Alabama Courses of Study 3rd Grade Science Activities
Printable Third Grade Science Worksheets, Study Guides and Vocabulary Sets.
Changes on earthA glacier is a slow moving large body of ice. A volcano is an opening in the Earth’s crust from which hot, melted rock forcefully comes out when pressure is built up inside the Earth. An earthquake is a sudden shift in the Earth’s crust that causes the ground to shake and vibrate violently. Weathering is the process of rocks being changed over time by conditions such as rain, snow, ice, pressure.Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 3 Earth in spaceFreeThe Sun, which is a star, is Earth's source of heat and light. The earth travels in circles around the Sun. The Earth’s rotation every 24 hours results in day and night on Earth. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 1 Natural resourcesNatural resources are found on the Earth and are important to living things. Some natural resources come from below the Earth’s surface. Some natural resources are nonrenewable, which means that can not be replaced. Some natural resources are renewable. Three examples of natural resources we have in abundance on Earth are: sunlight, air, and water. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 1 Rocks, Minerals, and soilRocks are solid material found in nature made up of minerals. A mineral is a natural material usually found in the ground. A rock has physical properties like color and composition, or what exact minerals make up the rock. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 2 The solar systemThe Sun is a gigantic star that is made up of hot gases called plasma. The solar system includes the Sun, planets, the moons of each planet, as well as other objects that revolve around the Sun. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 1 What are Ecosystems?An ecosystem is a community made up of living organisms and nonliving components such as air, water, and mineral soil. Read more...iWorksheets: 2Vocabulary Sets: 4 Forces and motion-how things moveMotion is the process of an object changing place or position. Position refers to an object's location. The position of an object all depends on how a person is looking at the object and what it us being compared to, which is known as an object's relative position. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 2 Work and machinesWork is when you use force upon an object causing the object to move. The amount of work you do has to do with how much force you need to use. Simple machines make doing work easier but they never decrease the amount of work that needs to be done. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 1 Changes in matterA physical change is when something changes its appearance without changing its makeup. An example of a physical change is chopping wood. An example of a chemical change is burning the wood. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 1 Main Parts of PlantsA plant has many important parts, such as its roots, stem, leaves, and flower. Each part of a plant has many functions that make it possible for a plant to live. Read more...iWorksheets: 6Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 2 Hands-on Lab Skills/Science Inquiry - 3rd gradeScience Process Skills: Observing, Classifying, Estimating, Predicting/Hypothesis, Making Inferences, Models, Investigating, Collecting Data, Interpreting Data. Scientific Method: Ask a question, Write an Hypothesis, Create a control variable, Conduct an Experiment, Record Your Data, Decide Your Final Answer, State Your Final Answer. Science Tools. Safety in Science. Read more...iWorksheets: 4Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 2 Math in ScienceNumbers, measuring, making graphs, calculating, adding, subtracting, and more…there is a lot of Math involved in Science. Whether you are studying plants, animals, or the solar system, you will use Math procedures during your investigations and data recording. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1 Science in our world - 3rd gr.Everywhere we look, there are signs of SCIENCE! Science is all around us: Sounds We Hear, Energy We See and Feel, Work and Machines We Use and See, Forces, Motion, and How Things Move Around Us (gravity), Changes in Matter We See, Weather We See Outside, Water that We Use, Natural Resources We Use and Need to Conserve Everyday
(recycling). Read more...iWorksheets: 4Study Guides: 1 Science Worksheets: Water. All living things need water to survive and to grow. For example, plants need water to make their own food, while fish need to live in water. The human body is made up of about 2/3 water. Water comes in three forms: liquid, solid, and gas. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 1 AL.3.PS. PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
3.PS.3. Explore objects that can be manipulated in order to determine cause-and-effect relationships (e.g., distance between objects affecting strength of a force, orientation of magnets affecting direction of a magnetic force) of electric interactions between two objects not in contact with one another (e.g., force on hair from an electrically charged balloon, electrical forces between a charged rod and pieces of paper) or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with one another (e.g., force between two permanent magnets or between an electromagnet and steel paperclips, force exerted by one magnet versus the force exerted by two magnets).
Matter and its propertiesEverything around us is made out matter. Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. All matter is made up of many different kinds of particles that are combined together in different ways. A property of matter is a feature, trait, or characteristic. Read more...iWorksheets :5Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 SoundSound is energy that travels in a wave that is caused by vibrations. Vibrations are movements made rapidly back and forth. Vibrations travel through the air and into your ear. You hear sounds when vibrating air causes your eardrum to vibrate. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Electricity and magnetismElectricity is the flow of electrical charge. Atoms are made of three different particles, of which some have a positive charge, some have a negative charge, and some have no charge at all. Static Electricity is the imbalance of positive or negative charges between objects. If two objects have opposite charges, they’ll pull toward each other. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 All About EnergyEnergy is the ability to do work. There are two types of energy. One type of energy is energy that is waiting to happen but has not happened yet. This is called potential energy. Another type of energy is called kinetic energy. This type of energy is energy that is happening now. Read more...iWorksheets :6Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 3.PS.4. Apply scientific ideas about magnets to solve a problem through an engineering design project (e.g., constructing a latch to keep a door shut, creating a device to keep two moving objects from touching each other such as a maglev system).
