Minnesota Academic Standards 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 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 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 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: 6Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 2 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 Sets: 3 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 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 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 Sets: 2 MN.3.1. The Nature of Science and Engineering
3.1.1. The Practice of Science
3.1.1.2. The student will understand that scientific inquiry is a set of interrelated processes incorporating multiple approaches that are used to pose questions about the natural world and investigate phenomena.
3.1.1.2.4. Construct reasonable explanations based on evidence collected from observations or experiments.
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 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 :1 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 Hands-on Lab Skills/Science InquiryWhen you conduct an investigation, you may make predictions, interpret your findings, draw conclusions, and justify your conclusions. When you conduct an experiment, you should collect data to help justify your conclusions. During an investigation, you may formulate and justify your predictions based on cause and effect relationships. A cause makes something else happen. An effect is what happens because of the cause. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 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 3.1.3. Interactions Among Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Society
3.1.3.2. The student will understand that men and women throughout the history of all cultures, including Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities, have been involved in engineering design and scientific inquiry.
3.1.3.2.2. Recognize that the practice of science and/or engineering involves many different kinds of work and engages men and women of all ages and backgrounds.
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 What is science?Science is the study of the world around us. Scientists study the world around us. When studying things like plants, animals, and rocks, scientists use their senses: Eyes - to see. Nose - to smell. Ears - to hear. Hands - to touch. Mouth - to taste. Scientists study many things – like the things YOU study in 2nd grade: plants, rocks, weather, fossils, solar system, animals. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Fossils and dinosaursMany animals have lived on Earth and many still live on the Earth.
Some lived on Earth millions of year ago. Many of these animals unfortunately do not live on Earth anymore. Fossils are things that provide evidence (or proof) of things that lived long ago. A fossil is the outline or piece of something that died millions of years ago. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Science in our worldHave you ever seen a meteor shower? Meteors are small fragments of debris from space that enter the Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speed. They then turn into a vapor r leaving a streak of light that disappears quickly. You hear on the radio that a high air pressure system will be moving in tomorrow, which means there is a very good chance of clear skies. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 3.1.3.4. The student will understand that tools and mathematics help scientists and engineers see more, measure more accurately, and do things that they could not otherwise accomplish.
3.1.3.4.1. Use tools, including rulers, thermometers, magnifiers and simple balances, to improve observations and keep a record of the observations made.
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 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 :1 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 :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 What is science?Science is the study of the world around us. Scientists study the world around us. When studying things like plants, animals, and rocks, scientists use their senses: Eyes - to see. Nose - to smell. Ears - to hear. Hands - to touch. Mouth - to taste. Scientists study many things – like the things YOU study in 2nd grade: plants, rocks, weather, fossils, solar system, animals. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Hands-on lab skills/Science InquiryPredictions Based on Patterns. Scientists often make predictions based on all the things they already know are true. Predict means to tell what you think is going to
happen. Scientists then test their predictions to see if they are right! Scientists often compare and sort objects based on color, shape, texture, size and weight. Scientists use a METER STICK to measure the length of an object. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Hands-on Lab Skills/Science InquiryWhen you conduct an investigation, you may make predictions, interpret your findings, draw conclusions, and justify your conclusions. When you conduct an experiment, you should collect data to help justify your conclusions. During an investigation, you may formulate and justify your predictions based on cause and effect relationships. A cause makes something else happen. An effect is what happens because of the cause. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1 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 MN.3.2. Physical Science
3.2.3. Energy
3.2.3.1. The student will understand that energy appears in different forms, including sound and light.
3.2.3.1.1. Explain the relationship between the pitch of a sound, the rate of vibration of the source and factors that affect pitch.
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 3.2.3.1.3. Describe how light travels in a straight line until it is absorbed, redirected, reflected or allowed to pass through an object.
Light and SoundLight is a form of energy that travels in waves. A reflection occurs when light rays bounce off a surface, such as when you see your reflection in a mirror. Absorption is when an object takes in light wave. Refraction is when light bends moving from one medium to another. Sound is a type of energy that travels in waves that is caused by vibrations. Vibrations are movements made rapidly back and forth. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :3 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 MN.3.3. Earth and Space Science
3.3.3. The Universe
3.3.3.1. The student will understand that the sun and moon have locations and movements that can be observed and described.
