Grade 3

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas

LS1.A: Structure and Function

• Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction. (4-LS1-1)

LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity

• Some kinds of plants and animals that once lived on Earth are no longer found anywhere. (3-LS4-1)

• Fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long ago and also about the nature of their environments. (3-LS4-1)

• Anatomical similarities and differences between various organisms living today and between them and organisms in the fossil record, enable the reconstruction of evolutionary history and the inference of lines of evolutionary descent. (MS-LS4-2)

LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans

• There are many different kinds of living things in any area, and they exist in different places on land and in water. (2-LS4-1)

NGSS Crosscutting concepts

Patterns

• Observed patterns of forms and events guide organization and classification, and they prompt questions about relationships and the factors that influence them.

Scale, Proportion, and Quantity

• In considering phenomena, it is critical to recognize what is relevant at different measures of size, time, and energy and to recognize how changes in scale, proportion, or quantity affect a system’s structure or performance. 

Structure and Function

• The way an object or living thing is shaped and its substructure determine many of its properties and functions.

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices

Analyzing and interpreting data.

Engaging in argument from evidence.

Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas

LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity

• Some kinds of plants and animals that once lived on Earth are no longer found anywhere. (3-LS4-1)

• Fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long ago and also about the nature of their environments. (3-LS4-1)

• The collection of fossils and their placement in chronological order (e.g., through the location of the sedimentary layers in which they are found or through radioactive dating) is known as the fossil record. It documents the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of many life forms throughout the history of life on Earth. (MS-LS4-1)

ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth

• Some events happen very quickly; others occur very slowly, over a time period much longer than one can observe. (2-ESS1-1)

• Local, regional, and global patterns of rock formations reveal changes over time due to earth forces, such as earthquakes. The presence and location of certain fossil types indicate the order in which rock layers were formed. (4-ESS1-1)

• The geologic time scale interpreted from rock strata provides a way to organize Earth’s history. Analyses of rock strata and the fossil record provide only relative dates, not an absolute scale. (MS-ESS1-4)

ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems

• Rainfall helps to shape the land and affects the types of living things found in a region. Water, ice, wind, living organisms, and gravity break rocks, soils, and sediments into smaller particles and move them around. (4-ESS2-1)

ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions

• Maps show where things are located. One can map the shapes and kinds of land and water in any area. (2-ESS2-2)

• Maps of ancient land and water patterns, based on investigations of rocks and fossils, make clear how Earth’s plates have moved great distances, collided, and spread apart. (MS-ESS2-3)

NGSS Crosscutting concepts

Patterns

• Observed patterns of forms and events guide organization and classification, and they prompt questions about relationships and the factors that influence them.

Scale, Proportion, and Quantity

• In considering phenomena, it is critical to recognize what is relevant at different measures of size, time, and energy and to recognize how changes in scale, proportion, or quantity affect a system’s structure or performance.

Stability and Change

• For natural and built systems alike, conditions of stability and determinants of rates of change or evolution of a system are critical elements of study.

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices

Constructing explanations.

Engaging in argument from evidence.

Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas

LS1.A: Structure and Function

• All organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water and air. (1-LS1-1)

• Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction. (4-LS1-1)

LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity

• Some kinds of plants and animals that once lived on Earth are no longer found anywhere. (3-LS4-1)

• Fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long ago and also about the nature of their environments. (3-LS4-1)

LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans

• There are many different kinds of living things in any area, and they exist in different places on land and in water. (2-LS4-1)

ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth

• Some events happen very quickly; others occur very slowly, over a time period much longer than one can observe. (2-ESS1-1)

• Local, regional, and global patterns of rock formations reveal changes over time due to earth forces, such as earthquakes. The presence and location of certain fossil types indicate the order in which rock layers were formed. (4-ESS1-1)

NGSS Crosscutting concepts

Patterns

• Observed patterns of forms and events guide organization and classification, and they prompt questions about relationships and the factors that influence them.

Scale, Proportion, and Quantity

• In considering phenomena, it is critical to recognize what is relevant at different measures of size, time, and energy and to recognize how changes in scale, proportion, or quantity affect a system’s structure or performance.

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices

Engaging in argument from evidence.

Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Common Core English Language Arts Standards

Language: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

• Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases. (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.4, 2.4, 3.4, 4.4)

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas

ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth

• Some events happen very quickly; others occur very slowly, over a time period much longer than one can observe. (2-ESS1-1)

• Local, regional, and global patterns of rock formations reveal changes over time due to earth forces, such as earthquakes. The presence and location of certain fossil types indicate the order in which rock layers were formed. (4-ESS1-1) 

ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems

• Wind and water can change the shape of the land. (2-ESS2-1)

• Rainfall helps to shape the land and affects the types of living things found in a region. Water, ice, wind, living organisms, and gravity break rocks, soils, and sediments into smaller particles and move them around. (4-ESS2-1)

• All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among the planet’s systems. This energy is derived from the sun and Earth’s hot interior. The energy that flows and matter that cycles produce chemical and physical changes in Earth’s materials and living organisms. (MS-ESS2-1) 

NGSS Crosscutting concepts

Patterns

• Observed patterns of forms and events guide organization and classification, and they prompt questions about relationships and the factors that influence them.

Stability and Change

• For natural and built systems alike, conditions of stability and determinants of rates of change or evolution of a system are critical elements of study. 

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices

Developing and using models. 

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas

LS1.A: Structure and Function

• Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction. (4-LS1-1) 

LS3.B: Variation of Traits

• Different organisms vary in how they look and function because they have different inherited information. (3-LS3-1) 

LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity

• Anatomical similarities and differences between various organisms living today and between them and organisms in the fossil record, enable the reconstruction of evolutionary history and the inference of lines of evolutionary descent. (MS-LS4-2) 

LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans

• There are many different kinds of living things in any area, and they exist in different places on land and in water. (2-LS4-1) 

NGSS Crosscutting concepts

Patterns

• Observed patterns of forms and events guide organization and classification, and they prompt questions about relationships and the factors that influence them.

Structure and Function

• The way an object or living thing is shaped and its substructure determine many of its properties and functions. 

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices

Engaging in argument from evidence.

Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. 

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas

LS1.A: Structure and Function

• All cells contain genetic information in the form of DNA molecules. Genes are regions in the DNA that contain the instructions that code for the formation of proteins. (secondary to HS-LS3-1) (HS-LS1-1) 

LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms

• Reproduction is essential to the continued existence of every kind of organism. Plants and animals have unique and diverse life cycles. (3-LS1-1)

• Organisms reproduce, either sexually or asexually, and transfer their genetic information to their offspring. (secondary to MS-LS3-2) 

LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits

• Many characteristics of organisms are inherited from their parents. (3-LS3-1)

• Other characteristics result from individuals’ interactions with the environment, which can range from diet to learning. Many characteristics involve both inheritance and environment. (3-LS3-2)

• Genes are located in the chromosomes of cells, with each chromosome pair containing two variants of each of many distinct genes. Each distinct gene chiefly controls the production of specific proteins, which in turn affects the traits of the individual. Changes (mutations) to genes can result in changes to proteins, which can affect the structures and functions of the organism and thereby change traits. (MS-LS3-1)

• Each chromosome consists of a single very long DNA molecule, and each gene on the chromosome is a particular segment of that DNA. The instructions for forming species’ characteristics are carried in DNA. All cells in an organism have the same genetic content, but the genes used (expressed) by the cell may be regulated in different ways. Not all DNA codes for a protein; some segments of DNA are involved in regulatory or structural functions, and some have no as-yet known function. (HS-LS3-1)

• Variations of inherited traits between parent and offspring arise from genetic differences that result from the subset of chromosomes (and therefore genes) inherited. (MS-LS3-2) 

LS3.B: Variation of Traits

• Different organisms vary in how they look and function because they have different inherited information. (3-LS3-1)

• The environment also affects the traits that an organism develops. (3-LS3-2)

• In sexually reproducing organisms, each parent contributes half of the genes acquired (at random) by the offspring. Individuals have two of each chromosome and hence two alleles of each gene, one acquired from each parent. These versions may be identical or may differ from each other. (MS-LS3-2)

• In addition to variations that arise from sexual reproduction, genetic information can be altered because of mutations. Though rare, mutations may result in changes to the structure and function of proteins. Some changes are beneficial, others harmful, and some neutral to the organism. (MS-LS3-1)

• In sexual reproduction, chromosomes can sometimes swap sections during the process of meiosis (cell division), thereby creating new genetic combinations and thus more genetic variation. Although DNA replication is tightly regulated and remarkably accurate, errors do occur and result in mutations, which are also a source of genetic variation. Environmental factors can also cause mutations in genes, and viable mutations are inherited. (HS-LS3-2)

• Environmental factors also affect expression of traits, and hence affect the probability of occurrences of traits in a population. Thus the variation and distribution of traits observed depends on both genetic and environmental factors. (HS-LS3-2),(HS-LS3-3) 

LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity

• Genetic information, like the fossil record, provides evidence of evolution. DNA sequences vary among species, but there are many overlaps; in fact, the ongoing branching that produces multiple lines of descent can be inferred by comparing the DNA sequences of different organisms. Such information is also derivable from the similarities and differences in amino acid sequences and from anatomical and embryological evidence. (HS-LS4-1) 

NGSS Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

• Observed patterns of forms and events guide organization and classification, and they prompt questions about relationships and the factors that influence them.  

