Grade 3 Science IAS Standards

Impact & Culture

Networking & the Internet

Programs & Algorithms

Computing Devices & Systems

Data & Information

Identify an example of computer hardware and an example of computer software.

Use simple troubleshooting strategies to solve a hardware or software problem (e.g., The computer screen is black because the battery isn't charged. The screen is black because my Chromebook isn't plugged in. The computer is working slowly because there are too many things open at once). (E)

Identify external parts of a computer system (e.g., mouse, keyboard, monitor, case).

Identify an action that is specific to humans (e.g., care, breathe, smile) or identify an action that people rely on a computer to do (e.g., solve a complex math problem, get data to answer a question).

Decompose a familiar problem into steps to reach a solution or solve a problem. (E)

Organize provided data into a visual representation (e.g., pictograph, chart, table, slide) and make a claim that is supported by the data.

Demonstrate what variables are and how they store information.

Describe that data can be represented in different forms understandable by people, including words, symbols, and digital displays of color.

Observe data presented (e.g., chart, pictograph) to identify a pattern or communicate an idea. (E)

Identify a positive or negative impact technology has had on how people communicate or live. (E)

Implement improvements to a computational artifact (e.g., digital animations, apps, webpages) based on provided feedback or suggestions from others.

Explain how computing technologies have changed how people communicate or live (e.g., smartphones, computers, email, texting).

Identify a way to protect people's personal information on computer systems. (E)

Identify parts of a model that show how information moves across networks or the internet.

Work with one or more people to complete provided steps to solve a problem or complete a task. (E)

Identify and incorporate sequences, loops, events, and conditionals in computer programs.

Fix an error in a list of steps that explains a familiar process or solution to a problem. (E)

Attribute credit to others when creating and remixing programs by including code comments within the lines of code. (E)

Explain the function of a piece of code and how changing the code changes the function or outcome. (E)

Engineering, Technology, and the Application of Science

Physical Science

Earth and Space Science

Life Science

Possible solutions to a problem are limited by available materials and resources (constraints). The success of a designed solution is determined by considering the desired features of a solution (criteria). Different proposals for solutions can be compared on the basis of how well each one meets the specified criteria for success or how well each takes the constraints into account.

Research on a problem should be carried out before beginning to design a solution. Testing a solution involves investigating how well it performs under a range of likely conditions.

At whatever stage, communicating with peers about proposed solutions is an important part of the design process, and shared ideas can lead to improved designs.

Tests are often designed to identify failure points or difficulties, which suggest the elements of the design that need to be improved.

Testing a solution involves investigating how well it performs under a range of likely conditions.

Different solutions need to be tested in order to determine which of them best solves the problem, given the criteria and the constraints.

The sun is a star that appears larger and brighter than other stars because it is closer. Stars range greatly in their distance from Earth.

The orbits of Earth around the sun and of the moon around Earth, together with the rotation of Earth about an axis between its North and South poles, cause observable patterns. These include day and night; daily changes in the length and direction of shadows; and different positions of the sun, moon, and stars at different times of the day, month, and year.

Local, regional, and global patterns of rock formations reveal changes over time due to earth forces, such as earthquakes. The presence and location of certain fossil types indicate the order in which rock layers were formed.

Rainfall helps to shape the land and affects the types of living things found in a region. Water, ice, wind, living organisms, and gravity break rocks, soils, and sediments into smaller particles and move them around.

Earth's major systems are the geosphere (solid and molten rock, soil, and sediments), the hydrosphere (water and ice), the atmosphere (air), and the biosphere (living things, including humans). These systems interact in multiple ways to affect Earth's surface materials and processes. The ocean supports a variety of ecosystems and organisms, shapes landforms, and influences climate. Winds and clouds in the atmosphere interact with the landforms to determine patterns of weather.

The locations of mountain ranges, deep ocean trenches, ocean floor structures, earthquakes, and volcanoes occur in patterns. Most earthquakes and volcanoes occur in bands that are often along the boundaries between continents and oceans. Major mountain chains form inside continents or near their edges. Maps can help locate the different land and water features areas of Earth.

Nearly all of Earth's available water is in the ocean. Most freshwater is in glaciers or underground; only a tiny fraction is in streams, lakes, wetlands, and the atmosphere.

Scientists record patterns of the weather across different times and areas so that they can make predictions about what kind of weather might happen next.

Climate describes a range of an area's typical weather conditions and the extent to which those conditions vary over years.

Living things affect the physical characteristics of their regions.

Energy and fuels that humans use are derived from natural sources, and their use affects the environment in multiple ways. Some resources are renewable over time, and others are not.

A variety of natural hazards result from natural processes. Humans cannot eliminate natural hazards but can take steps to reduce their impacts.

Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth's resources and environments.

Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction.

Reproduction is essential to the continued existence of every kind of organism. Plants and animals have unique and diverse life cycles.

Food provides animals with the materials they need for body repair and growth and the energy they need to maintain body warmth and for motion.

Plants acquire their material for growth chiefly from air and water.

Different sense receptors are specialized for particular kinds of information, which may be then processed by the animal's brain. Animals are able to use their perceptions and memories to guide their actions.

The food of almost any kind of animal can be traced back to plants.

Organisms are related in food webs in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the animals that eat plants. Some organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms (both plants or plants parts and animals) and therefore operate as "decomposers." Decomposition eventually restores (recycles) some materials back to the soil. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their particular needs are met. A healthy ecosystem is one in which multiple species of different types are each able to meet their needs in a relatively stable web of life. Newly introduced species can damage the balance of an ecosystem.

Matter cycles between the air and soil and among plants, animals, and microbes as these organisms live and die. Organisms obtain gasses, and water, from the environment, and release waste matter (gas, liquid, or solid) back into the environment.

When the environment changes in ways that affect a place's physical characteristics, temperature, or availability of resources, some organisms survive and reproduce, others move to new locations, yet others move into the transformed environment, and some die.

Being part of a group helps animals obtain food, defend themselves, and cope with changes. Groups may serve different functions and vary dramatically in size.

Many characteristics of organisms are inherited from their parents.

Other characteristics result from individuals' interactions with the environment, which can range from diet to learning. Many characteristics involve both inheritance and environment.

Different organisms vary in how they look and function because they have different inherited information.

The environment also affects the traits that an organism develops.

Some kinds of plants and animals that once lived on Earth are no longer found anywhere.

Fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long ago and also about the nature of their environments.

Some kinds of plants and animals that once lived on Earth are no longer found anywhere.

Fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long ago and also about the nature of their environments.

For any particular environment, some kinds of organisms survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

Populations live in a variety of habitats, and change in those habitats affects the organisms living there.

Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by other means. A model shows that gasses are made from matter particles that are too small to see and are moving freely around in space can explain many observations, including the inflation and shape of a balloon; the effects of air on larger particles or objects.

The amount (weight) of matter is conserved when it changes form, even in transitions in which it seems to vanish.

Measurements of a variety of properties can be used to identify materials. (Boundary: At this grade level, mass and weight are not distinguished, and no attempt is made to define the unseen particles or explain the atomic-scale mechanism of evaporation and condensation.)

When two or more different substances are mixed, a new substance with different properties may be formed.

No matter what reaction or change in properties occurs, the total weight of the substances does not change. (Boundary: Mass and weight are not distinguished at this grade level.)

Each force acts on one particular object and has both strength and a direction. An object at rest typically has multiple forces acting on it, but they add to give zero net force on the object. Forces that do not sum to zero can cause changes in the object's speed or direction of motion. (Boundary: Qualitative and conceptual, but not quantitative addition of forces are used at this level.)

The patterns of an object's motion in various situations can be observed and measured; when that past motion exhibits a regular pattern, future motion can be predicted from it. (Boundary: Technical terms, such as magnitude, velocity, momentum, and vector quantity, are not introduced at this level, but the concept that some quantities need both size and direction to be described is developed.)

Objects in contact exert forces on each other.

Electric, and magnetic forces between a pair of objects do not require that the objects be in contact. The sizes of the forces in each situation depend on the properties of the objects and their distances apart and, for forces between two magnets, on their orientation relative to each other.

The gravitational force of Earth acting on an object near Earth's surface pulls that object toward the planet's center.

The faster a given object is moving, the more energy it possesses.

Energy can be moved from place to place by moving objects or through sound, light, or electric currents.

A bigger push or pull makes things go faster.

Energy is present whenever there are moving objects, sound, light, or heat. When objects collide, energy can be transferred from one object to another, thereby changing their motion. In such collisions, some energy is typically also transferred to the surrounding air; as a result, the air gets heated and sound is produced.

Light also transfers energy from place to place.

Energy can also be transferred from place to place by electric currents, which can then be used locally to produce motion, sound, heat, or light. The currents may have been produced to begin with by transforming the energy of motion into electrical energy.

When objects collide, the contact forces transfer energy so as to change the objects' motions.

The expression "produce energy" typically refers to the conversion of stored energy into a desired form for practical use.

The energy released [from] food was once energy from the sun that was captured by plants in the chemical process that forms plant matter (from air and water).

Waves, which are regular patterns of motion, can be made in water by disturbing the surface. When waves move across the surface of deep water, the water goes up and down in place; it does not move in the direction of the wave except when the water meets the beach.

