Science Grade 3
Plants and Animals
What do plants need?
Students use their mouse to explore the graphic and discover waht plants need to live.
Leaves and Leaf Anatomy
This page from Enchanted Learning contains a leaf glossary, graphic examples of leaf types, and several leaf activities for students. The activities include printable activity books, label me print-outs and leaf crafts.
Mosses and Liverworts
What are they? Where do they Live?
This web page answers both of those questions and includes a lot of information about these simple plants.
Is It Dust, Dirt, Dandruff or a Seed?
This activity asks students to help Detective Le Plant discover how a seed grows into a plant. As the students search for clues they learn all about seeds and solvethe case.
AnimalWeb
This web site explains the specific characteristics of mammals, fish, birds,reptiles and amphibians, and insects. Students can also research informationabout a particular animal by using the search box located on the upper right hand side of the page.
All About Mammals
At this Enchanted Learning web page students learn what a mammal is, the types ofmammals there are, and their diets. There are links to information about specific mammals, printouts, classification, geological time charts and more.
All About Birds
Students learn about the characteristics of birds, their diet, classification and more.There are links to information about specific birds, printouts, state birds, and more.
Animal Camouflage Field Book
To show students how effective animal camoflouge is this site from Harcourt allows students click on an environment and search for a hidden animal.
Insect Camouflage and Mimicry
This web page has two examples of animal camouflage and mimicry for students toview. There are also links to animal fact pages and to biographies and profiles where students can read about the people who work to protect endangered animals and habitats. There is a project link that includes teacher lesson plans.
Plants and Animals Interact
Ecosystems
Students learn that everything in the natural world is connected. This page introduces ecosystems and their characteristics.
Deciduous Forest
This web page from NASA includes the location and characteristics of deciduous forests as well as information about the animals and plants that inhabit them.
Tropical Rainforest
This web page from NASA includes the location and characteristics of tropical rain forests as well as information about the animals and plants that inhabit them.
Exploring Ecosystems
Students investigate three different ecosystems and discover the plants, animals, and interactions that occur in each. Chapter 2- Living Things Depend on One Another
Food Webs
Students begin to understand ecosystems by building three food webs.
Earths Land
Minerals, Rocks, and Fossils
The Rock Cycle
This page designed for children by NASA explains the changes that occur during the Rock Cycle. There is a graphic that helps students
visualize the continuous cycle too. There is also a link that explains the
Water Cycle.
Trace Fossils
This site produced for kids explains what a trace fossil is and gives examples of several different types. The page has links to fossil sites, activities, and more.
Finding Fossils
This site can help students learn about fossils. They learn what fossils are, how they form and where they are located.
Types of Land
Students who explore this site from Harcourt will view definitions, pictures, and information for more than 20 different landforms and features.
Earthquakes
This page designed for kids by the U.S. Department of Interior is very informative and includes maps of recent earthquakes in the USA, Science Fair Project Ideas, puzzles and games,
as well as online activities.
The Disaster Area
Floods, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Volcanoes, Earthquakes and more kinds of disasters are covered at this site from FEMA for kids.
Yellowstone Geysers
Students learn about geysers and can watch streaming videos that were captured at Yellowstone National Park. Have students choose modem speed 56 when they watchthe clips.
S. K. Worm
This site prepared for elementary students and presented by the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service is very informative and answers many questions about soil including, "Is soil made though magic? "
The Dirt on Soil
This site from Discovery School allows students to explore the many layers of soil, view a field guide to learn about life in soil, and take a virtual animated journey underground.
Earth's Resources
Renewable or Nonrenewable?
This activity explains the management process for protecting natural resources. Students take virtual field trips several protected places. They explore the web sites to discover the unique features that make it worth protecting.
Renewable Natural Resources
This site informs students about renewable natural resources and the reasons you would want to use them. The renewable resource discussed on this site is wood and wood products.
Dr. E's Energy Lab
This children's site is produced by the U.S. Department of Energy. Students learn about renewable energy including Wind Energy,Geothermal Energy, Solar Energy, and Alternative Fuels. There is an Energy Efficiency Tip page too. Each topic page links to other appropriate kid friendly sites that students can explore to increase their knowledge.
Recycling Kids Page
This interactive site is designed to teach students about the importance of waste reduction, recycling, and solid waste management. There are links to other environmental education and games sites included too.
Cycles on Earth and in Space
Earth's Water
This section of Water Science for Schools from the U.S. Geological Surveyoffers information on where, how much, and in what forms water exists on Earth.
Water Cycle
Students can envision the water cycle by following a drip of water around as it moves on its way. They could really begin this story anywhere along
the cycle, but the ocean is where the story begins since that is where most of the Earth's water is. Students can click on the Water Cycle Graphic to view or print it.
