Topic 28 · How parents pass on instructions — the question types, for your rulings

Skill: course-build → write-mcqs → write-explanation, design-check-sequence @ cca3af6 · reviewed and amended by review-questions @ cca3af6 (8 Oct 2026: items 2, 9, 14, 15, 17, 21, 24, 26, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 42, 44, 45, 49, 50, 51 rewritten; numbering and tags unchanged)

Topic 28 — How parents pass on instructions — the PP100's question types, with their exemplars

What this page is. James reads a bank as its question TYPES first (vault: A bank is reviewed as its question types first, one exemplar each). Under the Grade 5 standing brief the bank is built straight away (52 items in content/G5T28_pp100_bank.py); this sheet is the way in. Each type line says what the stem asks and what the options (or the accept list) are, and prints one exemplar in full. Tags follow depth of reasoning — easy = a one-step match, source or prediction; medium = the rule applied to a fresh case, a reason picked, a drawn table read, a word produced one step from the rule; hard = the register's documented belief judged by its correct reason, two ideas chained, a set answer, the boundary judged, a prediction word produced — and rise with the atom's order: LIF5-030 (match a young one to its parent) eight easy, three medium, one hard; LIF5-031 (parents pass instructions) six easy, four medium, three hard; LIF5-032 (a different mix) five easy, four medium, four hard; LIF5-033 (the surroundings change how a trait develops, the capstone) three easy, six medium, five hard. Every hard item carries a one-line "hard because" (hb) in the bank file.

Rulings already applied. Four options on every MCQ (fixed sets: the four sources "instructions its parents passed to it / the food it ate / the place it was born / what it learned", the key always the first and the set rotated; the height set "taller / shorter / the same height / taller, with a new color"; the size set "bigger / smaller / the same size / bigger, with a new color"); no option bundles a verdict with its reason (the one bank claim is "Elio is wrong. What is the correct reason?" with four single-statement reasons; no tier-2 exception used); every stem is a positive question of at most two sentences unless tagged hard; drawn tables carry traits or readings as data and the blind text lists the cells, never the verdict; no term is coined in this topic, so the typed keys are the register's plain words inside the rule lines — "instructions" (three items), "taller" and "shorter" (one each), child spellings in the accept lists; two multi-selects, where the answer is genuinely a set; every item names ONE atom; US spelling; units as words in prose, numerals on drawings. MCQ keys A 10 · B 12 · C 12 · D 11. KEY TELLS: 0 of 107 MCQs flagged.

The bar list (things a generated item must never use): "DNA", "gene", "genes", "genetic" (LIF5-031's cross note holds them for grades 6-8; Arizona's "genetic information" is the open question for James); "ewe", "fleece" (the mother sheep; its wool); "gravity", "leak", "lift", "snap"; a trait that skips a generation, dominance, "natural selection"; any lesson scene (lambs, sheep, the barn, Vermont; the gray cat and kittens; the sunflower seed card; Enzo's dad at the gym; Ella and her sister's hair; the kitten litter; Enzo's bean pots, rich and sandy soil; the two lambs and their milk; the short plant's seeds); any quiz, attached, summary, practice or recall-bank scene (gray cat with a white chest; cow with a head patch; duck's orange bill; black horse with a nose stripe; the puppy trait table; striped kitten with a short tail; white rabbit's ears; gardener's sunflowers; chick and three hens; goat with a white beard; kitten's gray fur; foal's white star; elephant's ears; dog with hanging ears and a notch; purple bean flowers; Ella's dog's tricks; cat's notched ear; tied apple tree; five puppies; sisters' green eyes; brothers' red and brown hair; gerbils; pumpkin seeds; marigolds; ducklings' down; three brothers' ears; carrots and water; two fed puppies; the pepper-plant table; fern in shade; bean in poor soil; short sunflower's seeds; trout; apple trees on a hilltop; corn plant; big goat; spotted dog with a curly tail; runner's legs; oak acorns; two black cats; scooter scar; cliff pine; pig with an eye patch; llama; parrot's words; three sisters' curls; pea seeds; rose cutting; calves and milk; webbed duckling; spotted horses; rabbit's long ears; goat's horn buds; skating boy; five chicks; big calf; wilted tomato; the robin's nest); a claim-maker from another topic's row (only Elio, Ella and Enzo); a non-US animal or place; "biggest / smallest" for an amount.

