Thinking and working like scientists
Students start the year learning how to ask a question, plan a simple experiment, and use tools safely. They practice writing down what they see and sharing findings with the class.
What does a student learn in
This is the year science becomes a habit of asking questions and testing them. Students learn to plan a small investigation, use simple tools to gather evidence, and explain what they found in writing or a drawing. They look at weather patterns, living things in their habitats, and how pushes and pulls change motion. By spring, students can ask a question about the world, run a fair test, and share what the results show.
- Scientific investigation
- Weather patterns
- Habitats and ecosystems
- Forces and motion
- Earth's resources
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Earth, sky, and weather
Students look at the sun, moon, and planets and the patterns they make. They track weather day by day and notice how land, water, and air work together.
- 3
Living things and their habitats
Students study plants, animals, and the places they live. They learn how organisms depend on each other for food and shelter, and they look at how bodies are built to do different jobs.
- 4
Matter, motion, and energy
Students explore what things are made of and how they change when heated, cooled, or mixed. They push and pull objects to study motion and see how light, sound, and heat carry energy.
- 5
Solving real problems
Students put the year together by tackling a problem like cleaning water, building a stronger bridge, or protecting a habitat. They sketch ideas, test them, and explain what worked.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 3.
Scientific Inquiry, Practice, and Applications
Scientific Inquiry, Practice, and Applications
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Asking Questions
Students come up with a question about the natural world, then plan and carry out a simple investigation to find the answer.
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Designing Investigations
Students plan a simple experiment, choose the right tools for measuring or observing, and follow basic safety steps while collecting data.
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Analyzing Evidence
Students look at data they collected, such as measurements or notes from observations, and use it to back up a conclusion they've reached.
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Communicating Findings
Students record what they found in a science investigation and share it with others, using drawings, charts, or spoken explanations alongside written notes.
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Engineering Design
Students follow the same steps engineers use: spot a problem, think up a solution, build or sketch it, test it, and improve it based on what went wrong.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Asking Questions | Students come up with a question about the natural world, then plan and carry out a simple investigation to find the answer. | OH-SCI.INQ.3.1 |
| Designing Investigations | Students plan a simple experiment, choose the right tools for measuring or observing, and follow basic safety steps while collecting data. | OH-SCI.INQ.3.2 |
| Analyzing Evidence | Students look at data they collected, such as measurements or notes from observations, and use it to back up a conclusion they've reached. | OH-SCI.INQ.3.3 |
| Communicating Findings | Students record what they found in a science investigation and share it with others, using drawings, charts, or spoken explanations alongside written notes. | OH-SCI.INQ.3.4 |
| Engineering Design | Students follow the same steps engineers use: spot a problem, think up a solution, build or sketch it, test it, and improve it based on what went wrong. | OH-SCI.INQ.3.5 |
Earth and Space Science
Earth and Space Science
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Earth's Place in the Universe
Students learn where Earth sits in the solar system and look for patterns in how the sun, moon, and planets move and change over time.
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Earth's Systems
Students learn how land, water, air, and living things work together on Earth. They look at how rain soaks into soil, how wind shapes the land, and how plants and animals depend on all of it.
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Weather and Climate
Students track how weather changes day to day and season to season, then figure out what makes one place rainy and another dry year after year.
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Human Impact
Students look at how everyday human choices, like building roads or using water, change the land, air, and living things around us.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Earth's Place in the Universe | Students learn where Earth sits in the solar system and look for patterns in how the sun, moon, and planets move and change over time. | OH-SCI.ESS.3.1 |
| Earth's Systems | Students learn how land, water, air, and living things work together on Earth. They look at how rain soaks into soil, how wind shapes the land, and how plants and animals depend on all of it. | OH-SCI.ESS.3.2 |
| Weather and Climate | Students track how weather changes day to day and season to season, then figure out what makes one place rainy and another dry year after year. | OH-SCI.ESS.3.3 |
| Human Impact | Students look at how everyday human choices, like building roads or using water, change the land, air, and living things around us. | OH-SCI.ESS.3.4 |
Life Science
Life Science
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Diversity and Interdependence
Students examine different plants and animals to understand how they depend on each other to survive in the same habitat.
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Cells, Heredity, and Evolution
Students look at how living things grow and change, why children resemble their parents, and how animals and plants have slowly changed over long stretches of time.
