Science for Ohio: Academic Content Standards Alignment for Science--THIRD GRADE
www.environmentaleducationohio.org

Click here to view all Grade 3-5 Benchmarks and Standards.

For a complete listing of Science for Ohio inquiries, click here.

Other Information

Note: Generally, a Science for Ohio inquiry is not included in in a grade level unless it has one or more of the Earth and Space, Life, or Physical science (content-oriented) strands. Indicator statements for these three strands are listed below under the heading Ohio Academic Standard.

Ohio Academic Standard:

• Compare the life cycles of different animals including birth to adulthood, reproduction and death (e.g., egg-tadpole-frog, egg-caterpillar-chrysalis-butterfly).
• Relate animal structures to their specific survival functions (e.g., obtaining food, escaping or hiding from enemies).

Extension Suggestion: Once your worm bin has had time to become established (one to two months), discuss the life cycle of the worm. Egg casings should be able to be found in the soil.

Hard Rock Café

Ohio Academic Standard:

• Compare distinct properties of rocks (e.g., color, layering and texture).
• Observe and investigate that rocks are often found in layers.
• Describe that smaller rocks come from the breakdown of larger rocks through the actions of plants and weather.

Ohio Academic Standard: Describe an objects motion by tracing and measuring its position over time.

Modify the original lesson as follows:

• Use the Moonrise/Moonset chart (see the Related Resources section of this inquiry) identify when to observe the moon during the school day.
• Observe the moon throughout each hour of the school day, noticing the movement across the sky (east to west, same as the sun)
• Use a globe and tennis ball (or similar) to demonstrate the relationship between the Earth's counterclockwise rotation and the moon's movement across the sky

This inquiry is appropriate for grades three on up.

Ohio Academic Standard: Describe an objects motion by tracing and measuring its position over time.

Modify the original lesson as follows:

• Observe a shadow from an upright object (flagpole, telephone pole) throughout each hour of the schooldays, noticing the movement in relation to the sun's movement across the sky
• Use a globe and lamp to demonstrate the relationship between the Earth's counterclockwise rotation and the sun's movement across the sky

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.

Ohio Academic Standard:

• Identify contact/noncontact forces that affect motion of an object (e.g., gravity, magnetism and collision).
• Predict the changes when an object experiences a force (e.g., a push or pull, weight and friction).