Grade-Level Indicators
SCIENCE
Grade Three


GRADE THREE

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

Standard:  Earth and Space Sciences

Earth and Space Sciences

Students demonstrate an understanding about how Earth systems and processes interact in the geosphere resulting in the habitability of Earth. This includes demonstrating an understanding of the composition of the universe, the Solar System and Earth. In addition, it includes understanding the properties and the interconnected nature of Earth’s systems, processes that shape the Earth and Earth’s history. Students also demonstrate an understanding of how the concepts and principles of energy, matter, motion and forces explain Earth systems, the Solar System, and the Universe. Finally, they grasp an understanding of the historical perspectives, scientific approaches and emerging scientific issues associated with the Earth and space sciences.

Benchmark A. Explain the characteristics, cycles and patterns involving Earth and its place in the solar system.
No indicators present for this benchmark.
Benchmark B. Summarize the processes that shape Earth's surface and describe evidence of those processes.
No indicators present for this benchmark.
Benchmark C. Describe Earth's resources including rocks, soil, water, air, animals and plants and the ways in which they can be conserved.
Earth Systems
1. Compare distinct properties of rocks (e.g., color, layering, texture).
2. Observe and investigate that rocks are often found in layers.
3. Describe that smaller rocks come from the breakdown of larger rocks through the actions of plants and weather.
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).
5. Investigate the properties of soil (e.g., color, texture, capacity to retain water, ability to support plant growth).
6. Investigate that soils are often found in layers and can be different from place to place.
D. Analyze weather and changes that occur over a period of time.
No indicators present for this benchmark.

Standard: Life Sciences
Students will demonstrate an understanding of how living systems function and how they interact with the physical environment. This includes an understanding of the cycling of matter and flow of energy in living systems. An understanding of the characteristics, structure, and function of cells, of organisms and of living systems will be developed as well as a deeper understanding of the principles of heredity, biological evolution, and the diversity and interdependence of life. Students will also demonstrate an understanding of different historical perspectives, scientific approaches and emerging scientific issues associated with the life sciences.


Standard: Physical Sciences
Students demonstrate an understanding of the composition of physical systems and the concepts and principles that describe and predict physical interations and events in the natural world. This includes demonstrating an understanding of the structure and properties of matter, the properties of materials and objects, chemical reactions and the conservation of matter. In addition, it includes understanding the nature, transfer and conservation of energy, as well as motion and the forces affecting motion, the nature of waves and interactions of matter and energy. Students also demonstate an understanding of the historical perspectives, scientific approaches and emerging scientific issues associated with the physical sciences.


Standard: Science and Technology
Students should recognize that science and technology are interconnected and that using technology involves assessment of the benefits, risks and costs. Students should build scientific and technological knowledge as well as the skills required to design and construct devices. In addition, they should develop the processes to solve problems and understand that problems may be solved in several ways.


Standard: Scientific Inquiry
Students will develop scientific habits of mind as they use the processes of scientific inquiry to ask valid questions and to gather and analyze information. They will understand how to develop hypotheses and make predictions. They will be able to reflect on scientific practices as they develop plans of action to create and evalutate a variety of conclusions. Students will also demonstrate the ability to communicate their findings to others.


Standard: Scientific Ways of Knowing
Students realize that the current body of scientific knowledge must be based on evidence, be predictive, logical, subject to modification, and limited to the natural world. This includes demonstrating an understanding that scientific knowledge grows and advances as new evidence is discovered to support or modify existing theories, as well as to encourage the development of new theories. Students will reflect on ethical scientific practices and demonstrate an understanding of how the current body of scientific knowledge reflects the historical and cultural contributions of women and men who provide us with a more reliable and comprehensive understanding of the natural world.
 
 

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Standard:  Life Sciences

Life Sciences

Students will demonstrate an understanding of how living systems function and how they interact with the physical environment. This includes an understanding of the cycling of matter and flow of energy in living systems. An understanding of the characteristics, structure, and function of cells, of organisms and of living systems will be developed as well as a deeper understanding of the principles of heredity, biological evolution, and the diversity and interdependence of life. Students will also demonstrate an understanding of different historical perspectives, scientific approaches and emerging scientific issues associated with the life sciences.

Benchmark A. Differentiate between the life cycles of different plants and animals.
Heredity
1. Compare the life cycles of different animals including birth to adulthood, reproduction and death (e.g., egg-tadpole-frog, egg-caterpillar-chrysalis-butterfly).
Benchmark B. Analyze plant and animal structures and functions needed for survival and describe the flow of energy through a system that all organisms use to survive.
Diversity and Interdependence of Life
2. Relate animal structures to their specific survival functions (e.g., obtaining food, escaping or hiding from enemies).
3. Classify animals according to their characteristics (e.g., body coverings and body structure).
Benchmark C. Compare changes in an organism's ecosystem/ habitat that affect its survival.
Diversity and Interdependence of Life
4. Use examples to explain that extinct organisms may resemble organisms that are alive today.
5. Observe and explore how fossils provide evidence about animals that lived long ago and the nature of the environment at that time.
6. Describe how changes in an organism’s habitat are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful.

