Third Grade Lesson Plans (Page 6)

Solar Power

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-5th

In this activity, students learn how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings by investigating the thermal storage properties of some common materials: sand, salt, water and shredded paper. Students then evaluate the usefulness of each material as a thermal storage material to be used as the thermal mass in a passive solar building.Engineering Connection Engineers design technologies that can turn sunlight into electricity to power households and businesses. For example,… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

Two Eyes Are Better Than One

Lesson Plan Grade: Kindergarten-8th

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NGSS Performance Expectations:

4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. [Clarification Statement: Examples of structures could include thorns, stems, roots, colored petals, heart, stomach, lung, brain, and skin.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to macroscopic structures within plant and animal systems.]
4-LS1-2. Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on systems of information transfer.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the mechanisms by which the brain stores and recalls information or the mechanisms of how sensory receptors function.]

Volleyball Machine Challenge for Grades 3-5

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-5th

Teach your students about the engineering design process with this fun lesson plan. They will design and build two "volleyball machines" that launch a ping pong ball back and forth over a net. While the 2019 Engineering Challenge is over, your students can still try this project and compare their scores to top scores from around the world! Teachers, note that middle school and high school versions of this lesson plan are also available. Looking for this year's challenge? Check out our… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-5-ETS1-3. 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.

Weather: Can You Measure Wind?

Video Lesson Grade: 3rd

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Wind is a part of our everyday weather. Its strength can range from a soft breeze to a violent storm. In this lesson, students learn how to measure wind speed by building anemometers (wind speed meters) from paper cups and straws and experimenting with them. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-ESS2-1. Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.

Wild Wind! Making Weather Vanes to Find Prevailing Winds

Lesson Plan Grade: Kindergarten-5th

Students learn the difference between global, prevailing, and local winds. They make wind vanes out of paper, straws, and soda bottles and use them to measure wind direction over time. They analyze their data to draw conclusions about the local prevailing winds.Engineering Connection Understanding the patterns and behavior of global and localized winds enables engineers to design technologies that protect us from wind and exploit the energy of wind. Engineers design… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

Worlds in Comparison

Lesson Plan Grade: 2nd-6th

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"Play-Doh" © 2006 Dennis Brekke Do you know the relative sizes of the planets in our solar system? Put yourself to the test with some Play-doh. Size comparisons between planets can be surprisingly tricky. This activity allows students to model, in three dimensions, the relative sizes of the planets. Read more

Third Grade Lesson Plans (56 results)

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