3rd Grade
3rd Grade
Embedded Files
Unit 1
(coming soon)
Unit 2
(coming soon)
Unit 3
(coming soon)
Unit 4
(coming soon)
Science Pacing Rationale
Science Pacing Rationale
120 total days, 30-minute days
The USBE recommends “daily science instruction” in grades K–6, though the exact structure looks different at each grade level. According to the Elementary and Secondary School General Core Rule (R277-700): “The Superintendent shall place a greater emphasis on a student’s mastery of course material rather than completion of predetermined time allotments for courses.”
To ensure students achieve mastery of the SEEd Standards at their described proficiency levels (outlined in the SEEd Core Guides), we have allotted the following time for 3rd-grade science:
Third Grade 120 Total Days - 30-minute days
Curriculum Days ( days): Core OpenSciEd lessons.
Other Days/Flexible ( days): Reserved for assessment, reteach, enrichment, digital tools, and other district-supported resources.
We intentionally paced for 120 instructional days instead of the full 180 to reflect the realities of elementary classrooms. This structure:
Provides time at the beginning of the year for building classroom routines.
Accommodates end-of-year testing.
Preserves space for holidays, school breaks, and traditional school events that are central to the elementary experience.
3rd Grade Unit Order Rationale
3rd Grade Unit Order Rationale
The Utah SEEd 3rd grade standards are organized into three strands: 3.1 Weather and Climate Patterns, 3.2 Effects of Traits on Survival, and 3.3 Forces Affect Motion. These “strands” describe major areas of learning and outline the key ideas, practices, and ways of thinking students develop across the year. They are not intended to be taught in the order they appear or used as instructional units, but instead represent connected learning goals that build over time.
The OpenSciEd 3rd grade curriculum has been adapted for SEEd and organized into four connected units. This structure ensures that all SEEd standards are addressed in a logical, meaningful sequence that reflects how students make sense of the world through observing phenomena, asking questions, analyzing evidence, and designing solutions. Each unit builds on prior experiences and integrates the Disciplinary Core Ideas, Science and Engineering Practices, and Crosscutting Concepts outlined in the SEEd standards.
The order of units in 3rd grade is intentional. Unit 1 focuses on forces and motion, providing a foundation for understanding how objects move and interact, including contact and non-contact forces. Unit 2 builds on this by shifting to weather and climate patterns, where students analyze data and design solutions to reduce the impact of weather-related hazards. Units 3 and 4 address the SEEd strand on traits and survival. Unit 3 focuses on patterns of trait variation and how traits are inherited and influenced by the environment, while Unit 4 extends this thinking to how environmental changes impact organisms and how humans can design solutions to support survival. Together, the four units ensure that all three SEEd strands are fully addressed while maintaining a coherent progression of ideas across the year.
Unit 1 - Forces Affect Motion
Students begin the year by investigating how and why objects move, using balanced and unbalanced forces to explain motion. Through engaging with puzzling sculptures, students explore how multiple forces can act on an object to keep it stable or create predictable movement. They plan and carry out investigations to test how different forces affect motion and use evidence to explain their results. As the unit progresses, students explore non-contact forces, such as magnets, and apply their understanding to design and build a device that solves a problem.
Addresses SEEd strand 3.3 (3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 3.3.4, 3.3.5)
Unit 2 - Weather & Climate Patterns
In this unit, students investigate patterns in weather and climate and how those patterns affect everyday life. They analyze temperature and precipitation data to determine where different fruits can grow and explain how those foods are available year-round. Students use evidence from data to make predictions about weather and climate in different regions. They also explore weather-related hazards and apply engineering design to develop, test, and improve solutions that reduce the impact of those hazards.
Addresses SEEd strand 3.1 ( 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3) & SEEd standard 3.2.1
Unit 3 - Trait Variations
Students explore how and why organisms look and behave the way they do by investigating patterns of inherited traits and environmental influences. Using examples such as canines, students identify similarities and differences in traits and develop explanations for how traits are passed from parents to offspring. They also examine how environmental conditions can influence the development of traits. Through this work, students build an understanding of how variation supports survival in different environments.
Addresses SEEd standards 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3 & 3.2.4
Unit 4 - Ecosystem Change & Survival
Placed last in the sequence, this unit builds on students’ understanding of traits and extends it to how organisms survive within changing environments. Students investigate aquatic habitats and explore how changes in those environments affect plants and animals. They use evidence to explain how group behavior and habitat conditions support survival and analyze how environmental changes impact organisms differently. Students then apply engineering thinking to design and evaluate solutions that reduce the impact of environmental changes on living things.
Addresses SEEd standards 3.2.2, 3.2.4, 3.2.5 & 3.2.6
SEEd standard alignment
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