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Standard:  Physical Sciences

Physical Sciences

Students demonstrate an understanding of the composition of physical systems and the concepts and principles that describe and predict physical interations and events in the natural world. This includes demonstrating an understanding of the structure and properties of matter, the properties of materials and objects, chemical reactions and the conservation of matter. In addition, it includes understanding the nature, transfer and conservation of energy, as well as motion and the forces affecting motion, the nature of waves and interactions of matter and energy. Students also demonstate an understanding of the historical perspectives, scientific approaches and emerging scientific issues associated with the physical sciences.

Benchmark A. Compare the characteristics of simple physical and chemical changes.
No indicators present for this benchmark.
Benchmark B. Identify and describe the physical properties of matter in its various states.
No indicators present for this benchmark.
Benchmark C. Describe the forces that directly affect objects and their motion.
Forces and Motion
1. Describe an objects position by locating it relative to another object or the background.
2. Describe an objects motion by tracing and measuring its position over time.
3. Identify contact/noncontact forces that affect motion of an object (e.g., gravity, magnetism, collision).
4. Predict the changes when an object experiences a force (e.g., a push or pull, weight, friction).
Benchmark D. Summarize the way changes in temperature can be produced and thermal energy transferred.
No indicators present for this benchmark.
Benchmark E. Trace how electrical energy flows through a simple electrical circuit and describe how the electrical energy can produce thermal energy, light, sound and magnetic forces.
No indicators present for this benchmark.
Benchmark F. Describe the properties of light and sound energy.
No indicators present for this benchmark.

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Standard:  Science and Technology

Science and Technology

Students should recognize that science and technology are interconnected and that using technology involves assessment of the benefits, risks and costs. Students should build scientific and technological knowledge as well as the skills required to design and construct devices. In addition, they should develop the processes to solve problems and understand that problems may be solved in several ways.

Benchmark A. Describe how technology affects human life.
Understanding Technology
1. Describe how technology can extend human abilities (e.g., to move things, to extend senses).
2. Describe ways that using technology can have helpful and/or harmful results.
3. Investigate ways that the results of technology may affect the individual, family and community.
Benchmark B. Describe and illustrate the design process.
Abilities To Do Technological Design
4. Use a simple design process to solve a problem (e.g., identify a problem, identify possible solutions, design a solution).
5. Describe possible solutions to a design problem (e.g., how to hold down paper in the wind).

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Standard:  Scientific Inquiry

Scientific Inquiry

Students will develop scientific habits of mind as they use the processes of scientific inquiry to ask valid questions and to gather and analyze information. They will understand how to develop hypotheses and make predictions. They will be able to reflect on scientific practices as they develop plans of action to create and evalutate a variety of conclusions. Students will also demonstrate the ability to communicate their findings to others.

Benchmark A. Use appropriate instruments safely to observe, measure and collect data when conducting a scientific investigation.
Doing Scientific Inquiry
1. Select the appropriate tools and use relevant safety procedures to measure and record length and weight in metric and English units.
Benchmark B. Organize and evaluate observations, measurements and other data to formulate inferences and conclusions.
Doing Scientific Inquiry
2. Discuss observations and measurements made by other people.
3. Read and interpret simple tables and graphs produced by self/others.
5. Record and organize observations (e.g., journals, charts, tables).
Benchmark C. Develop, design and safely conduct scientific investigations and communicate the results.
Doing Scientific Inquiry
4. Identify and apply science safety procedures.
6. Communicate scientific findings to others through a variety of methods (e.g., pictures, written, oral and recorded observations).
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Standard:  Scientific Ways of Knowing

Scientific Ways of Knowing

Students realize that the current body of scientific knowledge must be based on evidence, be predictive, logical, subject to modification, and limited to the natural world. This includes demonstrating an understanding that scientific knowledge grows and advances as new evidence is discovered to support or modify existing theories, as well as to encourage the development of new theories. Students will reflect on ethical scientific practices and demonstrate an understanding of how the current body of scientific knowledge reflects the historical and cultural contributions of women and men who provide us with a more reliable and comprehensive understanding of the natural world.

Nature of Science
Benchmark A. Distinguish between fact and opinion and explain how ideas and conclusions change as new knowledge is gained.
No indicators present for this benchmark.
Benchmark B. Describe different types of investigations and use results and data from investigations to provide the evidence to support explanations and conclusions.
Nature of Science
1. Describe different kinds of investigations that scientists use depending on the questions they are trying to answer.
Benchmark C. Explain the importance of keeping records of observations and investigations that are accurate and understandable.
Ethical Practices
2. Keep records of investigations and observations and do not change the records that are different from someone else’s work.
Benchmark D. Explain that men and women of diverse countries and cultures  participate in careers in all fields of science.
Science and Society
3. Explore through stories how men and women have contributed to the development of science.
4. Identify various careers in science.
5. Discuss how both men and women find science rewarding as a career and in their everyday lives.

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Updated 06/20/10
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