Waves of the same type can differ in amplitude (height of the wave) and wavelength (spacing between wave peaks). An object can be seen when light reflected from its surface enters the eyes.

Digitized information transmitted over long distances without significant degradation. High-tech devices, such as computers or cell phones, can receive and decode information—convert it from digitized form to voice—and vice versa.

Matter and Its Interactions

Earth's Place in the Universe

Earth's Systems

Earth and Human Activity

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Matter and Its Interactions

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Energy

Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

Engineering Design

Earth and Human Activity

Earth's Systems

Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Engineering Design

Earth and Human Activity

Earth's Systems

Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Engineering Design

Earth and Human Activity

Earth's Systems

Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

Identify a solution to a problem based on a specific set of desired features (criteria) and available materials and resources (constraints).

Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Compare multiple solutions to a problem by investigating how well each solution works under certain conditions.

Identify a design improvement to a problem by sharing ideas with peers.

Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Test design solutions to identify aspects of the design that can be modified or improved based on specific limitations.

Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.

Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.

Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe and predict weather conditions. (E)

Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.

Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.

Use information to describe various climates based on their long-term weather patterns.

Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.

Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.

Compare and contrast possible solutions and make a claim based on observations of impacts of a weather-related hazard.

Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.

Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.

Use a model to describe common patterns in the life cycles of different plants and animals (e.g., all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death). (E)

Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.

Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.

Construct an argument to describe how animals benefit from living in groups (e.g., obtaining food, defense, coping with changes).

Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms.

Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms

Interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms. (E)

Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.

Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.

Use evidence to demonstrate that traits can be influenced by the environment.

Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago.

Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago

Interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago. [Clarification Statement: Examples of data could include type, size, and distributions of fossil organisms. Examples of fossils and environments could include marine fossils found on dry land, tropical plant fossils found in Arctic areas, and fossils of extinct organisms.]

Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing.

Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing.

Use evidence to determine if a beneficial difference in a characteristic among individuals of the same species may provide advantages to surviving and reproducing (e.g., plants that have larger thorns than other plants may be less likely to be eaten by predators). (E)

Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

Use evidence from a specific environment to demonstrate that some organisms survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all in a particular habitat.

Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.

Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.

Make a claim about a solution to a problem that is caused when the environment changes.

Use evidence to identify how organisms are affected by environmental changes (e.g., some survive and reproduce, some move to new locations, some move into the transformed environment, some die).

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that when the forces on an object are balanced, the object remains at rest, and when the forces on an object are unbalanced, it results in motion. (E)

Make observations and/or measurements of an object's motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

Use evidence to show a pattern in an object's motion and predict its future movement. [Clarification Statement: Examples of motion with a predictable pattern could include a child swinging in a swing, a ball rolling back and forth in a bowl, and two children on a seesaw.] (E)

Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.

Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.

Ask questions to determine the effect of electric or magnetic forces between objects that are not in contact.

Ask questions to determine how electric or magnetic forces change based on different factors, such as the properties of the objects, the distance between them, and their orientation. (E)

Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.

Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.

Describe the scientific ideas necessary for solving a simple design problem about magnetic forces based on various changing factors. [Clarification Statement: Examples of problems could include constructing a latch to keep a door shut and creating a device to keep two moving objects from touching each other.]

Impact & Culture

Networking & the Internet

Programs & Algorithms

Computing Devices & Systems

Data & Information

Students identify similarities between computing systems to troubleshoot common problems and choose appropriate combinations of hardware and software to accomplish desired tasks.

Model how computer hardware and software work together to accomplish tasks.

Determine potential solutions to solve simple hardware and software problems using common troubleshooting strategies.

Describe how internal and external parts of computing devices function to form a system.

Describe what distinguishes humans from machines, focusing on human intelligence versus machine intelligence.

Students select aspects and portions of data to be transformed, clustered, and categorized to provide views and insights about the data.

Decompose problems and subproblems into parts as a means to solving complex problems.

Organize and present collected data visually to highlight relationships and support a claim.

Demonstrate how variables can represent data and are used to store and modify information.

Describe that data can be represented in different forms understandable by people, including words, symbols, and digital displays of color.

Use data to highlight or propose cause-and-effect relationships, predict outcomes, or communicate an idea.

Students describe how local and global collaboration is impacted by computing technology.

Describe the positive and negative impacts of technology on one's personal life, society, and our culture.

Seek diverse perspectives for the purpose of improving computational artifacts.

Critique computing technologies that have changed the world. Analyze how those technologies influence and/or are influenced by cultural practices and societal biases.

Students describe how personal information is protected as information is transmitted over computer networks.

Discuss real-world cybersecurity problems and how personal information can be protected.

Model how information is broken down into smaller pieces, transmitted as packets through multiple devices over networks and the internet, and reassembled at the destination.

