Third Grade Science Rubrics
Topics by Trimester:
Trimester 1: Forces and Interactions
Key Concepts: Each force acts on one particular object and has both strength and directions.(3-PS2-1) The patterns of an object's motion can be observed and measured to exhibit a pattern.(3-PS2-2) Electric and magnetic forces between objects do not require the objects to be in contact.(3-PS2-3;4)
Vocabulary: Attract; Balanced Forces; Force; Friction; Gravity; Repel; Unbalanced Forces
Trimester 2: Interdependent Relationships and Ecosystems
Key Concepts: When the environment changes in ways that affect a place’s characteristics, temperature, or availability of resources, some organisms survive and reproduce, others move to new locations, and some die.(3-LS4-4) Being part of a group helps some animals obtain food, defend themselves and survive. (3-LS2-1) Some kinds of plants and animals that once lived on Earth are no longer found anywhere. (3-LS4-1) Fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long ago and also about their environments.(3-LS4-1) Some kinds of organisms survive well, some survive less well, and others cannot survive at all.(3-LS4-3)
Vocabulary: fossil, systems, organism, and habitat.
Trimester 2: Weather and Climate
Key Concepts: Scientists record patterns of the weather so they can make predictions about what kind of weather might happen next.(3-ESS2-1) Climate describes a range of an area’s typical weather conditions and the extent to which those conditions vary over years.(3-Ess2-2) Earth’s processes continuously cycle water, contributing to weather and climate.(3-ESS2-3) A variety of natural hazards result from natural processes. Humans cannot eliminate natural hazards but can take steps to reduce their impacts.(3-ESS3-1)
Vocabulary: meteorologist; climate; accumulation; weather; condensation; Seasonal; evaporation; precipitation; moisture; flood-prone; severe; region
Trimester 3: Growth and Development of Organisms
Key Concepts: Reproduction is essential to the continued existence of every kind of organism. Plants and animals have unique and diverse life cycles.(3-LS1-1) Many characteristics of organisms are inherited from their parents.(3-LS3-1) Other characteristics result from individuals’ interactions with their environment.(3-LS3-2) Some characteristics result from the interactions of both inheritance and the effect of the environment.(3-LS3-2) Sometimes the differences in characteristics between individuals of the same species provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing.(3-LS4-2)
Vocabulary: Camouflage; Exoskeleton; Frass; Inheritance; lineage; Molt; offspring; Organism; Population; Species; Trait; Variation
Independently and consistently: After instruction introducing a topic, the student has a concrete understanding and can apply skills taught.
Independently: After instruction introducing a topic, the child can complete most work with minimal teacher support.
Guidance and Support: After instruction introducing a topic, the child requires frequent check-ins from classroom teacher to support work completion and comprehension.
Significant guidance and support: After instruction introducing a topic, the child requires small group or 1:1 assistance with teacher scaffolding and tools (graphic organizers, manipulatives, sentence starters, tables, etc.)