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Human Body
Students learn how the main parts of the body work and how those parts team up to keep a person alive and healthy. Think bones, muscles, lungs, and the heart.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Diversity and Interdependence | Students examine different plants and animals to understand how they depend on each other to survive in the same habitat. | OH-SCI.LS.3.1 |
| Cells, Heredity, and Evolution | Students look at how living things grow and change, why children resemble their parents, and how animals and plants have slowly changed over long stretches of time. | OH-SCI.LS.3.2 |
| Human Body | Students learn how the main parts of the body work and how those parts team up to keep a person alive and healthy. Think bones, muscles, lungs, and the heart. | OH-SCI.LS.3.3 |
Physical Science
Physical Science
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Properties of Matter
Students sort, bend, heat, and mix materials to see how they look or feel differently afterward. Some changes, like melting ice, can reverse. Others, like burning wood, cannot.
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Forces and Motion
Students push, pull, and drop objects to see how forces make things start moving, stop, or change direction. They look for patterns in what happens when a stronger or weaker force is applied.
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Energy
Students explore how energy moves and changes in the physical world. They run hands-on tests to see how heat, light, sound, and motion pass from one object to another and where that energy goes.
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Waves
Students explore how waves carry energy and information, like sound traveling through air or light bouncing off a mirror. They look at wave properties and test how waves are used in everyday tools.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Properties of Matter | Students sort, bend, heat, and mix materials to see how they look or feel differently afterward. Some changes, like melting ice, can reverse. Others, like burning wood, cannot. | OH-SCI.PS.3.1 |
| Forces and Motion | Students push, pull, and drop objects to see how forces make things start moving, stop, or change direction. They look for patterns in what happens when a stronger or weaker force is applied. | OH-SCI.PS.3.2 |
| Energy | Students explore how energy moves and changes in the physical world. They run hands-on tests to see how heat, light, sound, and motion pass from one object to another and where that energy goes. | OH-SCI.PS.3.3 |
| Waves | Students explore how waves carry energy and information, like sound traveling through air or light bouncing off a mirror. They look at wave properties and test how waves are used in everyday tools. | OH-SCI.PS.3.4 |
No state assessments at this grade
Students take their next one in Grade 4.
NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.
- When given:
- biennial in winter
- Frequency:
- every two years
Common Questions
What does science look like this year?
Students ask questions, run small experiments, and write or draw what they notice. They study weather and the sky, plants and animals, the human body, and how things move. The focus is on observing carefully and explaining what the evidence shows.
How can a parent help with science at home?
Go outside and notice things together. Track the weather for a week, watch the moon change shape, or plant a seed in a cup and measure it. Ask what students think will happen, then check. Five minutes of wondering out loud beats a worksheet.
Do students need to memorize a lot of science facts?
Memorizing facts matters less than explaining what they see. Students should be able to describe a pattern, like why shadows move during the day, and back it up with what they noticed. Vocabulary grows from doing the work, not from flashcards.
How should the year be sequenced across the four big areas?
Many teachers start with inquiry routines and tools in the first weeks, then move into life science in fall when plants and animals are easy to observe outside. Earth science fits well in winter when weather patterns are sharp, and physical science anchors spring with motion, energy, and waves.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Measuring with the right tool and unit trips students up, especially with thermometers and rulers. Writing a claim that points back to evidence is the other sticking point. Plan to revisit both across every unit, not just at the start of the year.
What does the engineering design piece actually mean?
Students define a small problem, sketch a solution, build it with simple materials, test it, and improve it. Think bridges from index cards or shade structures for a paper figure. The point is the cycle of trying, failing, and revising, not the finished product.
What should a child be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should ask a testable question, run a fair test, record results, and explain what the results mean. They should describe simple patterns in weather, ecosystems, forces, and energy using everyday words. A short lab notebook entry is a good gauge.
How do investigations work when there isn't much classroom equipment?
Most third grade investigations run on cups, tape, string, paper, water, and a thermometer. Schoolyard observations of plants, shadows, and puddles do real work for ecosystems and weather. Borrow magnets and a balance for physical science and rotate them across classrooms.
How can a parent help if science feels boring or confusing at home?
Pick one thing the student is curious about and follow it for a week. Watch ants on the sidewalk, freeze and melt water, or build a ramp for toy cars. Curiosity grows when an adult takes the question seriously and writes the answer down with them.