Grade 3
Science
Unit 4: Plants and Animals
Time Frame: Approximately four weeks
Unit Description
In this unit the relationships of plants and animals to each other and to their environment
will be explored. The human body structures will be examined, as well as the skeletal and
digestive systems. Relationships and growth will be analyzed with respect to proper diet,
using the food pyramid.
Student Understandings
Students will gain an understanding of the underlying concepts of structure and function
of living organisms. Students will compare and contrast plant and animal structures,
describing those necessary to sustain life. Through the study and exploration of the
digestive and skeletal systems, students will describe the basic components and functions
of these systems.
Guiding Questions
Can students describe what the human body needs to grow and be healthy?
Can students describe the differences in structures between plants and animals and how
their structures enable them to meet their basic needs?
Can students cite common characteristics that are used to classify groups of organisms?
Can students describe the components and function of the digestive system and the
skeletal system?
Can students describe what is meant by a balanced daily diet and determine if he or she
(as well as his or her classmates) is meeting the requirements?
Unit 4 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
GLE #
GLE Text and Benchmarks
Science as Inquiry
1.
Ask questions about objects and events in the environment (e.g., plants, rocks,
storms) (SI-E-A1)
2.
Pose questions that can be answered by using students’ own observations,
scientific knowledge, and testable scientific investigations (SI-E-A1)
GLE #
3.
GLE Text and Benchmarks
Use observations to design and conduct simple investigations or experiments
to answer testable questions (SI-E-A2)
5.
Use a variety of methods and materials and multiple trials to investigate ideas
(observe, measure, accurately record data) (SI-E-A2)
8.
Select and use developmentally appropriate equipment and tools (e.g.,
magnifying lenses, microscopes, graduated cylinders,) and units of
measurement to observe and collect data (SI-E-A4)
9.
Express data in a variety of ways by constructing illustrations, graphs, charts,
tables, concept maps, and oral and written explanations as appropriate (SI-EA5) (SI-E-B4)
10.
Combine information, data, and knowledge from one or more of the science
content areas to reach a conclusion or make a prediction (SI-E-A5)
11.
Use a variety of appropriate formats to describe procedures and to express
ideas about demonstrations or experiments (e.g., drawings, journals, reports,
presentations, exhibitions, portfolios) (SI-E-A6)
Identify and use appropriate safety procedures and equipment when
Conducting investigations (e.g., gloves, goggles, hair ties) SI-E-A7)
Life Science
34.
Describe what the human body needs to grow and be healthy (LS-E-A1)
35.
Compare structures (parts of the body) in a variety of animals (e.g., fish,
mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects) (LS-E-A3)
3
Compare structures (e.g., roots, leaves, stems, flowers, seeds) and their
6
functions in a variety of plants (LS-E-A3)
.
37.
Describe how plant structures enable the plant to meet its basic needs (LS-EA3)
38.
Classify groups of organisms based on common characteristics (LS-E-A4)
39.
Compare organisms from different groups (e.g., birds with mammals,
terrestrial plants with aquatic plants) (LS-E-A4)
40.
Explain how the organs of the digestive system function (LS-E-A5)
41.
Describe how the components of the skeletal system function (LS-E-A5)
42.
Describe the relationship between eating habits and maintaining a healthy body
(LS-E-A6)
43.
Identify a meal that includes representatives from each group of the food
pyramid (LS-E-A6)
44.
Graph, analyze, and interpret personal and class data (LS-E-B4)
Sample Activities
Activity 1: Healthy Body (GLEs: 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 34, 42, 44)
Students discuss what the human body needs to be healthy. Allow students to ask
questions that they would like to answer in their exploration of the human body. Have
students make observations and inferences about eating habits and how this relates to
having a healthy body. Use books and other references to read and locate information on
the human body and its needs such as food, water, sleep, shelter, exercise, and oxygen.
Discuss findings and make a classroom chart with food, shelter, water, exercise, sleep,
and oxygen listed on it. Give each student two sticky notes and have them write two
things they do to stay healthy. Post notes under appropriate headings and discuss the
graph. Discussion questions may include the following:
How can humans keep their bodies healthy? Discuss correct amounts of sleep,
exercise, water, etc.
Discuss an action plan for each student to formulate to meet his or her own
personal need(s) for improving his or her own health.
Activity 2: Eating Healthy (GLEs: 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 34, 42, 43, 44)
Distribute food pyramids to each student and have them design a one-day menu of three
meals that includes foods represented from each group of the food guide pyramid. Have
students pose questions about daily dietary needs that include the correct foods and
amount of each food group needed daily. Instruct students to keep a daily record, such as
a food journal, for four or five days listing all the foods they have eaten in each 24-hour
period. Have students divide the list into groups such as healthy foods, non-healthy foods,
required food group, etc. to explain eating foods to maintain a healthy body. Discussion
questions may include the following:
Can you identify each food group on the pyramid, how many servings are needed in a
day, and explain why each group is important to maintain a healthy body?
Can you explain how a food could belong to more than one group?
Did your dietary intake meet the requirements according to the food pyramid?
