

Explain how the inheritance of traits connects to the sunflower’s life cycle, from seed to adult plant.

Make a claim, provide the evidence, and explain your reasoning for the statement:
“Traits such as height and seed size are inherited from parent sunflowers, but variation exists among offspring.”
Claim:
Evidence:
Reasoning:

Refer to Table 1 in the Sunflower Height and Seed Size resource.
Compare the offspring of tall and short parent plants. What pattern do you notice about average height and seed size?

Make a claim, provide the evidence, and explain your reasoning for the statement:
“Traits such as height and seed size are inherited from parent sunflowers, but variation exists among offspring.”
Claim:
Evidence:
Reasoning:

Refer to Table 1 in the Sunflower Height and Seed Size resource.
Compare the offspring of tall and short parent plants. What pattern do you notice about average height and seed size?