Third Grade Science STAAR Content Vocabulary
Words extracted directly from the standard and should be associated with instruction of the
standard.
(5) Matter and energy. The student knows that matter has measurable physical properties and
those properties determine matter is classified, changed and used. The student is expected to:
(A) measure, test, and record physical
measurable physical properties, matter,
properties of matter, including temperature,
temperature, mass, magnetism, sink, float,
mass, magnetism, and the ability to sink or
classify
float;
(B) describe and classify samples of matter as classify, matter, solids, liquids, gases,
solids, liquids, and gases and demonstrate that properties
solids have a definite shape and that liquids
and gases take the shape of their container;
(C) predict, observe, and record changes in the changes, state of matter, heating, cooling,
state of matter caused by heating or cooling;
physical properties, solid, liquid, gas, melting,
and
freezing
(D) explore and recognize that a mixture is
mixture, physical properties,
created when two materials are combined such
as gravel and sand and metal and plastic paper
clips.
(6) Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that forces cause change and energy exists in
many forms. The student is expected to:
(A) explore different forms of energy,
energy, mechanical energy, light energy, sound
including mechanical, light, sound, and
energy, heat energy, thermal energy
heat/thermal in everyday life;
(B) demonstrate and observe how position and position, motion, change, pushing, pulling,
motion can be changed by pushing and pulling pulleys, force, work
objects to show work being done such as
swings, balls, pulleys, and wagons; and
(C) observe forces such as magnetism and
forces, change, magnetism, gravity
gravity acting on objects.
(7) Earth and space. The student knows that Earth consists of natural resources and its surface is
constantly changing. The student is expected to:
(A) explore and record how soils are formed
surface constantly changing, soils, formed,
by weathering of rock and the decomposition
weathering, decomposition, remains, changes
of plant and animal remains;
(B) investigate rapid changes in Earth's
rapid changes, Earth’s surface, volcanic
surface such as volcanic eruptions,
eruptions, earthquakes, landslides, tsunami,
earthquakes, and landslides;
hurricane, tornado
(C) identify and compare different landforms, landforms, mountains, hills, valleys, plains
including mountains, hills, valleys, and plains; change
and
(D) explore the characteristics of natural
characteristics, natural resources, products,
resources that make them useful in products
conserved
and materials such as clothing and furniture
and how resources may be conserved.
Third Grade Science STAAR Content Vocabulary
Words extracted directly from the standard and should be associated with instruction of the
standard.
(8) Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world
and among objects in the sky. The student is expected to:
(A) observe, measure, record, and compare
recognizable patterns, weather changes,
day-to-day weather changes in different
locations, air temperature, wind direction,
locations at the same time that include air
precipitation
temperature, wind direction, and precipitation;
(B) describe and illustrate the Sun as a star
Sun, star, gases, light, heat, energy, water cycle
composed of gases that provides light and heat
energy for the water cycle;
(C) construct models that demonstrate the
relationship of the Sun, Earth, and Moon,
including orbits and positions; and
(D) identify the planets in Earth's solar system
and their position in relation to the Sun.
models, limitations, relationship, Sun, Earth,
moon, orbits, position, change, system
planets, solar system, position, relation to the
Sun, motion, system, Mercury, Venus, Earth,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
(9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms have characteristics that
help them survive and can describe patterns, cycles, systems, and relationships within the
environments. The student is expected to:
(A) observe and describe the physical
organisms, physical characteristics,
characteristics of environments and how they
environments, populations, communities,
support populations and communities within an ecosystem, cycles, systems, relationships,
ecosystem;
species, food webs, disturbance, diversity
(B) identify and describe the flow of energy in flow of energy, food chain, changes,
a food chain and predict how changes in a food ecosystem, removal, systems, relationships
chain affect the ecosystem such as removal of
frogs from a pond or bees from a field; and
(C) describe environmental changes such as
environmental changes, floods, droughts,
floods and droughts where some organisms
thrive, perish, migrate, systems, relationships
thrive and others perish or move to new
locations.
(10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms Undergo similar life
processes and have structures that help them survive within their environments. TSET
(A) explore how structures and functions of
structures, functions, survive environment,
plants and animals allow them to survive in a
system, changes
particular environment;
(B) explore that some characteristics of
characteristics, organisms, inherited, behaviors,
organisms are inherited such as the number of
learned, environment, structures, functions,
limbs on an animal or flower color and
system, processes
recognize that some behaviors are learned in
response to living in a certain environment
such as animals using tools to get food; and
Third Grade Science STAAR Content Vocabulary
Words extracted directly from the standard and should be associated with instruction of the
standard.
(C) investigate and compare how animals and
plants undergo a series of orderly changes in
their diverse life cycles such as tomato plants,
frogs, and lady bugs.
changes, processes, life cycle, seed seedling
plant, fruit, egg, embryo, tadpole, frog, larva,
pupa, adult