Grade 3
The Amplify Science grade 3 program progressively builds students’ abilities to meet all the grade-level performance expectations through a three-dimensional instructional sequence. The following is an overview of the sequence of units, a description of the progression of student learning across the year, and a summary of how the sequence meets all performance expectations for grade 3.
Sequence of units
- Balancing Forces
- Inheritance and Traits
- Environments and Survival
- Weather and Climate
Inheritance and Traits
An adopted wolf in Graystone National Park (“Wolf 44”) has some traits that appear similar to one wolf pack in the park and other traits that appear to be similar to a different wolf pack.
Students play the role of wildlife biologists working in Graystone National Park. They study two wolf packs and are challenged to figure out why an adopted wolf (“Wolf 44”) in one of the packs has certain traits. Students observe variation between and within different species, investigate inherited traits and those that result from the environment, and explain the origin of several of the adopted wolf’s traits.
- 3-LS1-1: Life Cycles and Life Stages
- 3-LS2-1: Animals’ Social Interactions
- 3-LS3-1: Traits are Inherited and Vary
- 3-LS3-2: Traits can be Influenced by Environment