3rd Grade

What are we learning this year?

Unit 1

Forces all around us

In this unit, you will explore unbalanced and balanced forces and their effect on the motion of objects. You will design an investigation to discover patterns that can be used to predict future motion.

I can show the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
I can use my observations of an object's motion to make predictions about the object's future motion.
I can give examples of cause-and-effect relationships of electric interactions between two objects that are not touching.
I can solve a problem using magnets.

Unit 2

Life Cycle and Traits

In this unit, you will learn that traits are passed down from parent to offspring. You will learn that these traits help organisms to survive. You will also learn that there are traits that are influenced by the environment and impact survival.

I can describe the life cycles of different animals and flowering plants.
I can talk about similarities and differences in the life cycles of different animals and flowering plants.
I can give examples of animals that form groups that help members survive.
I can provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents.
I can give examples of how these traits can be similar or different in siblings.
I can provide examples of traits that are influenced by the places that plants and animals inhabit.

Unit 3

Environment and Survival

In this unit, you will learn that organisms have specific traits that affect their ability to survive in an environment. We will look at how some traits are more effective than others.

I can describe the information that I gather by looking at fossils.
I can give information about organisms and their environments based on what I learn from looking at fossils.
I can explain how similarities and differences in characteristics among animals of the same species provide advantages for the survival of the species.
I can give reasons for why some organisms survive well in an environment while others do not.
I can discuss solutions to problems caused by environmental changes.
I can talk about how environmental changes can cause problems for animals and plants that live in the environment.

Unit 4

Observing Weather

In this unit, you will learn to use tables and graphs to help represent weather and climate data. You will also learn about different extreme weather conditions and design a solution to help humans stay safe.

I can use tables and graphs to represent typical weather conditions for a given season.
I can describe climates in different regions of the world.
I can discuss solutions to dangers caused by extreme weather conditions.
I can examine different solutions to the dangers and figure out whether or not they are good solutions.