3.3.3.1.1. Observe and describe the daily and seasonal changes in the position of the sun and compare observations.
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 :1 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 :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 The sun and earthThe Sun is a large hot ball of gas. It is also a star. The Sun gives Earth light and heat. Living things need the Sun to live! Sun rays shine on the moon at night which makes the moon bright! The Earth is the third planet from the Sun. There are four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Our Solar system and beyondWhat Can Be Found in the Solar System? A planet is a large body that revolves around the Sun. Asteroids, comets and meteors are made of pieces of rock and ice. Asteroids are small pieces of rock which orbit around the Sun. Comets are made of ice and rock. The “tail” of a comet is made of vaporized gases and dust that flow behind them as they fly through space at a VERY fast pace! Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :3 3.3.3.1.2. Recognize the pattern of apparent changes in the moon's shape and position.
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 :1 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 :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Moon, star and planetsThe moon moves around the Earth. A star is a hot ball of gas, stars give off light. The Sun is a star. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Our Solar system and beyondWhat Can Be Found in the Solar System? A planet is a large body that revolves around the Sun. Asteroids, comets and meteors are made of pieces of rock and ice. Asteroids are small pieces of rock which orbit around the Sun. Comets are made of ice and rock. The “tail” of a comet is made of vaporized gases and dust that flow behind them as they fly through space at a VERY fast pace! Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :3 3.3.3.2. The student will understand that objects in the solar system are seen from Earth as points of light with distinctive patterns of motion.
3.3.3.2.1. Demonstrate how a large light source at a great distance looks like a small light that is much closer.
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 :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Our Solar system and beyondWhat Can Be Found in the Solar System? A planet is a large body that revolves around the Sun. Asteroids, comets and meteors are made of pieces of rock and ice. Asteroids are small pieces of rock which orbit around the Sun. Comets are made of ice and rock. The “tail” of a comet is made of vaporized gases and dust that flow behind them as they fly through space at a VERY fast pace! Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :3 3.3.3.2.2. Recognize that the Earth is one of several planets that orbit the sun, and that the moon orbits the Earth.
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 :1 MN.3.4. Life Science
3.4.1. Structure and Function in Living Systems
3.4.1.1. The student will understand that living things are diverse with many different characteristics that enable them to grow, reproduce and survive.
3.4.1.1.1. Compare how the different structures of plants and animals serve various functions of growth, survival and reproduction.
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 :5Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 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 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 AnimalsFreeThere are many different kinds of animals. The five main groups of animals are: Fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Plant Structure and functionPlants are living organisms made up of cells. Plants need sunlight and water to live and grow healthy. A plant has different parts that are all important in keeping the plant alive and healthy: Roots, Stem, Leaves. A plant’s roots collect water and minerals from soil for the rest of the plant. The main job of a plant’s stem is to carry water and minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 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 3.4.1.1.2. Identify common groups of plants and animals using observable physical characteristics, structures and behaviors.
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 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 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 AnimalsFreeThere are many different kinds of animals. The five main groups of animals are: Fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Mammals and birdsWhat are Birds? Birds are warm-blooded animals that have: wings, feathers, a beak, no teeth, bones. Birds lay eggs. Their young hatch from those eggs. What Are Mammals? Mammals are animals that have hair. Mammals are the only animals with hair. Mammals are also warm-blooded. This means their body temperature stays the same, even if it is very cold or hot outside. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Reptiles, amphibians and fishReptiles have scales. Reptiles are born on land. Reptiles are cold-blooded which means their bodies change temperatures with the outside temperature around them. Reptiles lay eggs, and their babies hatch from those eggs. All amphibians begin their life in water with gills. As they grow, they develop lungs – which is
what they use to breathe with on land. They grow legs to use on land too. Fish use gills to breathe. A fish stays in the water for its entire life! Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 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 Invertebrates - Animals without BackbonesAnimals are classified into groups so that scientists around the world can study them easier. Scientists classify animals into two major groups, vertebrates and invertebrates. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :5 Vertebrates - Animals with BackbonesScientists classify animals into two categories depending on if the animal has a backbone or not. As you know, invertebrates are animals that do NOT have a backbone and vertebrates are animals that DO have a backbone. Vertebrates are divided by scientists into five classes: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 Classifying organismsScientific classification is the process of grouping living organisms into certain categories based on their characteristics, traits, and appearance. The order of scientific classification is kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. Each time we move to a different classification category, the groups get
smaller and more specific. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 Standards
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