The ten types

Type	Items	Atom	Tags	Form	The stem asks…	The options / the accept	Exemplar scenes
1	4	030	easy	MCQ	a parent's two traits named; which of four described young ones is most likely hers	four young ones, each sharing none, one or both traits	guinea pig; parakeet; goose; white mouse
2	6	030	easy → medium	MCQ, two drawn	the reverse match (which parent), what to check, and two trait tables read (medium)	four parents / four checks / the table's four columns	goldfish; snapdragon; baby deer; kitten table; goat table
3	2	030	medium → hard	MCQ and multi	why a trait is the wrong one to check yet; the TWO young ones that share both traits (multi, hard)	four reasons / four kittens	young swan; black cat with a white tail tip
4	3	031	easy	MCQ, the source set	an inherited trait named; what set it	instructions its parents passed to it / the food it ate / the place it was born / what it learned	cardinal; baby raccoon; bison calf
5	6	031	easy → medium	MCQ	where the instructions came from, when, what a seed carries from its parent trees; which trait of four came from the instructions; what a trained parent's young is born with; why chicks hatch with their parents' beak	four sources / four times / four things carried / four sentences / four traits	squirrel; bullfrog; maple seed; beaver; jumping horse; woodpecker
6	4	031	medium → hard	typed and MCQ	the one word for what the parents passed (typed); the claim's correct reason (hard); the inherited and the acquired trait on one animal (hard)	instructions, with child spellings / four reasons / four sentences	baby deer's spots; blacksmith (Elio's claim); rooster's torn comb; trained otter
7	7	032	easy → medium	MCQ	what each young one got; why two siblings differ or match; which sentence is true of siblings	four single-statement reasons or sentences	baby foxes; bear cubs; bluebirds; goslings; hamsters; flower seeds; two sisters
8	6	032	medium → hard	MCQ, typed, multi	which sentence corrects a child's "all the same" claim; why every kitten has one trait; the one word for what the mix is made of (typed, hard); a matching and a differing trait at once (hard); the TWO true sentences of a litter (multi, hard)	four sentences / instructions / four sentences / four sentences	eight puppies; long whiskers; chipmunks; rabbits; two brothers; mice
9	5	033	easy → medium	MCQ, the height or size set	the same kind in two surroundings: how does the trait develop, compared with the other	taller / shorter / the same height / taller, with a new color; bigger / smaller / the same size / bigger, with a new color	lettuce (a garden bed, two soils); mint (two pots, rich soil and sand); young deer; strawberries; turtle
10	9	033	medium → hard	MCQ, drawn tables, typed	four-row tables read for a prediction (which pot most likely grows tallest; which two pots show what the soil alone does; which turkey is most likely shortest from its feed); why the right-hand pot's plant is short; the parent's small size does not pass, on a plant (hard) and carried a generation forward on an animal (hard); the prediction word produced for two plants in two soils (typed, hard); which sentence says the instructions did not change (hard)	the four pots / four turkeys / four sentences / taller or shorter	radish table; turkey table; two drawn pots; squash; two hens' chicks; two maple trees; two cucumber plants; grape vine

Hard because — type 3: a set of two matches from four. Type 6: the register's SD-4 belief judged by its correct reason; the inherited and the acquired trait chained on one animal; the word produced after the acquired trait is set aside. Type 8: the word produced from the mix rule; a parentage claim judged by the rule; a matching and a differing trait in one pair; a set of two true sentences. Type 10: the boundary judged (the parent's size came from its surroundings, so the seeds' instructions are unchanged); the prediction word produced for two plants in two soils; the boundary carried a generation forward on an animal (the small hen's size came from her feed, so her chicks' instructions are unchanged and both broods grow alike).

⟂ draw constraints (never two on one test): PP-33 ⟂ PP-34 (the same radish table, two asks); PP-29 ⟂ PP-43 ⟂ PP-46 (the three typed "instructions" items); PP-50 ⟂ PP-51 (the two typed prediction words); PP-41 ⟂ PP-42 ⟂ PP-43 (a trained or injured parent whose young is born without the trait, three animals); PP-48 ⟂ PP-49 ⟂ PP-52 (the parent's small size does not pass: squash, the two hens' chicks, then grape vine); PP-20 ⟂ PP-21 (the height set on two soils: a garden bed, then two pots); PP-23 ⟂ PP-24 (two trait tables); PP-29 ⟂ PP-43 ⟂ PP-46 ⟂ any MCQ whose options print "instructions" — PP-9, PP-10, PP-11, PP-14, PP-15, PP-16, PP-18, PP-28, PP-30, PP-32, PP-33, PP-37, PP-41, PP-44, PP-45, PP-47, PP-49, PP-52 (a typed "instructions" item never sits on a test beside an item that prints the word; adjudication, 8 Oct 2026); PP-9 / PP-10 / PP-11 (the source set: at most two per test).