Activity 3: Digestive System (GLEs: 9, 11, 35, 40)
Students will be given a drawing of the human digestive system. Using books, textbooks,
and reference materials, students will label the parts of the digestive system and will trace
the path that food takes as it undergoes changes in the system. After researching the
system, students will list the parts of the digestive system and the functions they perform
in journals or prepared tables. Class discussion questions include the following:
Why is it important to chew food before it is swallowed?
What changes occur to the food when it is in the stomach?
Describe what happens to food in the small intestine.
What role does the large intestine play in the digestive system?
Label a diagram pf the digestive system and explain the function that each part performs.
Do other animals have digestive systems?
Compare the digestive system of humans to those of other animals. (e.g., crop in a
chicken, cow stomachs, etc.).
Activity 4: Skeletal System (GLEs: 9, 11, 41)
Students will examine a model of a human skeleton and observe how the bones are
connected. Students will read books, textbooks, and other reference materials to find
information on the skeletal system and its function. Students will make a model of the
spinal column by placing LifeSavers™ on a pipe cleaner and bending it to simulate
moving and bending of the spine. (Caution: Do not allow the students to eat the
LifeSavers™ because of possible contamination from handling by the students.) Using
complete sentences, students will write in journals or data sheets to describe the five
functions of the skeletal system (structure and support, protection of vital organs, storage
of fat and calcium, production of red blood cells, providing leverage of movement). Have
students move arms and legs and then describe the types of joint motions observed.
Discussion questions include the following:
How do the bones in our body help us?
Do different bones help different parts of our body? How?
Why is it important that our spine be flexible and bendable?
Why do you think it is important for us to eat foods that contain calcium and vitamin D?
What are some good food sources for calcium and vitamin D?
Activity 5: Animal Structures (GLEs: 9, 11, 35, 38, 39)
Students will need to assemble pictures from magazines, books, Internet sites and other
sources of different types of animals, including insects. Groups of students will observe
the various structures of these animals and after a class discussion on vertebrates and
invertebrates, have students sort the pictures into those two categories. Discuss structures
of the animals and insects in the pictures (include beaks, claws, teeth, appendages, ears,
etc.) that allow them to survive in their habitat. Ask students to explain the function of the
body structures.
Discuss traits of mammals, reptiles, insects, amphibians, and arthropods. Using the same
pictures, instruct students to sort them into these categories. Have students compare
various groups of organisms such as mammals and amphibians, insects and arthropods,
etc. Allow time for discussions of classifications and why the animals were placed in the
chosen categories. The teacher could make a classroom chart on the board with the
animals listed under the correct headings. Students could cut out pictures and place them
on a poster and then discuss why they belong with that grouping. Have students identify
and classify animals and insects into exoskeleton (outside skeleton) or endoskeleton
(internal skeleton) groupings.
Activity 6: Worm Bins (GLEs: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 35)
Students will make a worm bin habitat. Obtain a plastic 10- to 12-gallon size storage
container. Tear strips of newspaper to fill the container. Place about 30 red worms or
earthworms inside the container. (Worms can be purchased from bait stores or gathered
by the teacher or students from home gardens, flower beds, etc.) Make several holes in
the lid of the container to let air inside. Add biodegradable materials such as banana
peels, apple peelings, apple cores, etc., but do not add meat products. You may need to
add more material each week. Add worms to the bin, carefully securing the lid. Before
observing the worms, ask students to identify and discuss which safety rules they should
follow in handling the worms such as use disposable gloves, handle the worms gently,
wash hands following the activity, etc. Allow students to observe the worms and their
habitat for several days and weeks.
Place a worm on a moist paper towel for each student to observe. Use hand lens to
observe the worms and have students record their observations in both sketches and
words. Students should always be cautioned to wash hands after each worm observation.
Have students generate questions about what they could learn about worms and their
functions in the ecosystem. Have students plan an investigation of the worm (with teacher
guidance) such as what they eat and drink, if they prefer light or no dark, how they move,
etc. Discussion questions include:
What are the functions of each body part of the worm?
Does the worm have any of the same body parts as mammals?
Why are worms important?
How do worms affect the soil?
Activity 7: Plant Structures (GLEs: 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 11, 36, 37)
Students will examine a variety of plants to identify the plants’ structures: roots, stem,
leaves, flowers, and seeds. A walking fieldtrip around the school grounds may provide
opportunities to observe plants located in your area. Caution students about how to
identify plants such as poison ivy before taking the fieldtrip. Do not allow students to
touch or get near these plants. Students record in a journal or data sheet the type plants
observed with a description and sketch. This examination will be followed by a teacherled discussion about the function of each of these structures. How are they different or
alike? Students will draw and label a specific plant and identify the functions of each
structure and how it helps the plant survive. Students should share their findings with the
class.
Students will plant seeds in containers to observe plant growth and to identify simple
plant structures. Have students generate questions about plant structures and their role in
the life of the plant. Using these questions direct students to design their own plant
growth investigation such as planting seeds in different containers, different mediums as
soil or no soil, etc. Discussion questions include the following:
What does a plant need to survive?
