Offspring: similar but not identical | Science | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

Things that are similar …
- are completely different to each other.
- are alike in some ways. ✓
- are exactly the same as each other.
Things that are identical …
- are completely different to each other.
- are alike in some ways.
- are exactly the same as each other. ✓
What are offspring?
- An organism’s parents.
- The children or young of an organism. ✓
- Organisms that hatch from eggs.
- The places an organism lives.
All animals can make copies of themselves. This is called ______.
- 'reproduction' ✓
Which of these are able to reproduce?
- mammals ✓
- birds ✓
- rocks
- minerals
- insects ✓
What are the characteristics of a living thing?
- its features ✓
- its age
- its habitat
- its food source

Exit quiz

Which of these is the offspring of this animal?
- A
- B
- C
- D ✓
Which of these statements are correct?
- Animals produce offspring of the same kind. ✓
- Only mammals produce offspring, not fish.
- All animals can reproduce and create offspring. ✓
- Offspring are sometimes a completely different type to the parent organism.
The difference between parents and offspring is known as …
- adaptation.
- variation. ✓
- evolution.
This sheep is pregnant with offspring. The offspring will have …
- all of the exact same characteristics as its mother.
- some of the same characteristics of its mother. ✓
- none of the same characteristics as its mother.
Which of these statements are correct?
- Normally, offspring vary and are not identical to their parents. ✓
- Normally, female offspring are identical to their female parent.
- Normally, males only pass characteristics on to male offspring.
- Normally, offspring do not share any characteristics with their parents.
These rabbits have the same parents and were born at the same time. Why do they look different to each other?
- One of them is less healthy than the other two.
- They have each eaten a different type of diet.
- They have chosen their individual fur colours.
- They each share a different combination of characteristics with their parents. ✓

Worksheet

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

Living things produce offspring of the same kind.
Offspring share some characteristics of their parents.
Normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents.

Common misconception

Pupils may think that male animals get their characteristics from their father, and female animals from their mother, with no characteristics shared between offspring and parents of different sexes.

Use the images and examples in the lesson to make it clear that offspring share a combination of characteristics of both of their parents, regardless of sex.

Keywords

Offspring - Living things create offspring when they reproduce.
Similar - Things that are similar have some things in common or are alike in some ways.
Vary - To vary is to differ or change.
Identical - Things that are identical are exactly the same as each other.
Variation - A variation is a difference between two or more things.