3rd Grade exploring environments and habitats

Scope and sequence

Suggested Time Frame: 3rd Grade Science Curriculum Map

• 1st Nine Weeks- Consult the 3rd Grade Science Curriculum Map for specific details.

The 3rd Grade Science Curriculum Map outlines the following information:

• 1. Recommended pacing, scope, and sequence for each unit.

  2. Alignment with standards, conceptual understandings, and performance indicators

  3. Links to Unit Concept Storyboard Maps, Content and SEP Support Documents, and Curriculum Guides

  4. Details for Evidence of Understanding, Essential Learning Experiences, and Suggested Learning Engagements

  5. Where appropriate, alignment with specific FOSS, DSM, GEMS, and STC kit Activities and Investigations

Learning goals, skills, and concepts

Learning Goals

• Students will gather data from observations (direct and indirect) and research about different environments in order to describe how the characteristics of the environment support the organisms that live there.

• Students will use information from various sources to develop food chain models to classify organisms and describe how energy is transferred in an ecosystem.

• Students will gather data from observations (direct and indirect) and research to construct explanations for how changes in habitats can be both helpful and harmful to the organisms that live there.

• Students will use information from various sources to develop models that illustrate how plants and animals respond to changes in their environment.

• Students will use evidence from observations of fossils to construct arguments about the environments in which their fossils once lived.

  • This learning goal can be addressed in this unit or in Unit 2: Exploring the Earth’s Materials and Resources.

Skills and Concepts

• Analyze and Interpret Data- SEP Support Document

• Develop and Use Models- SEP Support Document

• Obtain and Communicate Information- SEP Support Document

• Construct Arguments- SEP Support Document

• Environments- Essential Knowledge Support Document

• Food Chains- Essential Knowledge Support Document

• Changes in Habitats- Essential Knowledge Support Document

• Plant and Animal Responses- Essential Knowledge Support Document

• Fossils- Essential Knowledge Support Document

Science Concept Storyboard

This link will take you to a print-friendly version of the science concept storyboard.

Lessons and activities

Habitats Unit Planning Support Doc

Potential Instructional Strategies/Lessons/Examples

• Structures of Life (FOSS Kit) Investigations 3 and 4

• Oceans (DSM Kit) Investigations 10, 11, 12 (5th grade kit)

• Pearson SC Interactive Science Textbook:

  • Chapter 5

    • Lesson 1 (3.L.5A.1)

      • QuickLab pg.187 could be modified as students build different types of habitats

      • Lesson 1 fails to meet all parts of 3.L.5A (does not include details for all environments, content needs to be supplement in order for standard to be fully met, see resources below)

    • Lesson 2 (3.L.5A.2)

      • QuickLab pg. 197--Great intro to transfer of energy from one organism to another

        • Students need more experiences developing food chain models than this lesson provides

        • Knowledge of food webs on page 202-203 is not essential knowledge but an extension beyond this indicator

    • Lesson 3 (3.L.5B.1, 3.L.5B.2)

      • Quick Lab pg 207- Great intro to pollution's effect on organisms but students need further experience obtaining and communicating this information

        • The information in this lesson is can be used as a good introduction to these two indicators but students need further experiences obtaining the info required of these indicators-- one possible activity to supplement is to have students research and report on different changes and the way in which organisms respond.

    • Lesson 4 (3.L.5B.3)

      • Quick Lab on pg 213- Intro to the look of fossils and how they are formed

        • In order to meet the SEP tied to this indicator students should be given the opportunity to observe different fossil samples (real or teacher created) in order to gather evidence and state claims based on their observations.

    • Lab Investigation pg. 218(3.L.5B.2)

      • Lab helps students understand how animal behavior changes when the environment changes but not how plants respond to changes in their environment

• AIMS Activities: 2005 SC Science AIMS 3rd Grade Life Science w/ coinciding 2014 SC Science Standards

  • Food Chain (3.L.5A.2)

  • Chain Games (3.L.5A.2)

  • Sea Food (3.L.5A.2)---Extension into Food Webs

  • The Board of Change(3.L.5B.1, 3.L.5B.2)

  • Habitat Changes (3.L.5B.1, 3.L.5B.2)

  • Mealworm Moments, pt. 1 (3.L.5B.1, 3.L.5B.2)

  • Mealworm Moments, pt. 2 (3.L.5B.1, 3.L.5B.2)

  • Can You Dig It? (3.L.5B.3) 3rd Grade Earth Science AIMS book

  • “Leaf” a Lasting Impression (3.L.5B.3) 3rd Grade Earth Science AIMS book

  • Coordinating a Record of the Past (3.L.5B.3) 3rd Grade Earth Science AIMS book

  • Rock Recordings (3.L.5B.3) 3rd Grade Earth Science AIMS book

• The Antarctic Food Chain (3.L.5A.2)

  • This lesson introduces students to the animals of Antarctica and to the Antarctic food chain. Students will draw pictures of a variety of animals and attach the pictures to a wall collage (be sure to set aside some space on one of the classroom walls). They will then listen to or read statements about each animal's diet and draw arrows to show which animals eat which. Students will end up with a food web that illustrates the importance of krill to the Antarctic ecosystem.

• “Oh Deer” (3.L.5B.1)

  • This lesson simulates a deer habitat as a whole-class activity where students see how the availability of resources and changes to those resources impact a deer population.

• Elementary Ecosystems (3.L.5B.1, 3.L.5B.2)

  • This lesson teaches students the basics of species inter-dependency within an ecosystem or habitat. Students will perform a simple simulation to see how one species can affect many others, and gain a basic understanding of the importance of biodiversity. You may want to define and use the word "ecosystem" in the lesson.

    • Teacher Note: This activity can be done in conjunction with a food web/food chain activity where the students first develop a food web model then they enact the activity where students assume different roles within the food web to see how they are interdependent upon one another.

Additional Resources

• Habitats (3.L.5A.1)

  • This link will take you to the Smithsonian Science Education Center's Habitats App. This short, interactive activity involves students making inferences about different animals and selecting one of four habitats to place them in. While the activity itself is fairly simple, once placed, there is a link that will take you to more information about the animal, including information about how it is adapted for its habitat, including images and video clips.

• Missouri Botanical Garden Biomes and Ecosystems Webpage (3.L.5A.1)

  • This website provides background information about a wide array of biomes and habitats, including the plants and animals that live in them, as well as the different abiotic factors that impact the organisms there. This can serve as a resource for students when conducting research into different habitats and ecosystems.

• Wild Finder (3.L.5A.1)

  • This World Wildlife Federation website lets you search for different ecosystems and different animals and see what regions they live in and what other animals live with them.

• Biome/Habitat Resource (3.L.5A.1)

  • This website is part of All About Nature and Enchanted Learning and has many links to resources about different habitats and biomes and the plants and animals within them. As with any resource, be sure to preview any materials before incorporating them into the learning experience.

• Study Jams (video resources)

  • Ecosystems

  • Aquatic Ecosystems

  • Biomes

  • Food Chain

• Flocabulary

  • Food Chain

• Enchanted learning- from this main page you can access information/activities/quizzes pertaining to each environment

  • http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/

• Skwirk Videos- Types of environments

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRPs6xk29Es

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8K5pLt6vsc

• Animal Cams

  • Explore Live Cams- This page is home to a few dozen live cams of many different habitats and animals.

  • San Diego Zoo - This is the home page for the animal cams at san diego zoo

  • African Wildlife lookout cam

• National Geographic Video Resource:

  • As with any video resource, teachers should carefully preview and vet any videos before showing them to students.