Science Year 3

Working scientifically

• Asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them
  • Solve problems using magnets (3-E.5)
• Setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests
  • Investigate sunlight and shade (3-L.1)
  • Design a sunshade (3-L.2)
• Making systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, taking accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, including thermometers and data loggers
  • Read a thermometer (3-L.3)
  • Compare temperatures on thermometers (3-L.4)
  • Choose units of time (3-O.1)
  • Choose units of distance (3-O.2)
  • Abbreviate time and length units (3-O.3)
  • Abbreviate mass and volume units (3-O.4)
• Gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions
  • Investigate sunlight and shade (3-L.1)
• Recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts and tables
• Reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions
  • Investigate sunlight and shade (3-L.1)
• Using results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions
  • Solve problems using magnets (3-E.5)
  • Design a sunshade (3-L.2)
• Identifying differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes
• Using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings
  • Find evidence of changes to Earth's surface (3-N.2)

Plants

• Identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem/trunk, leaves and flowers
  • Classify fruits and vegetables as plant parts (3-H.2)
  • Identify plant parts and their functions (3-H.3)
• Explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant
  • What do plants need to survive? (3-H.1)
• Investigate the way in which water is transported within plants
• Explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal
  • Read and construct flowering plant life cycle diagrams (3-H.5)
  • How do flowering plants make new plants? (3-H.6)
  • Seed disperser: Eurasian red squirrel (3-I.4)
  • Seed disperser: African elephant (3-I.5)
  • Seed disperser: common ostrich (3-I.6)

Animals, including humans

• Identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition, and that they cannot make their own food; they get nutrition from what they eat
• Identify that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement
  • Identify animals with and without backbones (3-G.5)
  • Body parts and their functions (3-G.6)

Rocks

• Compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties
  • Classify rocks and minerals by colour and shape (3-J.2)
  • Classify rocks as igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic (3-J.5)
  • Identify rocks using properties (4-R.2)
• Describe in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped within rock
  • Introduction to fossils (3-K.1)
• Recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter
  • Types of soils (3-J.1)

Light

• Recognise that they need light in order to see things and that dark is the absence of light
  • More light or less light (3-B.1)
• Notice that light is reflected from surfaces
• Recognise that light from the sun can be dangerous and that there are ways to protect their eyes
• Recognise that shadows are formed when the light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object
  • Investigate shadows (3-B.2)
• Find patterns in the way that the size of shadows change
  • Investigate shadows (3-B.2)

Forces and magnets

• Compare how things move on different surfaces
• Notice that some forces need contact between two objects, but magnetic forces can act at a distance
  • What objects can a magnet pull? (3-E.1)
• Observe how magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others
  • What objects can a magnet pull? (3-E.1)
  • How do magnets attract and repel each other? (3-E.2)
  • Identify magnets that attract or repel (3-E.3)
• Compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of whether they are attracted to a magnet, and identify some magnetic materials
  • What objects can a magnet pull? (3-E.1)
  • Solve problems using magnets (4-X.1)
• Describe magnets as having two poles
  • How do magnets attract and repel each other? (3-E.2)
  • Label magnets that attract or repel (3-E.4)
• Predict whether two magnets will attract or repel each other, depending on which poles are facing
  • How do magnets attract and repel each other? (3-E.2)
  • Identify magnets that attract or repel (3-E.3)