One exemplar per type, in full

Type 1 (easy, LIF5-030). A guinea pig has a rough black-and-white coat. Which young guinea pig is most likely hers? — a young one with a smooth black-and-white coat / a young one with a rough plain brown coat / a young one with a rough black-and-white coat / a young one with a smooth plain brown coat. Why: To match an offspring to its parent, check one trait at a time. Only one young guinea pig shares both the rough coat and the black-and-white color. So that one is most likely hers. (nearest lesson-side instance: Lesson 1 (Match a young one to its parent), question 1, the cow and calf — the same move, two traits, three options there)

Type 2 (medium, LIF5-030, drawn). [pp_kitten_table: mother cat orange fur, short tail; four kittens: orange long, gray short, orange short, gray long] Here is a table of a mother cat's traits and four kittens' traits. Which kitten is most likely hers? — the first kitten / the second kitten / the third kitten / the fourth kitten. Why: Check one trait at a time. The first kitten shares the orange fur but has a long tail; the second shares the short tail but is gray; the fourth shares neither. Only the third kitten shares the orange fur and the short tail, so it is most likely hers. (nearest: Lesson 1 (Match a young one to its parent), question 4, the puppy table — three puppies there, four kittens here)

Type 3 (hard, LIF5-030, multi). A black cat with a white tip on her tail has two kittens in a basket of four. Select the TWO kittens that are most likely hers. — a black kitten with a white tip on its tail / a black kitten with a plain tail / a smaller black kitten with a white tip on its tail / a gray kitten with a white tip on its tail. Why: Check one trait at a time: the fur, then the tail tip. The black kitten with the white tip and the smaller black kitten with the white tip share both traits; size does not count against a match. So those two kittens are most likely hers. Hard because: the answer is a set.

Type 4 (easy, LIF5-031). A cardinal chick grows bright red feathers, like its father. What set the red feathers? — instructions its parents passed to it / the food it ate / the place it was born / what it learned. Why: Parents pass instructions to their offspring. The instructions set the offspring's inherited traits, like red feathers. So instructions from its parents set the red feathers. (nearest: Lesson 2 (Parents pass instructions to their young), question 1, the gray kitten — three options there)

Type 5 (medium, LIF5-031). A beaver was born with a flat tail, later chipped a tooth on a log, scraped its paw on a rock, and learned to slap its tail to warn others. Which of these did its parents' instructions set? — the chipped tooth / the flat tail / the tail slap it learned / the scrape on its paw. Why: The instructions set the inherited traits: the ones a living thing had from the start. The flat tail was there from the start; the chipped tooth, the scrape and the learned slap came from how it lived. So the instructions set the flat tail. (nearest: Lesson 2 (Parents pass instructions to their young), question 4, the dog with hanging ears and a notch)

Type 6 (hard, LIF5-031). Elio says a blacksmith who hammered iron for thirty years will have a baby born with strong arms. Elio is wrong. What is the correct reason? — A baby is born with no strong traits at all. / A blacksmith passes no instructions to a baby. / The strong arms came from hammering, not from the instructions. / Strong arms come only from a mother, never from a father. Why: A trait a parent got from how it lived is not in the instructions. The blacksmith's strong arms came from thirty years of hammering. So the baby is born without them, and Elio is wrong. Hard because: the register's SD-4 belief judged by its correct reason among three wrong reasons. (nearest: Lesson 2 (Parents pass instructions to their young), question 6, Ella's dog's tricks, bare yes / no)

Type 7 (easy, LIF5-032). Two bear cubs with the same mother and father differ: one has a white patch on its chest, and the other does not. What is the reason? — The cub with the patch was born first. / The cub with the patch ate more fish. / Each cub got a different mix of instructions. / The two cubs have different fathers. Why: Each offspring gets a different mix of instructions from its two parents. One cub's mix says a white patch, and the other's does not. So the cubs differ. (nearest: Lesson 3 (Why brothers and sisters are not the same), question 3, the brothers' hair — four options there too, a different trait)

Type 8 (hard, LIF5-032, typed). Two chipmunks from one litter have different stripe patterns. Each got a different mix of something from the same two parents. Type the one word for what each got a different mix of. — accept instructions / the instructions / its instructions / instruction / … and the child spellings; wrong_fb for stripes, traits, food. Why: Each offspring gets a different mix of instructions from its two parents. One chipmunk's mix says one stripe pattern, and the other's says another. The one word is instructions. Hard because: the register's word produced from the mix rule, not picked. (nearest: PR-12, the webbed duckling — the same word produced from the Lesson 2 (Parents pass instructions to their young) rule there)

Type 9 (easy, LIF5-033). Two lettuce seeds from one packet are planted in rich soil and in poor soil, in the same sunny bed. How does the plant in the poor soil grow, compared with the other? — taller / shorter / the same height / taller, with a new color. Why: The surroundings change how a trait develops. The same kind of plant grows taller in rich soil and shorter in poor soil. So the plant in the poor soil grows shorter. (nearest: Lesson 4 (Surroundings change how a trait develops), question 1, the two carrots — two options there)

