Science, Grade 3

Comparing different soils

I can look at different soils and tell how they are alike and different in colour, feel, and what is in them.

What soil is made of

I can describe the parts that make up soil — sand, silt, clay, tiny rocks, and old plant and animal bits.

Water and soil

I can tell how water changes soil and compare how much water different soils soak up.

Living things and soil

I can describe how living things and soil affect each other — how worms and plants change soil, and how soil helps living things.

How moving water changes soil

I can tell how moving water carries soil away and how different soils are moved more or less easily.

How people use soil

I can describe ways people use soil to make useful objects, like bricks, pottery, and growing food.

Shapes and forms in structures

I can spot the shapes and forms in structures — in nature and in things people build.

Shapes that give strength

I can tell how certain shapes make a structure strong and stable, and test it myself.

Choosing building materials

I can describe common building materials and choose which ones suit a structure.

Joining materials with tools

I can choose a good way to join materials and use tools safely to cut, shape, and put them together.

Judging if a structure works

I can judge whether a structure works — is it strong and safe, does it use materials well, and does it fit its job and place?

Testing and improving structures

I can test how strong and stable my structure is and find ways to make it stronger.

Making and using static electricity

I can make static electricity with everyday materials, tell how charged things push and pull, and give examples from daily life.

What changes static force

I can name conditions that make static electricity stronger or weaker.

Magnets and what they attract

I can name ways magnets are used and tell which materials a magnet attracts and which it does not.

Making magnets and their poles

I can make a magnet from a magnetic material and show that opposite poles pull together while like poles push apart.

What changes a magnet's force

I can name conditions that make a magnet's pull stronger or weaker.

Parts of a plant and their jobs

I can name the main parts of a plant — roots, stem, leaves, flower — and tell what each one does.

What plants need to grow

I can name what plants need to grow and tell how different conditions change how well they grow.

The life cycle of a flowering plant

I can describe the stages a flowering plant goes through — from seed to sprout to grown plant to flowers and new seeds.

Why plants matter

I can describe ways plants are important to animals, people, and the environment.

Useful things from plants

I can name useful products we get from plants, which part they come from, and how we keep our supply going.