Science

3rd Grade Next Generation Science Standards

Unit 1: Fossils and Changing Environments 

• In this unit, students develop an understanding of how animals and their environments change through time. Fossils provide a window into the animals and habitats of the past. Analyzing the traits of animals provides evidence for how those traits vary, how they are inherited, and how they have changed over time. Students also examine how the environment can affect inherited traits and determine which animals will survive in a particular environment. Standards: 3-LS4-1

Unit 2: Life Cycles 

• In this unit, students compare and contrast the life cycles of both animals and plants. Students create models to build an understanding that all organisms share certain stages in their life cycles: birth, growth, reproduction, and death. Students also explore how an understanding of life cycles can aid in solving problems that occur when there are too many or too few organisms in a particular environment. Standards: 3-LS1-1, 3-LS4-4, 3-5-ETS1-2

Unit 3: Heredity, Survival, and Selection 

•    In this unit, students compare the structures and functions of traits that enable organisms to survive in a specific environment. Analyzing the traits of animals provides evidence for how those traits vary, how they are inherited, and how they have changed over time through selection. Students also examine how the environment can affect inherited traits and determine which animals will survive in a particular environment. Standards: 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3,    3-LS3-1, 3-LS2-1, 3-LS4-2

Unit 4: Weather and Climate 

•     In this unit, students investigate and make predictions about the weather through careful observation of the clouds and wind. Students also learn to differentiate between weather and climate and use models to reveal global climate patterns. Standards: 3-5-ETS1-2, 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-ESS2-2, 3-ESS3-1, 3-ESS2-1, 3-5-ETS1-3

Unit 5: Forces, Motion, and Magnets 

•    In this unit, students explore the forces all around them. They investigate the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces, the pushes and pulls of bridge structures, and the effects of friction on the motion of objects. Students also explore the power of magnetic forces and investigate firsthand how these forces can be used to help us in our everyday lives. Standards: 3-5-ETS1-3, 3-PS2-4, 3-5-ETS1-2, 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-PS2-3, 3-PS2-1, 3-PS2-2