NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Science Grade 3 Last Revised September 2015

Science Curriculum Map Grade 3

The science standards in third grade help students formulate answers to questions such as: “What is typical weather in different parts of the world and during different times of the year? How can the impact of weather-related hazards be reduced? How do organisms vary in their traits? How are plants, animals, and environments of the past similar or different from current plants, animals, and environments? What happens to organisms when their environment changes? How can magnets be used?” Students are expected to develop an understanding of the similarities and differences of organisms’ life cycles. An understanding that organisms have different inherited traits, and that the environment can also affect the traits that an organism develops, is acquired by students at this level. In addition, students are able to construct an explanation using evidence for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. Students are expected to develop an understanding of types of organisms that lived long ago and also about the nature of their environments. Third graders are expected to develop an understanding of the idea that when the environment changes some organisms survive and reproduce, some move to new locations, some move into the transformed environment, and some die. Students are then able to apply their understanding of magnetic interactions to define a simple design problem that can be solved with magnets. In the third grade performance expectations, students are expected to demonstrate grade-appropriate proficiency in asking questions and defining problems; developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations and designing solutions, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. Students are expected to use these practices to demonstrate understanding of the core ideas. NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Science Grade 3 Last Revised September 2015

UNIT 1: Weather and Climate

Students are able to organize and use data to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season. By applying their understanding of weather-related hazards, students are able to make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of such hazards.

Topic 1: What Makes up Weather? Notes Targeted Academic Assessment Language [2006] ES5-7. Distinguish amongst the various T2L Unit: Weather and Climate Tier 1: weather, January Science forms of precipitation. temperature, air, wind, Assessment DESE Literacy Unit: Extreme Weather sunlight T2L participants are Topic 2: Weather Patterns Notes Tier 2: pattern required to complete [2006] ES5-8. Describe how global patterns such as T2L Unit: Weather and Climate a CEPA the jet stream and water currents influence local Tier 3: solar, cirrus, weather. DESE Literacy Unit: Extreme Weather cumulous, status, climate, equator, vapor, 3-ESS2-1. Use graphs and tables of local precipitation, currents weather data to describe and predict typical weather during a particular season in an area.

Topic 3: Climate Notes [2006] ES5-9. Differentiate between weather and T2L Unit: Weather and Climate climate. DESE Literacy Unit: Extreme Weather NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Science Grade 3 Last Revised September 2015

3-ESS2-2. Obtain and summarize information about the climate of different regions of the world to illustrate that typical weather conditions over a year vary by region.

Topic 4: Solutions to Climate Problems Notes 3-ESS3-1. Evaluate the merit of a design solution T2L Unit: Weather and Climate that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard DESE Literacy Unit: Extreme Weather

3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem that reflects a need or a want. Include criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost that a potential solution must meet.

3-5-ETS1-2. Generate several possible solutions to a design problem. Compare each solution based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the design problem.

3-5-ETS1-4(MA). Gather information using various informational resources on possible solutions to a design problem. Present different representations of a design solution. NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Science Grade 3 Last Revised September 2015

UNIT 2: Magnets

Winter

This unit is teacher designed; possible resources include the Foss Kit: Magnetism and Electricity.

Topic 1: Magnets Notes Targeted Assessment Academic Language

[2006] 3-5-PS-9. Recognize that Possible Activities: Balance ring magnets on a pencil. Note: The shape Note about January Science magnets have poles that repel andof a ring magnet obscures the locations of its poles. Targeted Assessment attract each other. Academic Students will be able to… Language [2006] 3-5-PS-10. Identify and Additional classify objects and materials that1.) Test a variety of materials with assorted magnets. vocabulary a magnet will attract and objects should be 2.) Distinguish between samples of pure iron, magnetic steel, and non- and materials that a magnet will added from not attract. magnetic metals. mentor texts selected by the 3.) Test a U.S. five cent coin to answer the question “Is a U.S. nickel classroom coin made of pure nickel?” teacher. 4.) Recognize that magnets have a north and south pole and like poles repel while opposite poles attract. Tier 1: magnet, metal 5.) Explain how a compass works. NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Science Grade 3 Last Revised September 2015

Sample Language objectives: (Speaking) Tier 2: iron, nickel , cobalt, Level 1-Entering: Organize and identify natural phenomena from real- steel, poles life examples (e.g. These things stick to a magnet, these things do not) in small groups.

Level 2-Beginning: Describe natural phenomena from real- life Tier 3: repel, examples using general vocabulary (e.g., This magnet sticks to the attract metal in the refrigerator) in small groups.

