3rd Grade - Science

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Life Sciences Physical Sciences Science and Technology Scientific Inquiry Scientific Ways
of Knowing

(A) Earth and Space Sciences

(Based on State of Ohio
Curriculum Standards)

1. Compare distinct properties of rocks (e.g., color, layering and texture).

 
  1. Rocks - Do this several times. You'll get new matches each time. From Quia

Gizmos are fun, easy to use, and flexible enough to support many different teaching styles and contexts. 

You will present to your students a visual animated manipulative allowing for an easier and faster teaching pedagogy.

You will discover this tool strategically located throughout the website

 

2. Observe and investigate that rocks are often found in layers.

 
  1. Rocks For Kids-How rocks and minerals are formed.
  2. Grand Canyon-Rock layers in the Grand Canyon

3. Describe that smaller rocks come from the breakdown of larger rocks through the actions of plants and weather.

 
  1. The Rock Cycle   4 Star
  2. Ricky The Rapping Rock  4 Star
  3. Rock Cycle Song
  4. Fast Facts About Rocks and Minerals
  5. This Planet Really Rocks

4. Observe and describe the composition of soil (e.g., small pieces of rock and decomposed pieces of plants and animals, and products of plants and animals).

 
  1. Experiment with Rocks and Soils by using an interactive BBC site  4 Star
  2. Rocks and Soil - Investigate the relationship between rocks and soil
  3. Sand Grains: Chips Off The Old Rock -
  4. Soil Matchup (3rd grade level) from Quia

5. Investigate the properties of soil (e.g., color, texture, capacity to retain water, ability to support plant growth).

 
  1. Ask the Answer Worm! - It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it - S.K.Worm, the official annelid, or worm, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service answers students questions about soil.
  2. Properties of Soil - Take an elevator ride from the surface to the bedrock below.
  3. Jeopardy-Water Cycle, Soil, Earth Patterns, Simple Machines, Matter, and Energy.

6. Investigate that soils are often found in layers and can be different from place to place.

 
  1. Take a soil quiz
  2. Picture of a black sand beach with the rocks that the sand is made from
  3. Coral Pink Sand Dunes - in Southwestern Utah

(B) Life Sciences

1. Compare the life cycles of different animals including birth to adulthood, reproduction and death (e.g., egg-tadpole-frog, egg-caterpillar-chrysalis-butterfly).

 
  1. WebQuest on Animal Life Cycles
  2. Salmon Life Cycle - (from Enchanted Learning)
  3. Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle - coloring page from Enchanted Learning
  4. Mealworm/Darkling Beetle Life Cycle
  5. Label the Life Cycle of the Mealworm/Darkling Beetle Diagram
  6. Painted Lady Butterfly Life Cycle - (from Enchanted Learning)
  7. Painted Lady Butterfly Life Cycle Sequencing Cards - Print the page, then cut the cards out. The student then puts the cards in order. (from Enchanted Learning)
  8. Frog Life Cycle - (from Enchanted Learning)
  9. Frog Life Cycle Quiz - (from Enchanted Learning)
  10. Ant Life Cycle - (from Enchanted Learning)
  11. Ant Life Cycle Sequencing Cards - Print the page, then cut the cards out. The student then puts the cards in order. (from Enchanted Learning)
  12. Animal Life Cycle Printouts (caution, some are for Enchanted Learning members only)
  13. Hams Hall Pond-This is a great interactive site where students can learn about life cycles, food chains, and more in a virtual pond.
  14. Smart Board Lesson by:  Mrs.  Trepal

2. Relate animal structures to their specific survival functions (e.g., obtaining food, escaping or hiding from enemies).

 
  1. Ants-Watch this movie that shows the movement of ants.  
  2. Ants and Their Food-Watch a Power Point presentation about ants and their food.  Student created report.
  3. Bats - A Thematic Resource for Teachers and Students
  4. Animal Adaptations -  Great interactive site

3. Classify animals according to their characteristics (e.g., body coverings and body structure).

 
  1. Classify organisms in this interactive quiz from the BBC (birds, insects, mammals, or plants)
  2. Artic Adventure-We're looking for a smart explorer who knows how Arctic animals cope with the big chill.

4. Use examples to explain that extinct organisms may resemble organisms that are alive today.

 
  1. Threatened and Endangered Plants and Animals - a database posted by the U S Fish and Wildlife Service
  2. Endangered Species - Click on a state for lists of endangered species in that state

5. Observe and explore how fossils provide evidence about animals that lived long ago and the nature of the environment at that time.

 
  1. Fossils - Clues to the Past - Fossils provide clues to what life was like in ancient times.
  2. Fantastic Fossil Finds

6. Describe how changes in an organism's habitat are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful.

 
  1. Interdependence and Adaptation
  2. Going Going Gone- Extinction
  3. Habitat Adventure:  Panda Challenge
  4. Exploring Ecosystems-This site has information on three ecosystems: Desert, Arctic, and Everglades. There is great info on what animals do to survive in these environments, especially in the desert section, and less so in the arctic section.
     

