2014-2015 Curriculum Blueprint
Grade: 3rd
Course: Science
Time Allowed:
Topic/Idea: Unit 1 Big Idea 1 and 3
25 Days
PRACTICE OF SCIENCE, The Roles of Theories, Laws, Hypothesis, and Models
1st Quarter
Learning Goal(s)
Students will be able to learn the scientific process used by scientists to investigate.
Student will be able to understand how observations are made and be able to raise questions about the
natural world.
Essential Question(s)
What do we need to do to investigate problems like scientists?
Why do scientists investigate problems?
Why is it necessary to explore the natural world around us?
Why is communication necessary among scientist?
How can models help us learn about the world around us?
Unit Overview
Students will engage in the scientific process of asking questions, conducting investigations for answer their questions and
communicating their empirical evidence gather during investigations. Comparisons will be made on the tools used by each
group and a discussion on how different tools may be used during the same investigation by different groups. An
understanding of how scientist use models to help explain how things work.
Focus Benchmarks/Focus Instruction
Vertical Progression:
Bullets are the benchmark clarifications. These should be used to develop concise learning statements/daily 2nd Grade: The students have made and compared observations, raised questions, investigated them in teams through
objectives/scales. The content limits are included in this section to help with alignment to standards
exploration and observations to generate explanations. Students have asked and attempted to answer, “How do you know?”
based instruction. The Nature of Science Standards (N) are taught through the science course.
The students explained how science investigations should be repeated and yield similar conclusions. Students distinguished
between empirical observation and ideas or inferences.
SC.3.N.1.1: (DOK3) Raise questions about the natural world, investigate them individually and in teams
4th Grade: Students will raise questions about the natural world while exploring scientific investigations. They will compare
through free exploration and systematic investigations, and generate appropriate explanations based on observations, use appropriate reference materials and conduct explorations/investigations. Students will learn that science
those explorations.
does not always follow the scientific method but scientists do base their findings on evidence. Models are used to account for
observations and the need to keep records are examined. Students will cite evidence as they attempt to answer scientific
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develop questions about the natural world
questions reasonably.
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make observations about the natural world
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generate explanations from observations of the natural world
Textbook Support
Academic Language
FCAT 2.0 Content Limits:
Be selective in choosing content from the textbook resource
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Items will not include the words inquiry or hypothesis
that meets the full intent of the focus benchmark(s).
Conclusion
Infer
Observation
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Items may include illustrations or photographs of the natural world
SC.3.N.1.2: (DOK2) Compare the observations made by different groups using the same tools and
seek reasons to explain the differences across groups.
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summarize observations made by two different groups that conducted the same experiment
and used the same tools
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describe why there may be differences in observations between groups that completed
the same experiment and used the same tools

compare and contrast the similarities and differences between observations of two different
groups that completed the same experiment
FCAT 2.0 Content Limits:

Items will not include text written above a third grade reading level

Items may include more than one sample lab report outlining different observations from the
same experiment for students to analyze and compare
SC.3.N.1.3: (DOK3) Keep records as appropriate, such as pictorial, written, or simple charts and
graphs, of investigations conducted.
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record written or pictorial records of observations and findings from investigations
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organize information from investigations into simple charts or graphs

explain the importance of keeping records from investigations and experiments
FCAT 2.0 Content Limits:

Items will not include text written above a third grade reading level

Items may include simple charts and graphs of investigations
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Pearson Interactive Science Chapter 1 Lessons 1-5
Lesson 1 - 5: Guide and Open Inquiry
Supporting & Additional Resources:
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Link to Webb’s DOK Guide
Link to Scale
Parts of the Scientific Method – Brain POP video
explaining the parts. Please note and explain to
the students that to gather relevant data, there
must be at least 3 plants per test group.
Inquiry in Action: States of Matter LessonCPALMS lesson on the motion of matter
Communicating About Discovering Dinosaurshelps scientist to make inferences based on
observations and communication among scientist.
Text on Natural Phenomenon : The Aurora
Does Soap Float: This lesson is focused on record
keeping through the scientific method.
Journey Through the Universe: Lesson 1- Making
Models to Understand Our Home (CPLAMS)
Hypothesis
Inquiry
Graphs: Bar
Investigate
Sight
Charts
Empirical
Evidence
Technology
Model
Illustrations
Touch
Tools
Question
Survey
Data
Record
Safety
Unit of
Measure
Higher Order Questions/Stems
 How do scientists investigate problems?
 Why do we communicate the results of our
investigations to other?
 Why are models used in science? Explain
 Why do scientist use question to investigate and
explore science?
 How can you use a model?
2014-2015 Curriculum Blueprint
Grade: 3rd
Course: Science
Time Allowed:
Topic/Idea: Unit 1 Big Idea 1 and 3
25 Days
PRACTICE OF SCIENCE, The Roles of Theories, Laws, Hypothesis, and Models
1st Quarter
SC.3.N.1.4: (DOK3) Recognize the importance of communication among scientists.
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identify ways that scientists share their knowledge and results with one another,
including lab reports and journal articles
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describe how scientists collaborate together in labs or field stations
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explain how scientists interact with one another to gain new knowledge or refine ideas.
FCAT 2.0 Content Limits:

Item content about scientists and collaborations will be grade-level appropriate

Items may include photographs of scientists working together in labs or in the field
SC.3.N.1.5: (DOK2) Recognize that scientists question, discuss, and check each other’s' evidence and
explanations.
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describe the importance of scientists questioning, discussing, and checking evidence and
explanations
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explain how explanations of experiment results can vary even when scientists are
analyzing the same material
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recognize the importance of checking evidence for accuracy
FCAT 2.0 Content Limits:

Item content about scientists and collaborations will be grade-level appropriate

Items may include photographs of scientists working together in labs or in the field.
SC.3.N.1.6: (DOK2) Infer based on observation.
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form an opinion based on observation
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explain reasons for results of a scientific study
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define the word infer and explain its meaning in the scientific process
FCAT 2.0 Content Limits:

Items will not include text written above a third grade reading level
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Items may include a written report of observations from a scientific study
SC.3.N.1.7: (DOK3) Explain that empirical evidence is information, such as observations or measurements
that is used to help validate explanations of natural phenomena.
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define the meaning of empirical evidence
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explain how empirical evidence can be used to validate explanations of natural
phenomena
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analyze a text to locate evidence to explain a natural phenomenon
FCAT 2.0 Content Limits:

Items will not include text written above a third grade reading level
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Items may include text that includes evidence, such as observations or measurements,
to validate an explanation of a natural phenomenon
SC.3.N.3.1: (DOK2) Recognize that words in science can have different or more specific meanings
than their use in everyday language; for example, energy, cell, heat/cold, and evidence.
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recognize that words have multiple meanings
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define several meanings of various words, such as cell, evidence, pulse, fish, scope, etc.
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analyze a text and determine the meanings of words based on the written context.
FCAT 2.0 Content Limits:
 Why are empirical evidence used to validate
explanations?
 Why should evidence be accurate in science?
 Why are models not approximate and not perfectly
accounted for in all observations?
Writing Connections
 While viewing the PPT: “Parts of the Scientific
Method” complete the science journal based on
the experiment conducted in the Brain POP video
 After reading Color in the Night Sky: The Aurora
students will write an opinion paragraph on
whether or not scientist still need to study
auroras. Support a point of view with reasons.
Remember to use linking words (because,
therefore, since, for example to connect your
opinion).
 After conducting the experiment, Does Soap Float:
students will write an informative/explanatory
short response in which they introduce the topic
of scientist inquiry, use facts and academic
language to develop points and provide a
concluding statement based on their hypothesis
and their actual findings based on the experiment.
 After Lesson 1 of Journey through the Universe,
write a paragraph explaining how and why
scientists use models.
2014-2015 Curriculum Blueprint


Course: Science
Time Allowed:
Topic/Idea: Unit 1 Big Idea 1 and 3
25 Days
PRACTICE OF SCIENCE, The Roles of Theories, Laws, Hypothesis, and Models
1st Quarter
Items will not include text written above a third grade reading level
Items may include text with multiple meanings (e.g., everyday language and specific, scientific
language).
SC.3.N.3.2: (DOK1) Recognize that scientists use models to help understand and explain how things work.
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recognize that models represent real objects
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identify examples of models that are physical copies of the real object
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identify examples of models that are used to show how things work
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explain how some models are larger than the real-life object, while others are smaller
than the real-life object
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describe why scientists use models
FCAT 2.0 Content Limits:

Items will not require students to understand how objects work from looking at or
reading about the models
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Examples of models may include, but are not limited to, globes, models of the solar system,
models of human organs, models of a volcano, diagrams, and computer
Animations
SC.3.N.3.3: (DOK2) Recognize that all models are approximations of natural phenomena; as such,
they do not perfectly account for all observations.
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recognize that models are approximations of natural phenomena
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describe how models provide an approximation of how something works and do not perfectly
account for all observations

identify models that represent things found in the real world
FCAT 2.0 Content Limits:

Items will not require students to understand how objects work from looking at or
reading about the models.
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Items may include examples of models. For example, pouring water onto a tilted stream table
to demonstrate erosion and deposition.
Supporting Florida Standards
Grade: 3rd