What are the names of the plant parts?
What function does each structure have that helps the plant to live?
Activity 8: Plant Shoots and Roots (GLEs: 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 36)
Fill an empty clear plastic jar with cotton. Place seeds such as pumpkin, radish, pea, or
lima bean between the cotton and the side of the jar. Be careful not to place the seeds too
close to each other. Wet the cotton and keep it damp for several days. Be sure the
container is in a well-lit area once the shoots emerge. After several days the emerging
shoots will be growing upward and the roots will be growing downward. Keep the cotton
damp but not soaking wet.
Have students generate a list of questions that they would like to have answered, based
upon the observations and results of their experiment. They should also make entries in a
journal of observations and sketches as the roots and shoots grow along with their
explanation of what they observe.
Invert the jar. The shoots and roots will turn so that again the emerging shoot containing
the stem and leaves will grow up and the roots grow downward. After several days plant
the shoots in soil to keep them growing. Discussion questions may include:
What are the functions of the roots?
What is the importance of roots growing downward?
What are the functions of the stems and leaves?
Why do stems growing upward?
Activity 9: Let’s Soak Up The Sun (GLEs: 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 37)
Have students generate questions about the need for sunlight for plants to grow. Have
students design an investigation (with directed guidance from the teacher) to address this
concept. The student investigation should have components similar to the following:
Select a leafy green plant. Secure a box about the same height of the plant. Make a small
opening in the side of the box at about the height of the top of the leaves of the plant.
Place the plant in the box with the opening of the box directed toward the sunlight. Check
the plant after several hours. The stems and leaves of the plant will be bent toward the
light of the Sun.
Have students make observations, recordings, and drawings of the plant noting the Sun’s
direction on a graph or journal. Turn the plant so the leaves will point away from the
opening. After several more hours the plant again will bend toward the opening where the
light of the Sun is shining in. Discussion questions include:
What structure of the plant helped the plant gain the light it needs for growth?
What role do the plant cells take when the plant bends toward the light?
Activity 10: Roots and Leaves - Are They Useful or Not? (GLEs: 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 37)
Have students generate questions about the role that roots and leaves play in the growth
of a plant. Have students design an investigation (with directed guidance from the
teacher) to answer questions about roots and leaves. The investigation should be similar
to the following: Obtain two identical plants (e.g., petunia plant). Have students make
sketches and write observations of the plants. Remove all the roots from one of the
plants. Place both plants in a well-lit area keeping them watered. Observe both plants for
several days. Have students make sketches and write observations of the plants. Notice
what happens to each plant. Discuss the role of roots in the plant.
Using two more similar plants, have students make sketches and write observations of the
plants. Remove all the leaves from one of the plants. Place both plants in a well-lit area
keeping them watered. Observe both plants for several days. Have students make
sketches and write observations of the plants. Notice what happens to each plant. Discuss
the role of the leaves in the plant.
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines
Assessment techniques should include use of drawings/illustrations/models, laboratory
investigations with reports, laboratory practicals (problem-solving and performancebased assessments), group discussion and journaling (reflective assessment); and paperand-pencil tests (traditional summative assessments).
General Assessments
The student will list activities that help to keep people healthy.
The student will develop a one-day menu of three meals that includes representatives of
each food group on the food pyramid.
The student will develop a graph of classmates’ height and analyzing their growth over
time.
The student will make a model of the spinal column by placing LifeSavers on a pipe
cleaner and bending it to simulate movement of the spine.
The student will write journal recordings describing the five functions of the skeletal
system.
The student will write an explanation of what the body structures of animals or insects
enable them to do.
The student will exhibit the ability to sort mammals, reptiles, insects, amphibians, and
arthropods into proper categories.
The student will show the completion of an insect (e.g., three body sections).
The student will complete a drawing and labeling of an insect and identifying how it
finds food, gets or preserves water, how it moves, and how it protects itself.
The student will draw and label a plant’s structure, identifying the function of each part,
and explaining how each helps the plant to survive.
The student will write a journal of student’s dietary intake.
Activity-Specific Assessments
Activity 1: Students will plan a hypothetical two-day meal calendar listing foods they
plan to eat and which would correctly coincide with the food pyramid suggestions.
Evaluation should include the correct listing of foods according to the food pyramid
guide.
Activity 3: Students should list the parts of the digestive system explaining the function
of each part. Evaluate for accuracy.
Activity 10: Students will record growth (or lack of growth) by drawing
pictures and labeling, plus writing explanations about the plants. A journal
will be kept by each student with correct labels and date for each entry. Points
should be given for labeling, dating, accuracy in representation of the plant in
drawings, and accuracy of explanation of growth. A teacher-made rubric can
be used in evaluation.
Resources
FOSS Human Body
FOSS Structures of Life
Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body
SCASS CD Elementary Event 301
www.ed.gov/free
www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson-plans/partnersinpollination/
www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson-plans/under_spell_spiders/
www.enc.org (Eisenhower National Clearinghouse, Links to Science Lesson Plans)
www.PestWorldForKids.org