Science Explorations in Third Grade

Beakers at the ready! Science exploration heats up in third grade.

What You Need to Know

Processes and concepts: These are the broad strokes of what third graders learn in science. At the beginning of the grade, they will be—

• observing, measuring, and classifying objects, organisms, and events;
• reading graphs, charts, and tables; and
• planning, conducting, and evaluating simple investigations.

By the end of the grade, they will—

• measure and use metrics;
• understand systems and subsystems;
• know the properties of sound;
• know the characteristics, needs, and habitats of organisms and how they form a food chain; and
• understand Earth forces and how they shape the land.

How You Can Help

• See you at the fair! By third grade your child is ready to tackle more complex and interesting projects for science fair. But what to do? Education.com has two sections of the site devoted to this worthy endeavor: Science Fair Project Ideas and Science Fair Help. There you can learn what makes a good project and surf numerous grade-appropriate ideas.
• Make it in metric. Next time you need to measure off a length of string or are making your favorite muffin recipe, try converting the measurements into metric—with your child’s help, of course. Using metrics at home will make your child more comfortable when she uses them in the science lab.

For more information about third grade science, please see the full article:

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/third_grade_science/.