3rd Grade Science

In Module 1, students focus on what plant and animals need to survive. Students learn all organisms have external parts and different animals use their body parts in different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water and air. Students also learn that plants have different parts (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits) that help them survive and grow. Click here to learn more facts about Animal and Plant Defenses!

In Module 2, students focus on why we use different materials for different things. Students learn that properties can be either solid or liquid, depending on temperature, and that matter can be described and classified by its observable properties. Click here to learn more facts about Properties of Materials!

In Module 3, students focus on what landforms are made of and if they are capable of changing shapes. Students learn that some landform events happen very quickly and others occur very slowly, over a time period much longer than one can observe. Click here to learn more facts about Changing Landforms!

In this unit, students develop an understanding of how animals and their environments have changed through time. Fossils provide a window into the animals and habitats of the past. Analyzing the traits of animals that are alive today and comparing them to fossils, provides evidence of how these ancient organisms and environments of the past may have appeared. Click here to learn more facts about Animals Through Time!

In this unit, students learn that scientists record patterns of the weather across different times and areas so that they can make predictions about what kind of weather might happen next. In addition, they learn that for any particular environment, some kinds of organisms survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. Students learn how scientists measure and compare weather between one place and another. Click here to learn more facts about 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. Click here to learn more facts about Stormy Skies!

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 gravity and friction on the motion of objects. Students also explore the power of magnetic forces and design solutions to everyday problems using their knowledge of these forces. Click here to learn more facts about Invisible Forces!