Cause and Effect

• Events have causes, sometimes simple, sometimes multifaceted. A major activity of science is investigating and explaining causal relationships and the mechanisms by which they are mediated. Such mechanisms can then be tested across given contexts and used to predict and explain events in new contexts. 

Structure and Function • The way an object or living thing is shaped and its substructure determine many of its properties and functions. 

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices

Developing and using models.

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

• Different kinds of matter exist and many of them can be either solid or liquid, depending on temperature. Matter can be described and classified by its observable properties. (2-PS1-1)

• Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by other means. A model showing that gases are made from matter particles that are too small to see and are moving freely around in space can explain many observations, including the inflation and shape of a balloon and the effects of air on larger particles or objects. (5-PS1-1)

• The amount (weight) of matter is conserved when it changes form, even in transitions in which it seems to vanish. (5-PS1-2)

• Gases and liquids are made of molecules or inert atoms that are moving about relative to each other. (MS-PS1-4)

• In a liquid, the molecules are constantly in contact with others; in a gas, they are widely spaced except when they happen to collide. In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and may vibrate in position but do not change relative locations. (MS-PS1-4) • The changes of state that occur with variations in temperature or pressure can be described and predicted using these models of matter. (MS-PS1-4)

PS3.A: Definitions of Energy

• The faster a given object is moving, the more energy it possesses. (4-PS3-1)

• Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles of matter. The relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present. (MS-PS3-3),(MS-PS3-4)

NGSS Crosscutting concepts

Patterns

• Observed patterns of forms and events guide organization and classification, and they prompt questions about relationships and the factors that influence them.

Cause and Effect

• Events have causes, sometimes simple, sometimes multifaceted. A major activity of science is investigating and explaining causal relationships and the mechanisms by which they are mediated. Such mechanisms can then be tested across given contexts and used to predict and explain events in new contexts.

Structure and Function

• The way an object or living thing is shaped and its substructure determine many of its properties and functions.

Energy and Matter

• Tracking fluxes of energy and matter into, out of, and within systems helps one understand the systems’ possibilities and limitations.

Scale, Proportion, and Quantity

• In considering phenomena, it is critical to recognize what is relevant at different measures of size, time, and energy and to recognize how changes in scale, proportion, or quantity affect a system’s structure or performance. 

Systems and System Models

• Defining the system under study—specifying its boundaries and making explicit a model of that system—provides tools for understanding and testing ideas that are applicable throughout science and engineering.

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices

Developing and using models.

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

• Different kinds of matter exist and many of them can be either solid or liquid, depending on temperature. Matter can be described and classified by its observable properties. (2-PS1-1)

• A great variety of objects can be built up from a small set of pieces. (2-PS1-3)

• Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by other means. A model showing that gases are made from matter particles that are too small to see and are moving freely around in space can explain many observations, including the inflation and shape of a balloon and the effects of air on larger particles or objects. (5-PS1-1)

PS2.B: Types of Interactions

• The gravitational force of Earth acting on an object near Earth’s surface pulls that object toward the planet’s center. (5-PS2-1)

NGSS Crosscutting concepts

Patterns

• Observed patterns of forms and events guide organization and classification, and they prompt questions about relationships and the factors that influence them.

Scale, Proportion, and Quantity

• In considering phenomena, it is critical to recognize what is relevant at different measures of size, time, and energy and to recognize how changes in scale, proportion, or quantity affect a system’s structure or performance. 

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices

Using mathematics and computational thinking.

Common Core Math Standards

Numbers & Operations in Base Ten

• Understand the place value system. (CCSS.Math.Content.5.NBT.A.1 & 2)

Measurement & Data

• Geometric measurement: understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and to addition. (CCSS.Math.Content.3.MD.C.5, 5.a, 5b, 6 & 7)

• Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements. (CCSS.Math.Content.4.MD.A.1)

• Convert like measurement units within a given measurement system. (CCSS.Math.Content.5.MD.A.1)

• Geometric measurement: understand concepts of volume. (CCSS.Math.Content.5.MD.C.3, 4 & 5)

Mathematical Practices

• Reason abstractly and quantitatively.