Chapter 2- Observing Weather
What Forces Affect Our Weather?
Students learn what forces affect our weather by exploring the topics on this website. The Atmosphere, water cycle, powerful storms, ice and snow and forecasting are all covered. There are links to other web sites that relate to weather also.
Weather
This web page explains the determining factors that affect weather and the information can be viewed at three different reading levels. The page can be presented in Spanish and adjusted to any one of the reading levels too.
How to Read a Weather Map
This web page introduces students to all the common symbols found on weather maps on television and in the newspaper.
Weather Wiz Kids
This page explains which weather instrument measures what, and how the instrument works. This site also includes information on all aspects of weather including hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms, and much more.
Weather Watch
This interactive site from Scholastic allows students to 'test drive' the tools meteorologists use every day. Students click on each tool for more information along with instructions on building it and using it in an experiment.
Earth and Its Place in the Solar System
The Bodies in our Solar System
Students can click on individual planets or on other bodies in our solar system including asteroids, comets, meteoroids, or Kuiper Belt Objects to learn more about them. On the bottom of each page students will find links to pictures, graphics and other relevant sites.
Seasons
This web page has links to information about the Earth's tilt, the effects of direct and indirect sunlight, and Earth's orbit. There is also a link that explains how the combination of these things cause the seasons.
Earth, Sun, and Moon
This is an interactive learning experience that allows as many as three students work together. Students guide their spaceship to travel to the Earth, Sun and Moon where they gather information about each planet.
The Causes of the Seasons
The reasons for the seasons is covered on this page, the information can be viewed at three different reading levels. There are links to information about Earth's orbit and its rotation and when the Earth is farthest and closest to the sun.
Earth's Moon
This site covers many topics about the Moon including frequently asked questions about the moon. lunar phases, lunar eclipses, and more. The information can be presented to students at three different reading levels and is available in Spanish too.
Solar Eclipses
This page from Enchanted Learning explains what a solar eclipse is, the stagesof an eclipse, and the types of eclipses. There is a link to a print out of a Solar Eclipse Diagram that students can label.
Investigating Matter
Properties of Matter
This web page designed for kids explains all about matter. Physical and chemical properties are covered as well as how matter moves from one state to another. There are links to pages on solids, liquids, gases, and more.
States of Matter Student Activity
This activity projects an animation that shows the action of particles in each state of matter. Students can click on Gas, Liquid, or solid.
Measuring Mass
This page shows a picture of a triple beam balance that is used to measure mass. There is a link to a page that describes how to use the balance and a link to a mass vs weight page. There are also three problems on the page that students can complete online.
Chapter 2- Changes in Matter
Mixtures and Solutions
Students can learn about mixtures and solutions on these pages produced for students by Chem4kids.com.
Exploring Energy
How Batteries Work
This site prepared for students by the Eveready Battery Company has a page that explains how batteries work. Students can watch animations showing the construction of a battery and how a battery powers a device. There are links that include How Flashlights Work, History of Batteries, Science Projects and more.
Light and Light Waves
This web page helps students understand how light waves work. There is an animation that helps students visualize the movement of waves.
Sound Waves
This page explains what sound waves are and how they work. There is a mini-quiz at the end of the page that students can use to check their understanding.
What is Electricity?
This page explains what electricity is, where it comes from, and how it works. There are links to additional websites about electricity too.
What is Energy?
Students learn what energy is, how we measure energy, how energy can be transformed into another form, and about some different forms of energy.
Dr. E's Energy Lab
This web site produced by the U. S. Department of Energy exposes students different forms of renewable energy. Wind, Solar, Geothermal, and alternative fuels are all covered. There is also a link that encourages and shows children how to become more energy efficient at home and at school.
Chapter 2- Heat
Heat and Energy Transfer
This page discusses the three ways that thermal energy is transferred and what happens as a result of transfer. This page can help students understand what heat is and how it occurs.
How does a Thermometer Work?
This page explains how the thermometers that we use today work. The history of the thermometer and there are links to other thermometer related pages that expand on the same thermometer topics. Chapter 3- Forces and Motion
Forces: Pushes and Pulls
This site explains to students that although we can't actually see forces we do see their effects on objects. Students see what those effects can be. They learn about Sir Isaac Newton and how force is measured. There are links that explain other topics about forces including Acceleration, speed, springs.
Newton's Laws of Motion
This web page states Newton's three laws of motion and descibes the physical principles he discovered over 300 years ago.
Gravity
Students learn what gravity is on this page. There are links to other pages that have more information about forces.
Simple Machines
This site teaches students about the six simple machines. Each page has information and activities for student use. There is a short online quiz for students to test their knowledge.
More Simple Machines
This page includes examples and activities to help students understand how simple machines make work easier.