3rd Grade Science



MAGNETS

Essential Question(s)

How is magnetism used in every life?


Content Learning Targets

  • The material(s) an object is made up of determine some specific properties of the object (sink/float, conductivity, magnetism)
  • Properties can be observed or measured with tools such as hand lenses, metric rulers, thermometers, balances, magnets, circuit testers and graduated cylinders
  • Magnetism is a force that may attract or repel certain materials
  • The force of magnetism on objects decreases as distance increases

PLANT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Essential Question(s)

How are living things and non-living things similar to and different from each other?

How do living things adapt to their environment?

Why is photosynthesis important to living things?


Content Learning Targets

  • Non-living things do not live and thrive
  • Living things grow, take in nutrients, breathe, reproduce, eliminate waste and die
  • Each plant has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival and reproduction
  • Roots help support the plant and take in water and nutrients
  • Leaves help plants utilize sunlight to make food for the plant
  • Stems, stalks, trunks and other similar structures provide support for the plant
  • Some plants have flowers
  • Flowers are reproductive structures of plants that produce fruit which contains seeds
  • Seeds contain stored food that aids in germination and the growth of young plants
  • The length of time from beginning of development to death of the plant is called its life span
  • Life cycles of some plants include changes from seed to mature plant
  • Growth is the process by which plants and animals increase in seize
  • Plants respond to changes in their environment. For example, the leaves of some green plants change position as the direction of light changes, the parts of some plants undergo seasonal changes that enable the plant to grow, seeds to germinate, and leaves to form and grow
  • An organism's pattern of behavior is related to the nature of that organism's environment, including the kinds and numbers of other organisms present, the availability of food and other resources, and the physical characteristics of the environment
  • Plants manufacture food by utilizing the energy in sunlight to change water and carbon dioxide into a kind of sugar called glucose: photosynthesis


SYSTEMS AND MATTER

Essential Question(s)

How do you depend on systems in everyday life?


Content Learning Targets

  • Matter has properties (color, hardness, odor, sound, taste, etc.) that can be observed through the senses
  • Objects have properties that can be observed, described, and/or measured: length, width, volume, size, shape, mass or weight, temperature, texture, flexibility and reflectiveness of light
  • Objects and/or materials can be sorted or classified according to their properties
  • Matter exists in three states: solid, liquid, gas
    • solids have a definite shape and volume
    • liquids do not have a definite shape but have a definite volume
    • gases do not hold their shape or volume
  • Some properties of an object are dependent on conditions of the present surroundings in which the object exists:
    • temperature (hot or cold)
    • temperature can affect the state of matter of a substance
    • moisture (wet or dry)
  • A system is a group of objects that interact
    • example: flashlight - none of the components of a flashlight have common properties. The only thing they have in common is that they interact to produce light
  • Energy can vary in form, amount, and ability to move through materials and space
    • energy can exist in several forms, such as mechanical, magnetic, and chemical
    • energy can move from one object to another, through materials and through space. Mechanical energy can be transferred from one point in space to another point
    • the amount of energy available from a source can vary
  • Interaction between matter and energy can create motion (paddle boats)
  • The amount of change in the motion of an object is affected by friction

LAND, WATER, AND WEATHER

Essential Question(s)

How does weather affect living and non-living earth things?


Content Learning Targets

    • Weather changing throughout the day and seasons