Level 3- Developing: Categorize natural phenomena from real-life examples and give reasons for categorization scheme using general and some specific vocabulary in small groups (e.g., some metals are magnetic)

Level 4- Expanding: Compare detailed features of natural phenomena from real- life examples using specific and some technical vocabulary (e.g., Magnets are attracted to iron, nickel cobalt and steel.) in small groups.

Level 5-Bridging: Discuss and explain physical relationships among natural phenomena from real- life examples using technical vocabulary: Discuss and explain physical relationships among natural phenomena from real- life examples using technical vocabulary. (e.g. This magnet is attracted to the chalkboard, therefore the chalkboard but be made out of iron, nickel or steel) NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Science Grade 3 Last Revised September 2015

UNIT 3: Life Cycles (Mini Unit)

Winter

This unit is teacher designed.

Topic 1: Life Cycles Notes Targeted Academic Language Assessment 3-LS1-1. Use simple graphical representations to Teacher Vocabulary should be added from mentor June Science show that species have unique and diverse life cycles. designed or texts selected by the classroom teacher. Assessment Describe that all organisms have birth, growth, “Bioeyes” with Williams reproduction, and death in common but there are a College variety of ways in which these happen. NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Science Grade 3 Last Revised September 2015

UNIT 4: Adaptations and Heredity

Spring

This unit engages students in an exploration of how changes to an environment or habitat affect the ability of animals and plants to survive and thrive. This unit explores these major themes: adaptation, heredity, evolution, and natural selection. Students will learn that animals and plants inherit traits from their parents; that adaptation leads to variation in those traits; traits can be influenced by the environment; some traits are learned and learning is acquired and therefore not an adaptation, and natural selection guides evolution. Also included are activities that explore how societal actions impact habitats and the plants and animals living there thereby crossing over from Life Science to Earth Sciences.

Topic 1: Inherence Notes Targeted Academic Language Assessment [2006] BS5-5. Differentiate between the T2L Unit: Adaptations Tier 1: survive, drought, community June Science characteristics of plants and animals that are and Heredity Assessment inherited and those that are affected by climate or Tier 2: hypothesis, life cycle, model T2L participants are environment. Tier 3: traits, reproduction, required to complete 3-LS3-1. Provide evidence, including through the decomposition, inherited, organism, a CEPA evolution, adaptation, generation, analysis of data, that plants and animals have traits species inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exist in a group of similar organisms.

Topic 2: Survival Notes [2006] BS5-7. Give examples of how changes in the T2L Unit: Adaptations environment have caused some organisms to die or and Heredity move to new locations. NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Science Grade 3 Last Revised September 2015

3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular environment some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive.

3-LS4-4. Analyze and interpret data about changes in the environment in an area and describe how the changes may affect the ability of organisms that live in that area to survive and reproduce.

3-SL4-5(MA). Provide evidence to support a claim that the survival of a population is dependent upon reproduction. NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Science Grade 3 Last Revised September 2015

UNIT 5: Evolution

Spring

This unit engages students in a comparison of animals and plants that are extinct to animals and plants found today as they explore the effect of changes to an environment on the ability of animals and plants to survive. A KWL serves as a formative assessment of students’ conceptions of dinosaurs—a commonly known set of extinct organisms—and serves as a jumping off point for discussion of other organisms and their environments. Students consult multiple information sources to gather evidence of the effect of changes in an environment on organisms as seen through past and current examples. Students create a scientific notebook to compare examples of an extinct and a current organism and their environments, and argue for the effect of changes on the ability of each to survive.

Topic 1: The Fossil Record Notes Targeted Academic Assessment Language 3-LS4-1. Use fossils to describe Students will be able to… Note about Targeted June Science Assessment types of organisms and their Academic Language environments that existed long Additional vocabulary 1.) Initiate their thinking about how should be added from ago and compare those to living an environment can change and mentor texts selected by the organisms and their result in extinction. classroom teacher. environments. Recognize that 2.) State what extinction means. most kinds of plants and animals 3.) Recognize that some animals were that once lived on Earth are no once alive and are now extinct and longer found anywhere. that a lot of other plants and animals —not just dinosaurs—are extinct.

Topic 2: Variations Notes NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Science Grade 3 Last Revised September 2015

3-LS4-2. Use evidence to 1.) Students will explain how changes construct an explanation for how in an environment can affect the the variations in characteristics survival of different kinds of plants among individuals within the and animals same species may provide 2.) Students will recognize that advantages to these individuals in changes in an environment can have their survival and reproduction. natural causes 3.) Students will provide examples of different organisms that have different responses to a change in an environment 4.) Students will describe three types of changes: landform changes, change in climate, and change in resource availability. 5.) Students will write fact-based sentences and paragraphs. 6.)Compare fossils of organisms that existed long ago to living organisms 7.) Describe the environments in which organisms of long ago lived in and compare them to the environments of similar living organisms.