Matter and its propertiesEverything around us is made out matter. Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. All matter is made up of many different kinds of particles that are combined together in different ways. A property of matter is a feature, trait, or characteristic. Read more...iWorksheets :5Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 SoundSound is energy that travels in a wave that is caused by vibrations. Vibrations are movements made rapidly back and forth. Vibrations travel through the air and into your ear. You hear sounds when vibrating air causes your eardrum to vibrate. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 MagnetsWhat Is a Magnet? A magnet attracts certain kinds of metal. Attract means to pull towards. If something is magnetic, that means it is attracted by a magnet. Magnets come in different shapes and sizes. Magnets are used most every day. Example: You may have magnets on your refrigerator to hang up pictures and notes. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Electricity and magnetismElectricity is the flow of electrical charge. Atoms are made of three different particles, of which some have a positive charge, some have a negative charge, and some have no charge at all. Static Electricity is the imbalance of positive or negative charges between objects. If two objects have opposite charges, they’ll pull toward each other. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 All About EnergyEnergy is the ability to do work. There are two types of energy. One type of energy is energy that is waiting to happen but has not happened yet. This is called potential energy. Another type of energy is called kinetic energy. This type of energy is energy that is happening now. Read more...iWorksheets :6Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 AL.3.LS. LIFE SCIENCE
From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
3.LS.5. Obtain and combine information to describe that organisms are classified as living things, rather than nonliving things, based on their ability to obtain and use resources, grow, reproduce, and maintain stable internal conditions while living in a constantly changing external environment.
3.LS.6. Create representations to explain the unique and diverse life cycles of organisms other than humans (e.g., flowering plants, frogs, butterflies), including commonalities such as birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
How do plants grow?Plants need many essential things in order to grow, such as: water, air, nutrients, sunlight, and warm temperature. Plants need their space too! If a plant grows too close to other plants, it may not grow healthy and strong, because the plants may compete over the available water, nutrients, and space in the soil for their roots to grow. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Grouping of PlantsPlants are often put into groups by the type of parts or structures they have. They can be grouped according to their types of leaves, stems, flowers, roots, and even seeds. Many plants have leaves that look similar while others have totally different kinds of leaves. Plant and tree leaves may be different in size, shape, and color. Read more...iWorksheets :5Study Guides :1 Animals and their needsAll animals need certain things in order to survive. Animals need water, food, movement, protection, shelter, reproduction, and oxygen to survive, and they have many different body parts to get these things they need. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Grouping of AnimalsAnimals can be classified, or grouped together, by the things they have in common, such as how they act, where they live, or how they look. Scientists separate animals into two main groups related to whether the animal has a backbone in its body or not. Those animals with backbones are part of the vertebrates group. Those animals without a central backbone are invertebrates. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 How animals grow and change and liveAnimals have certain traits which help them survive in their environment. These survival traits are called adaptations. Many adaptations are inherited, which means they are passed on from the parents of animal. Many animals have adaptations for eating such as the way a bird’s beak is shaped. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 PlantsWhat are the Parts of a Plant? Let’s go from the bottom to the top: ROOTS, STEM, LEAVES, FLOWERS. Who Needs Plants? EVERYONE! Plants give off a gas called oxygen which is what we (and animals) need to breathe in to live. A plant's life cycle is how long a plant lives or how long it takes to grow, flower, and make seeds. All plants need water, air, and warm temperatures to grow. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Plant growth and reproductionProcess of Reproduction. Fertilization, Seeds. Lesson Checkpoints: What is one reason a plant has nectar? What do mosses and ferns produce instead of seeds? What is the female organ of a flower called? Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Animal Growth and ReproductionA life cycle is the stages of development an organism goes through starting from an egg to growing into an adult. Living organisms each have their own unique way of reproducing, giving birth, growing, and developing. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :5 Life Cycles of Plants and AnimalsA life cycle describes the stages an animal or plant goes through from birth to death. Some vertebrates change their appearance a lot during their life cycle while others hardly change at all. Most plants begin as a seed. A seed is a tiny plant, an embryo, in a little package. A seed stays inactive and doesn’t start growing until the conditions surrounding it are just right for it to start growing. Read more...iWorksheets :2Vocabulary :3 Unity and Diversity
3.LS.9. Analyze and interpret data from fossils (e.g., type, size, distribution) to provide evidence of organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago (e.g., marine fossils on dry land, tropical plant fossils in arctic areas, fossils of extinct organisms in any environment).
