Ledyard Public Schools

Grade 3 Science Curriculum

Unit of Study: Life

Suggested Time: Integrated throughout the year with Social Studies

Content Standard 3.2 Organisms can survive and reproduce only in environments that meet their basic needs. Plants and animals have structures and behaviors that help them survive in different environments.

Essential Question:How are organisms structured to survive in their environment?

Focus Question #1 How are organisms adapted to meet their basic needs in land habitats? Focus Question #2 How are organisms adapted to meet their basic needs in water habitats?

Expected performances (B3)  The student will be able to:

a. discuss the requirements of all organisms (e.g. obtaining air, water, source of energy, space to live, ability to respond.)

b. define adaptation.

c. illustrate and describe structural adaptations (e.g. thorns, fur, coloration, webbed feet) of plants and animals in land habitats.

d. explore how these structural adaptations improve an organism’s chances of survival in different environments.

e. illustrate and describe behavioral adaptations (e.g. plants leaning toward light, dropping their leaves in the fall, animals changing color) of plants and animals in land habitats.

f. describe how different plants and animals are adapted to obtain air, water, food, and protection in LAND habitats.

g. illustrate and describe structural adaptations of plants and animals (e.g. water plants like algae having holdfasts to stay in place or animals having streamlined shapes) in water habitats.

h. explore how these structural adaptations improve an organism’s chances of survival in different environments.

i. illustrate and describe behavioral adaptations (e.g. plants floating on the surface to get light, or animals swimming in schools) of plants and animals in water habitats.

j. describe how different plants and animals are adapted to obtain air, water, food, and protection in WATER habitats. 

Teacher notes:  Integrate this unit with Social Studies (northeast / New England, southwest / deserts and rainforests, maps and landforms.)

 

Required Activities:

1. Engage:  Students will work in groups to answer the question, “What structures do you have on your body that help you stay alive?”  Students will record ideas using words and pictures in a journal.  Teacher will bring in non-living objects and living things and ask the question “How do we know it’s alive?”  Teacher will facilitate discussion about what all living things (animals and plants) need to survive and how all living things have physical and behavioral adaptations that help them survive in their environment.  (B3a,b  BINQ1,5,6)

Teacher notes:  It is suggested that students keep science journals/notebooks.  (Refer to teacher resource Science Notebooks, Writing About Inquiry by Brian Campbell for appropriate models for written response and scientific drawings.)

2. Students will learn about the variety in the structure of the feet of different types of frogs.  “Wonderful Webbed Feet”  Critters  (AIMS)  pgs. 131 – 135  (B3c,d,g,h  BINQ1,4,5,9,10)

3. Students will illustrate and describe how camouflage improves an animal’s chance of survival.  “Missing Moths”  Critters  (AIMS)  pgs. 145 – 151  (B3c,d,e  BINQ1,3,4,5,6,9,10)

4. Students will simulate food gathering with four different types of insect mouth parts and determine which is most effective for different food sources.  “Table Manners”  Critters  (AIMS)  pgs. 152 – 157  (B3c,d  BINQ1,3,4,5,6,9,10)

Teacher notes:  Do not begin this next experiment if vacation falls within the next two weeks.

5. Students will identify the world’s biomes and the differences in their environments by creating models of biomes (deciduous forest, desert, rain forest, ocean) using radish seeds.  The students will also identify the structural characteristics that would help the organisms adapt to various environmental conditions.  “Living Locations”  (see Appendix, Delta Science Module It’s Alive, Lesson 3, pgs. 19 – 23  Biome Care instruction cards included.)  (B3d,e,h  BINQ1,2,3,4,6,7,8)

6. Students will create or select an animal that would adapt to their particular biome chosen in the activity above.  They will record structural and behavioral adaptations needed for survival in that biome.  (B3a,c,d,e  BINQ1,2,7,8)

7. Students will use informational text and internet resources to research both structural and behavioral adaptations in plants and animals in both land and water environments.  They will describe how different plants and animals are adapted to obtain air, water, food and protection.  (B3f,j) (Technology Standard 5)

 

Assessment:

Given an illustration of a plant or animal they have studied, students will explain through written response the adaptations in structure and/or behavior that improve the organism’s chances for survival.  (B3f,j)

The student will describe in writing how a plant or animal studied obtains the basic needs of air, water, food, and protection.  (B3f)

 

Vocabulary

• Adaptation – a special trait that helps an animal survive in its habitat

• Behavioral adaptation – the way an animal acts to help it survive in its habitat

• Physical adaptation – a body part that helps an animal survive in its habitat

• Protective adaptations in animals include sharp claws, speed, or superior hearing and sight.  Coloration and markings help many animals hide from their predators.  Having broad, flat teeth and venom are also protective adaptations

• Protective adaptations in plants can include thorns as a protection from being eaten, needles to hold water for dry conditions, floating leaves for aquatic environments, colorful and scented flowers to attract insects, and long and large leaves to reduce evaporation from the surrounding soil.

 

Optional Activities:

Any activities from Critter Camouflage and Adaptations or Critter Behaviors from Critters (AIMS)

Create a T-chart comparing characteristics that plants and animals would need to survive in a particular biome.

Create a cinquain about animal or plant adaptations.

 

Resources Needed:

Student:

Teacher:

Internet:

Teacher references:  To see pictures and read about the plants and animals in the world’s biomes, visit: 

www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/main.html

www.enchantedlearning.com

 

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

Language Arts: Students research an animal of interest to gain knowledge about structural and behavioral adaptations, Students read informational text to complete above, Students may write poetry or a narrative piece from the perspective of their animal.

Mathematics: Students collect, record, graph and analyze data.

Social Studies: Students use a world map outline to color code the locations of the biomes studied.

Technology: Internet sites may also be used for research.

 

LIFE Materials List:

2.  Wonderful Webbed Feet:  Heavy styrofoam meat trays (1/student), rubber bands, large paper clips, rulers, clear plastic gloves, tubs for water, clear packing tape

3.  Missing Moths:  Meter sticks 

8.   Table Manners:  Flexible straws, clothespins, graduated cylinders

9.   Living Locations:  Potting soil, sand, plastic terrariums, radish seeds

 

Bold face indicates CORE expected performances to be assessed by CMT.

 

Ledyard Public Schools

Approved by Instructional Council on 4/10/2006