Type 10 (hard, LIF5-033, typed). Two young maple trees from one tree's seeds are planted: one in thin, rocky soil and one in deep, rich soil. After five years, how tall is the rich-soil tree, compared with the other? Type the one word. — accept taller / the taller / tall / higher / grows taller / …; wrong_fb for shorter, same, better, faster. Why: The surroundings change how a trait develops. Deep, rich soil gives the tree more of what it needs. The one word is taller. Hard because: the prediction word produced from two surroundings, not picked. (nearest: Lesson 4 (Surroundings change how a trait develops), question 8, the two apple trees — a pick there, the word produced here)

The design-move inventory (one line per item: the move, the scene kind, the nearest earlier item)

#	d	Atom	Move	Scene kind	Nearest earlier
1–4	easy	030	pick the young one that shares both named traits (four described)	guinea pig coat; parakeet head; goose neck and feet; mouse eyes	Lesson 1 (Match a young one to its parent), question 1, q3 (three options)
5–7	easy	030	pick the parent (reverse) for a described young one	goldfish tail; snapdragon petals; baby deer's stripe	Lesson 1 (Match a young one to its parent), question 8 (chick and hens)
8	easy	030	what to check to match	a young bird	Lesson 1 (Match a young one to its parent) rule
9–11	easy	031	what set the inherited trait (source set)	cardinal feathers; raccoon mask; bison hump	Lesson 2 (Parents pass instructions to their young), question 1
12–14	easy	031	where from / when / what a seed carries	squirrel tail; tadpoles; maple seed	Lesson 2 (Parents pass instructions to their young), question 2, q3, q5
15–19	easy	032	what each got; why siblings differ; what is true; why a trait matches; where the mix came from	baby foxes; bear cubs; bluebirds; goslings; hamsters	Lesson 3 (Why brothers and sisters are not the same), question 1, q3, q9, q2, q4
20–22	easy	033	predict the trait in two surroundings (height / size set)	lettuce soil (a bed); mint soil (two pots); deer food	Lesson 4 (Surroundings change how a trait develops), question 1, q8
23–24	medium	030	read a trait table (four candidates)	kitten table; goat table	Lesson 1 (Match a young one to its parent), question 4
25	medium	030	why one trait is not yet there to check	young swan	new (a trait that shows later; the Lesson 2 (Parents pass instructions to their young) sunflower petals line)
26–28	medium	031	which trait came from the instructions; a trained parent's young; why chicks hatch with the beak	beaver; jumping horse; woodpecker	Lesson 2 (Parents pass instructions to their young), question 4, q6, q1
29	medium	031	the word produced (typed)	baby deer's spots	PR-12
30–31	medium	032	why seeds from one plant differ; what is true of two sisters	flower seeds; two sisters	Lesson 3 (Why brothers and sisters are not the same), question 6, q9
32–33	medium	032	correct an "all the same" claim; why every kitten shares one trait	eight puppies; long whiskers	Lesson 3 (Why brothers and sisters are not the same), question 1, q2
34–37	medium	033	predict from four-row tables (which pot grows tallest; which two pots show the soil's effect alone; which turkey is shortest from its feed); why the drawn right-hand plant is short	radish table ×2; turkey table; two drawn pots	Lesson 4 (Surroundings change how a trait develops), question 3
38–39	medium	033	predict with the size set after a watering or feeding change	strawberries; turtle	Lesson 4 (Surroundings change how a trait develops), question 2
40	hard	030	select the TWO that match (multi)	black cat, white tail tip	Lesson 1 (Match a young one to its parent), question 9 (two kids that match)
41	hard	031	the claim's correct reason	blacksmith	Lesson 2 (Parents pass instructions to their young), question 6
42	hard	031	inherited and acquired on one animal	rooster's combs	Lesson 2 (Parents pass instructions to their young), question 7
43	hard	031	the word produced after the acquired trait is set aside (typed)	trained otter	PP-29
44	hard	032	a parentage claim judged by the mix rule	rabbit litter	Lesson 3 (Why brothers and sisters are not the same), question 7
45	hard	032	a matching and a differing trait at once	two brothers	Lesson 3 (Why brothers and sisters are not the same), question 9
46	hard	032	the word produced from the mix rule (typed)	chipmunks	PP-29
47	hard	032	the TWO true sentences (multi)	mice	Lesson 3 (Why brothers and sisters are not the same), question 9
48	hard	033	the parent's small size does not pass (size set)	squash	Lesson 4 (Surroundings change how a trait develops), question 6
49	hard	033	the parent's small size does not pass, carried a generation forward on an animal (two broods in one coop)	two hens' chicks	Lesson 4 (Surroundings change how a trait develops), question 6; PP-48 (a plant)
50–51	hard	033	the prediction word produced for two plants in two soils (typed)	two maple trees; two cucumber plants	Lesson 4 (Surroundings change how a trait develops), question 8
52	hard	033	which sentence says the instructions did not change	grape vine	Lesson 4 (Surroundings change how a trait develops), question 5