The thematic model in Grade 3 is divided into four bundles that build on one another and increase in intellectual demand both in terms of content and the science and engineering practices. While other Crosscutting Concepts are included at this grade level, the crosscutting concepts of cause and effect is a theme that carries throughout the year.
The Grade 3 Disciplinary Core Ideas in physical science focus on forces and explanations for types of interactions involving motion, electricity, and magnetism. Core ideas in life science include life cycles of organisms, fossils as evidence of major changes over time in the environment, and traits influenced by inheritance and the environment. These ideas contribute to building the understanding that variations in traits among individuals of the same species can provide advantages in survival and reproduction. The core ideas in Earth and space science emphasize weather patterns, climates, and the connection between the two.
Motion and Stability:L Forces and Interactions
Earth's Systems
From Molecules to Organisms: Structure and Processes
Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Earth's Systems
Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Earth's Systems
Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Earth's Systems
Engineering Design