(C) Physical Sciences
1. Describe an objects position by locating it relative to another object or the background.
  1. Force and Motion-Video about Force
2. Describe an objects motion by tracing and measuring its position over time.
  1. A java applet which allows your students to collect data to make calculations regarding velocity and acceleration due to gravity. Further calculations can be made with a second version of this applet.
  2. Putt-putt golf applet which asks your students to experiment with velocity and acceleration.
3. Identify contact/non contact forces that affect motion of an object (e.g., gravity, magnetism and collision).
  1. Gravity and what it does - from Our Place in Space
  2. Magnets and Springs - use this interactive BBC site to experiment with which objects are attracted to a magnet, then take a quiz.
  3. What is attracted to magnets? - Experiments with magnets and our surroundings
  4. Take a Magnet quiz at Quiz
  5. Magnet quiz in the form of a Who Wants to be a Millionaire game
  6. Magnetic Testing
  7. Forces-Magnetism
  8. Magnetic Force - this BBC activity is followed by an interactive worksheet
  9. Magnetism Movie - BrainPop-This is a cute animated movie on magnetism, as well as an interactive quiz
  10. Gravity example   You will find this to be a interesting method to illustrate how gravity will affect a item..

 

 
4. Predict the changes when an object experiences a force (e.g., a push or pull, weight and friction).
  1. Forces Lab-This Lab simplifies the real-life forces and actions that affect structures, in order to illustrate key concepts.
  2. Revise Wise Science-Forces-Gravity/Friction
  3. Funderstanding Roller Coaster! - Your mission is to design a coaster so that you can achieve maximum thrills and chills without crashing or flying off the track.
  4. Gravity & Friction - a BBC Interactive

 

 (D) Science and Technology

1. Describe how technology can extend human abilities (e.g., to move things and to extend senses).
  1. Experiments - Explore the fun and excitement of science and technology with these activities! Some of them are to do at home with various ordinary materials, others are interactive online activities.
2. Describe ways that using technology can have helpful and/or harmful results.
  1. Simple Machines   This website will allow the students to view many different machine though out the home.
3. Investigate ways that the results of technology may affect the individual, family and community.
  1. Power Point Presentation.  This is an outstanding presentation how how technology has affected all of us.  It is highly recommended that the teacher view this power point prior to showing it in class.
4. Use a simple design process to solve a problem (e.g., identify a problem, identify possible solutions and design a solution).
  1. Materials Lab-This lab simplifies the real-life properties of a selection of materials, in order to illustrate key concepts.
5. Describe possible solutions to a design problem (e.g., how to hold down paper in the wind).
  1. Melting and Boiling- an interactive site from Harcourt Schools Publishers

 (E) Scientific Inquiry
1. Select the appropriate tools and use relevant safety procedures to measure and record length and weight in metric and English units.
  1. Measurement-Using the balance
  2. Measurement-Length, volume, and temperature
2. Discuss observations and measurements made by other people.  
3. Read and interpret simple tables and graphs produced by self/others.  
4. Identify and apply science safety procedures.
  1. Icky Experiments - Fun activities for children
  2. ScienceBob.com - meet Bob, find cool experiments, get answers to your questions, and find sites about the science topic of your choice.
5. Record and organize observations (e.g., journals, charts and tables).
  1. Balls and Ramp-Measure the distance different balls move a cup.
  2. Animal Adaptation-What is animal adaptation and how are animals adapted to where they live? Let's find out!
6. Communicate scientific findings to others through a variety of methods (e.g., pictures, written, oral and recorded observations).
  1. Follow Those Tracks
  2. Make a Lemon Battery - Steps for creating electricity from a lemon.

 (F) Scientific Ways of Knowing

1. Describe different kinds of investigations that scientists use depending on the questions they are trying to answer.

  1. Investigate Eleven Topics in the Science Lab - Select a lab from the list of labs. Each is composed of two pages; an illustration which gives information as your roll your mouse across it, and some interactive lab. Click on the book in the bottom left corner to read about matter. 

2. Keep records of investigations and observations and do not change the records that are different from someone else's work.

 

  
3. Explore through stories how men and women have contributed to the development of science.  
4. Identify various careers in science.
  1. Ask a Bubble Expert - everything you ever wanted to know about the science behind bubbles.
  2. Ask a Marine Scientist - get answers to questions about marine animals, plants, Oceanography, careers in marine biology, and more!
  3. Ask an Earth Scientist - answers from people in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Hawaii.
  4. Ask Mr. Science - science expert from the Seattle Community Network.
  5. Ask Science Theatre Archive - submit your question or read past answers to find out why the sky is blue, how a spider web works, what makes gravity, and much more.
  6. Ask SeaDog - ask about whales, fish, sharks, penguins, and other ocean animals.
  7. Ask Wendell - ask Wendell the Worm any questions you want to know about science here at the Yuckiest Site on the Internet.
  8. Careers in Earth Science - do you dig the Earth? See what cool jobs you can do that involve the planet, such as a lawyer, meteorologist, or writer!

 
5. Discuss how both men and women find science rewarding as a career and in their everyday lives.