Third Grade-Thematic Units
Forces & Motion
Our introductory forces unit provide students with an understanding of the invisible pushes and pulls that operate in the world around them. Students came to realize that forces let us do surprising things — from building a sturdy bridge out of paper to using the pull of a rubber band to send a cardboard “hopper” flying. Students make connections to the world around them when thinking about the force of friction when sliding down a playground slide, or the invisible force that makes magnets cling to the refrigerator. Hands-on activities focus on engineering, investigation, cause and effect, and patterns.
Life Cycles, Evolution and Heredity
Students began a study of life science with life cycles. During this study students discover that some stages of life cycles including birth, growth, reproduction, and death are common to all life cycles. After looking at life cycles, students specifically investigate plant life cycles and how traits are inherited from parent plants. They explore (by tasting apples) how favorable plant traits can be enhanced by selection. Additionally, students understand how the life cycle of one organism can affect the life cycle of another (cause and effect).
Weather and Climate
During this unit of study, students plants and grow a variety of vegetables, taking frequent observations of the stages of development. This unit is closely tied with our economics unit, concluding with a very successful plant sale! The last few weeks of school, students investigate and make predictions about the weather through careful observation of the clouds and wind. Students learn to differentiate between weather and climate and use models to reveal global climate patterns.