Students collaboratively engage in computer program development with consideration of documenting design choices and giving appropriate attributions.

Collaborate with peers to implement problem-solving steps to create a variety of programming solutions.

Design programs that incorporate sequences, events, loops, and conditionals.

Test and debug (i.e., identify and fix errors) a program or algorithm to ensure it runs as intended.

Observe intellectual property rights and give appropriate attribution when creating or remixing programs.

Describe choices made during program development using code comments, presentations, and demonstrations.

Asking questions and defining problems in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to specifying qualitative relationships.

Ask questions about what would happen if a variable is changed. Identify scientific (testable) and non-scientific (non-testable) questions.

Ask questions that can be investigated and predict reasonable outcomes based on patterns such as cause and effect relationships.

Use prior knowledge to describe problems that can be solved.

Define a simple design problem that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process, or system and includes several criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

Modeling in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to building and revising simple models and using models to represent events and design solutions.

Identify limitations of models. Collaboratively develop and/or revise a model based on evidence that shows the relationships among variables for frequent and regular occurring events.

Develop a model using an analogy, example, or abstract representation to describe a scientific principle or design solution.

Develop and/or use models to describe and/or predict phenomena.

Develop a diagram or simple physical prototype to convey a proposed object, tool, or process.

Use a model to test cause and effect relationships or interactions concerning the functioning of a natural or designed system.

Planning and carrying out investigations to answer questions or test solutions to problems in 3–5 builds on K– 2 experiences and progresses to include investigations that control variables and provide evidence to support explanations or design solutions.

Plan and conduct an investigation collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, using fair tests in which variables are controlled and the number of trials considered.

Evaluate appropriate methods and/or tools for collecting data.

Make observations and/or measurements to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence for an explanation of a phenomenon or test a design solution.

Make predictions about what would happen if a variable changes.

Test two different models of the same proposed object, tool, or process to determine which better meets criteria for success.

Analyzing data in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to introducing quantitative approaches to collecting data and conducting multiple trials of qualitative observations. When possible and feasible, digital tools should be used.

Represent data in tables and/or various graphical displays (bar graphs, pictographs and/or pie charts) to reveal patterns that indicate relationships.

Analyze and interpret data to make sense of phenomena, using logical reasoning, mathematics, and/or computation.

Compare and contrast data collected by different groups in order to discuss similarities and differences in their findings.

Analyze data to refine a problem statement or the design of a proposed object, tool, or process.

Use data to evaluate and refine design solutions.

Mathematical and computational thinking in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to extending quantitative measurements to a variety of physical properties and using computation and mathematics to analyze data and compare alternative design solutions.

Decide if qualitative or quantitative data are best to determine whether a proposed object or tool meets criteria for success.

Organize simple data sets to reveal patterns that suggest relationships.

Describe, measure, estimate, and/or graph quantities (e.g., area, volume, weight, time) to address scientific and engineering questions and problems.

Create and/or use graphs and/or charts generated from simple algorithms to compare alternative solutions to an engineering problem.

Constructing explanations and designing solutions in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to the use of evidence in constructing explanations that specify variables that describe and predict phenomena and in designing multiple solutions to design problems.

Construct an explanation of observed relationships (e.g., the distribution of plants in the backyard).

Use evidence (e.g., measurements, observations, patterns) to construct or support an explanation or design a solution to a problem.

Identify the evidence that supports particular points in an explanation.

Apply scientific ideas to solve design problems.

Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem based on how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the design solution.

Engaging in argument from evidence in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to critiquing the scientific explanations or solutions proposed by peers by citing relevant evidence about the natural and designed world(s).

Compare and refine arguments based on an evaluation of the evidence presented.

Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in an explanation.

Respectfully provide and receive criticism from peers about a proposed procedure, explanation, or model by citing relevant evidence and posing specific questions.

Construct and/or support an argument with evidence, data, and/or a model.

Use data to evaluate claims about cause and effect.

Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem by citing relevant evidence about how it meets the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to evaluating the merit and accuracy of ideas and methods.

Read and comprehend grade appropriate, complex texts and/or other reliable media to summarize and obtain scientific and technical ideas and describe how they are supported by evidence.

Compare and/or combine across complex texts and/or other reliable media to support the engagement in other scientific and/or engineering practices.

Combine information in written text with that contained in corresponding tables, diagrams, and/or charts to support the engagement in other scientific and/or engineering practices.

Obtain and combine information from books and/or other reliable media to explain phenomena or solutions to a design problem.

Communicate scientific and/or technical information orally and/or in written formats, including various forms of media as well as tables, diagrams, and charts.

Asking Questions and Defining Problems

Developing and Using Models

Planning and Carrying out Investigations

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Engaging in Argument from Evidence

Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information