Science 3
Saskatchewan Curriculum - Grade 3 Science* The new Saskatchewan Science Curriculum is currently in Draft Mode and will be posted once it is ready. The draft copy can be found here.
Unit: Animals
- Explain some food chains and food webs.
- Identify foods for humans.
- Identify foods for animals.
- Describe some food webs involving humans.
- Describe food webs in your locale which do not involve humans.
- Apply the terms predator, prey, grazers, scavenger to the members of the food chains identified.
- Appreciate that animals can become endangered .
- Develop an operational definition of the term "endangered species."
- List some endangered and extinct animals.
- Examine some protective adaptations of animals.
- Investigate reasons why animals become endangered or extinct.
- Identify ways of protecting animals.
- Describe the structure of the Earth.
- Recognize that the Earth is a sphere.
- Identify the core, mantle, and crust as the layers of the Earth.
- Describe the features of the core, the mantle, and the crust.
- Describe some characteristics of the crust.
- Observe and describe the surface features of the local area.
- Observe and describe the composition of soil.
- Identify types of soils by their components.
- Describe the process of soil formation.
- Recognize the importance of soil.
- Consider the interdependence of agriculture and the soil.
Unit: Properties of Matter
- Describe some characteristic properties of matter.
- Determine which properties of objects can be used to help identify them.
- Develop skills in using a balance to measure the mass of matter.
- Recognize solids, liquids, and gases as states of matter.
- Examine some of the properties of solids, liquids, and gases.
- Identify some changes in matter.
- Recognize that the state of matter is a physical property .
- Identify changes of state.
- Associate changes of state with temperature changes.
- Discuss ways of using changes of state to estimate temperatures.
- Investigate some physical changes and some chemical changes.
- Describe and demonstrate the motions of the Earth and the Moon.
- Define the terms revolution and rotation, with respect to the Earth and the Moon.
- Describe how the rotation of the Earth produces day and night.
- Recognize that the revolution of the Earth around the Sun produces the seasons.
- Investigate why the full moon and new moon occur, using models .
- Observe the full moon and the new moon in the sky.
- Show how the eclipses of the Sun and the Moon occur .
- Describe the solar system .
- Compare the sizes of the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth.
- Name the planets .
- Describe some characteristics of each planet .
- Locate the planets Venus, Mars, and Jupiter in the sky or on sky charts.
- Understand the components necessary for fire.
- Develop an operational definition of fire.
- Identify some common fuels.
- Identify oxygen as the most common substance which supports combustion of fuels.
- Understand the concepts of ignition and kindling temperature.
- Describe the principles of extinguishing fires.
- Recognize the three components necessary for fire.
- Describe how to remove or reduce each component.
- Discuss inappropriate ways of removing or reducing components.
- Develop classroom guidelines to use in case of fire.
- Discuss some uses of fire.
- Identify and describe uses of fire.
- Propose alternatives to the use of fire.
- Recognize common sources of heat.
- Describe how other forms of energy can be converted into heat energy.
- Describe how to detect the presence of heat.
- Observe how heat can be transferred from one object to another.
- Experiment with aiding and inhibiting heat transfer.
- Contrast the concept of heat with the term "cold."
- Describe the effect of heat on matter.
- Observe and describe the effect of heat on solids.
- Observe and describe the effect of heat on liquids.
- Use the terms for the common changes of state.
- Develop operational definitions for changes of state.
- Describe diversity in plant structure.
- Recognize roots, stems, leaves, and flowers as common structures of most plants.
- Examine modifications of roots, stems, leaves, and flowers.
- Discuss how plants are used by humans.
- Explain how the structures of a plant help it survive.
- Investigate the functions of roots, stems, leaves and flowers.
- Observe and describe the response of plants to environmental stimuli.
- Observe and describe how plants are adapted to environmental conditions.
- Recognize the different types of force and energy.
- Observe how gravity, magnetism, push and pull, and friction influence objects.
- Observe how electrical, chemical, heat, light, sound, and kinetic energy influence objects.
- Describe the relation between energy and force.
- Describe how simple machines convert force into motion.
- Examine how levers work.
- Examine how pulleys work.
- Examine how wheels and axles work.
- Examine how inclined planes work.
- Examine some compound machines.
- Design and construct a simple or compound machine to complete a particular task.
- Consider the relationship between energy and motion.
- Explain the nature and properties of sound.
- Compare transmission of sound through air, water, and some solids.
- Demonstrate that sound is produced by vibrations.
- Investigate changing the pitch and the quality of a sound.
- Discover a place where strong echoes are produced.
- Describe some uses of sound.
- Observe and describe some uses of sound.
- Propose some new uses for sound.
- Devise, or modify, devices which produce sound, in order to produce a sound for particular purpose.
