Student Name: Date:

Lesson Check: Reproduction and Growth of Animals

1) Of the following, which is NOT a courtship behavior?

A) birds singing
B) fireflies lighting up
C) frogs croaking
D) dogs digging

2) Animal communication includes _____.

A) courtship behavior
B) aggression
C) pheromones
D) all of the above

3) Innate behavior increases the survival of young animals because it allows an animal to respond
to a stimulus without choosing the proper response.

True

False

4) Which animal behavior attracts mates by competing with members of the same species?

A) aggression
B) submission
C) territory
D) courtship

5) Female gypsy moths release chemicals called to attract males.

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Student Name: Date:

Lesson Check: Reproduction and Growth of Animals

6) Tadpoles survive hatching in water because they are born knowing how to swim. This is an
example of _____.

A) learned behavior
B) innate behavior
C) social behavior
D) none of the above

7) The mating season for white-tailed deer is just two to three months long. Male deer grow
antlers before each breeding season. They use their antlers to fight each other to establish
dominance in bachelor herds and earn the right to mate with certain females.
Scientists claim that this aggressive behavior increases the chances of successful reproduction
for the entire deer population.
Which statement best supports this claim?

A) Healthier male deer are able to grow larger antlers.

B) Healthier males are better able to protect their young.
C) This behavior extends the length of the mating season.
D) This behavior gives healthier males a better chance to mate.

8) Which behavior, carried out by horses, elephants and many other animals, helps offspring
survive?

A) herding
B) nest building
C) courtship
D) imprinting

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Answer Key with Questions
Lesson Check: Reproduction and Growth of Animals

1) Of the following, which is NOT a courtship behavior?

A) birds singing
B) fireflies lighting up
C) frogs croaking
D) dogs digging

Correct Answer
D) dogs digging

2) Animal communication includes _____.

A) courtship behavior
B) aggression
C) pheromones
D) all of the above

Correct Answer
D) all of the above

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Answer Key with Questions
Lesson Check: Reproduction and Growth of Animals

3) Innate behavior increases the survival of young animals because it allows an animal to
respond to a stimulus without choosing the proper response.

True

False

Correct Answer
True

4) Which animal behavior attracts mates by competing with members of the same species?

A) aggression
B) submission
C) territory
D) courtship

Correct Answer
D) courtship

5) Female gypsy moths release chemicals called to attract males.

Correct Answer
pheromones

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Answer Key with Questions
Lesson Check: Reproduction and Growth of Animals

6) Tadpoles survive hatching in water because they are born knowing how to swim. This is an
example of _____.

A) learned behavior
B) innate behavior
C) social behavior
D) none of the above

Correct Answer
B) innate behavior

7) The mating season for white-tailed deer is just two to three months long. Male deer grow
antlers before each breeding season. They use their antlers to fight each other to establish
dominance in bachelor herds and earn the right to mate with certain females.
Scientists claim that this aggressive behavior increases the chances of successful
reproduction for the entire deer population.
Which statement best supports this claim?

A) Healthier male deer are able to grow larger antlers.

B) Healthier males are better able to protect their young.
C) This behavior extends the length of the mating season.
D) This behavior gives healthier males a better chance to mate.

Correct Answer
D) This behavior gives healthier males a better chance to mate.

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Answer Key with Questions
Lesson Check: Reproduction and Growth of Animals

8) Which behavior, carried out by horses, elephants and many other animals, helps offspring
survive?

A) herding
B) nest building
C) courtship
D) imprinting

Correct Answer
A) herding

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Answer Key with Questions
Lesson Check: Reproduction and Growth of Animals

9) Baby whales are born in water tail first. Immediately afterwards, the mother whale pushes
the baby to the surface for its first breath. What kind of behavior is this?

Correct Answer
Answers may vary.

Explanation

innate behavior

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Answer Key with Questions
Lesson Check: Reproduction and Growth of Animals

10) Male peacocks display their tails as they strut before females. Classify this behavior.
Then, develop an argument that this behavior is related to successful reproduction in this
species.

Correct Answer
Answers may vary.

Explanation

Male peacocks displaying their tails is courtship behavior. This behavior affects the
reproductive success of the species because it helps the male attract a mate. Organisms

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Answer Key with Questions
Lesson Check: Reproduction and Growth of Animals

that cannot attract a mate cannot successfully reproduce, so this behavior is directly related
to reproductive success of the species.

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Extended-Response Rubric
Level of
Understanding Evidence of Understanding

Student response provides clear evidence of using the dimensions* to make sense
of scientific phenomena and/or to design solutions to problems. Student is able to:
Demonstrating ▪ Identify that this is courtship behavior;
3 Expected
AND
Understanding
▪ Make a support an argument that this behavior is related to reproductive success of
the species

Student response provides partial evidence of using the dimensions* to make

sense of scientific phenomena and/or to design solutions to problems. The
response lacks some critical information and details or contains some errors.
Student is able to:
Progressing ▪ Identify that this is courtship behavior BUT the argument that this behavior is
2 toward related to reproductive success of the species is not supported;
Understanding
OR
▪ Develop an argument that this behavior is related to reproductive success of the
species BUT has not correctly classified this as courtship behavior

Beginning
Student response is incomplete or provides minimal evidence of using the
1 to
dimensions* to make sense of scientific phenomena and/or to design solutions to
Develop
problems.
Understanding
Student does not respond or student response is inaccurate, irrelevant, or contains
Not Showing
0 insufficient evidence of using the dimensions* to make sense of scientific
Understanding
phenomena and/or to design solutions to problems.

*As outlined in the Performance Expectations (PE) of the NGSS, the three dimensions are the disciplinary core ideas (DCI), science and
engineering practices (SEP), and crosscutting concepts (CCC). Note that due to the complexity of the PEs, individual assessment items
may not address all three dimensions.

Scoring Notes:
Possible answers include:
Male peacocks displaying their tails is courtship behavior. This behavior affects the reproductive success of the
species because it helps the male attract a mate. Organisms that cannot attract a mate cannot successfully
reproduce, so this behavior is directly related to reproductive success of the species.