Grouping of PlantsPlants are often put into groups by the type of parts or structures they have. They can be grouped according to their types of leaves, stems, flowers, roots, and even seeds. Many plants have leaves that look similar while others have totally different kinds of leaves. Plant and tree leaves may be different in size, shape, and color. Read more...iWorksheets :5Study Guides :1 Fossils and extinct animalsMany animals have become extinct over millions of years. Extinct means no longer living on Earth. Animas that are extinct include dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers, and dodo birds. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 3.LS.11. Construct an argument from evidence to explain the likelihood of an organism’s ability to survive when compared to the resources in a certain habitat (e.g., freshwater organisms survive well, less well, or not at all in saltwater; desert organisms survive well, less well, or not at all in woodlands).
3.LS.11.b. Create models that illustrate how organisms and their habitats make up a system in which the parts depend on each other.
Animals and their needsAll animals need certain things in order to survive. Animals need water, food, movement, protection, shelter, reproduction, and oxygen to survive, and they have many different body parts to get these things they need. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Where plants and animals liveAn environment is everything that surrounds a living thing or person. Everything that lives on Earth lives in a certain environment. Living things get everything they need to survive from their environment. An environment also includes nonliving things. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Did you Know... 3rd gradeThere are so many amazing scientific facts out there, waiting to be discovered by you! Check out some of the incredible ‘Did You Know? facts that have to do with many of the science topics you learn about in 3rd Grade. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 Ecosystems and changes in ecosystemsWhat is an ecosystem? An ecosystem is the living and nonliving components of an environment and the way they interact with each other and their environment. There are several different ecosystems on the Earth. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :3 Life Cycles of Plants and AnimalsA life cycle describes the stages an animal or plant goes through from birth to death. Some vertebrates change their appearance a lot during their life cycle while others hardly change at all. Most plants begin as a seed. A seed is a tiny plant, an embryo, in a little package. A seed stays inactive and doesn’t start growing until the conditions surrounding it are just right for it to start growing. Read more...iWorksheets :2Vocabulary :3 3.LS.12. Evaluate engineered solutions to a problem created by environmental changes and any resulting impacts on the types and density of plant and animal populations living in the environment (e.g., replanting of sea oats in coastal areas due to destruction by hurricanes, creating property development restrictions in vacation areas to reduce displacement and loss of native animal populations).
WeatherWhat is the weather like outside? Weather is the condition of the air outside. Weather involves many things, such as clouds, temperature, water in the air, and the wind. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Earth's weather and seasonsWhat is Weather? Weather is what it feels like outside right now: hot, cold, windy, wet... There are Four Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. Seasons always come in the same order every year. Each season brings different weather. Winter is the coldest season and summer is the warmest. Some Kinds of Bad Weather: A thunderstorm, A blizzard, A hurricane. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Weather and ClimateMany factors affect the weather such as the sun, atmosphere, temperature, water, and air pressure. When air moves from an area of high pressure to a place with low pressure, WIND is created. The movement and interaction of air masses cause most weather conditions. Climate: The word climate refers to the typical weather throughout the year in the same area. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 AL.3.ESS. EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
Earth’s Systems
3.ESS.13. Display data graphically and in tables to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season (e.g., average temperature, precipitation, wind direction).
WeatherWhat is the weather like outside? Weather is the condition of the air outside. Weather involves many things, such as clouds, temperature, water in the air, and the wind. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Earth's weather and seasonsWhat is Weather? Weather is what it feels like outside right now: hot, cold, windy, wet... There are Four Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. Seasons always come in the same order every year. Each season brings different weather. Winter is the coldest season and summer is the warmest. Some Kinds of Bad Weather: A thunderstorm, A blizzard, A hurricane. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Weather and ClimateMany factors affect the weather such as the sun, atmosphere, temperature, water, and air pressure. When air moves from an area of high pressure to a place with low pressure, WIND is created. The movement and interaction of air masses cause most weather conditions. Climate: The word climate refers to the typical weather throughout the year in the same area. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 3.ESS.14. Collect information from a variety of sources to describe climates in different regions of the world.
Weather and ClimateMany factors affect the weather such as the sun, atmosphere, temperature, water, and air pressure. When air moves from an area of high pressure to a place with low pressure, WIND is created. The movement and interaction of air masses cause most weather conditions. Climate: The word climate refers to the typical weather throughout the year in the same area. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 Standards
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