Grade 3
CPSD Science Curriculum Guide
2017 – 2018
Domain: Life Science
Unit 3: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
Unit Overview
In this unit of study, students are expected to develop an understanding of the types of organisms that lived long ago
and also about the nature of their environments. Third graders are expected to develop an understanding of the idea
that when the environment changes, some organisms survive and reproduce, some move to new locations, some move
into the transformed environment, and some die.
Science and Engineering Practices
 Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Crosscutting Concepts
Engaging in Argument from Evidence



Cause and Effect
Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
Systems and System Models
Guiding Questions for this Unit:
1. Where Do Organisms Live?
2. How Does Living in a Group Help Some Animals Survive?
3. How Do Environments Change?
4. What Happens to Organisms in Changing Environments?
5. How Do People Learn About Extinct Organisms?
6. What Do Fossils Show About Environments of Long Ago?
Cross-Curricular Connections:
Reach for Reading: Unit 2: Nature's Balance (Aligned with Science: Ecosystems)
Common Core Connections Identified within the NGSS Performance Expectations for this Unit:


ELA/Literacy
RI.3.1 - Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for
the answers. (3-LS2-1), (3-LS4-1), (3-LS4-3), (3-LS4-4)
RI.3.2 - Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. (3-LS4-1), (3LS4-3), (3-LS4-4)




RI.3.3 - Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical
procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect. (3-LS2-1), (3-LS4-1), (3-LS4-3), (3-LS4-4)
SL.3.4 - Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive
details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace. (3-LS4-3), (3-LS4-4)
W.3.1 - Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. (3-LS2-1), (3-LS4-1), (3-LS4-3), (3-LS4-4)
W.3.2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. (3-LS4-1), (3-LS4-3),
(3-LS4-4)


W.3.8 - Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on
sources and sort evidence into provided categories. (3-LS4-1)
Mathematics
3.MD.B.3 - Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve
one- and two-step "how many more" and "how many less" problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs.
(3-
LS4-3)





3.MD.B.4 - Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch.
Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units— whole numbers,
halves, or quarters. (3-LS4-1)
3.NBT - Number and Operations in Base Ten. (3-LS2-1)
MP.2 - Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (3-LS4-1), (3-LS4-3), (3-LS4-4)
MP.4 - Model with mathematics. (3-LS2-1), (3-LS4-1), (3-LS4-3), (3-LS4-4)
MP.5 - Use appropriate tools strategically. (3-LS4-1)
Unit 3:NGSS Life Science
Clover Park School District
4/26/2017 10:13 AM
Page 1
Grade 3
CPSD Science Curriculum Guide
2017 – 2018
NGSS Performance Expectation Notes:
3-LS4-1
Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in
which they lived long ago.
SEP: Analyzing and
DCI: Evidence of Common Ancestry & Diversity
CCC: Scale, Proportion, & Quantity
Interpreting Data.
 Some kinds of plants & animals that once lived on Natural objects and/or observable
Analyze/interpret data
phenomena exist from the very small
Earth are no longer found anywhere.
to make sense of
to the immensely large or from very
 Fossils provide evidence about the types of
phenomena using
short to very long time periods.
organisms that lived long ago and also about the
logical reasoning.
nature of their environments.
What this could look like in the classroom:
Teachers can use the analysis of fossils as the backdrop for the whole unit. In other words, begin by exposing students
to fossils (real, simulated, or pictures), and have them make observations related to some general questions, such as
“what could you infer about this organism?” or “where do you think this organism lived?” or “do we have any
organisms like this on earth at this time?” Teachers can prompt with “what are some reasons you think this?” to tie
students’ analysis with their observations. Then, teachers can move into the other PEs to examine organisms existing in
the current age. Throughout the unit, teachers can revisit fossils as students learn about organisms that survive less well
in their environments. Encourage students to use logical reasoning through modeling (“Since this organism died
because of this change to its environment, what can we infer about this fossil?”) Research about particular fossils can
be a nice additional piece of “data,” particularly to connect the idea of how long ago these organisms once lived. A nice
cross-unit connection can be to quickly review the idea of climate (earth science-unit 2) and ask if we can assume the
climate was the same in a particular region that many years ago.
Possible Learning Targets:
 I can make inferences about a fossil’s environment. (GQ5/6)
 I can make a claim about what happened to an organism by analyzing its fossils. (GQ5/6)
 I can infer what environments from a long time ago must have been like. (GQ5/6)
 I can make comparisons between organisms that live now with those that lived long ago. (GQ5)
 I can explain why a fossil for a marine organism might be found on land. (GQ6)
 I can use evidence from fossils to explain how we can make claims about times very far in the past. (GQ5/6)
Assessment: The NGSS evidence statements describe the observable features of students’ performances by the end of
the grade. Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include identification of specific fossils or present plants and animals.
Assessment is limited to major fossil types and relative ages.
Unit 3:NGSS Life Science
Clover Park School District
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Grade 3
CPSD Science Curriculum Guide
2017 – 2018
3-LS2-1
Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.
SEP: Engaging in Argument
DCI: Social Interactions and Group Behavior
CCC: Cause and Effect
from Evidence. Construct an
Being part of a group helps animals obtain food/
Cause and effect relationships
argument with evidence, data,
defend themselves/cope with changes. Groups may are routinely identified and
and/or a model.
serve different functions & vary dramatically in size. used to explain change.
What this could look like in the classroom:
Students should observe, read about, research, and see videos of animals that gain benefits by being in a group AND
those that don’t (make sure to have a variety of animal types and group sizes). Through these experiences, students
should complete a graphic organizer to describe the cause and effect of each situation, and then begin to develop an
argument to support the claim that “some members form groups that help members survive.” For some classes, you
might leave it more open-ended, such as “Make a claim about the benefits or drawbacks of animals being in a group”
and then have students develop the argument (CER format). Alternatively, students could make their argument with a
physical or visual model.
Possible Learning Targets:
 I can describe the positive/negative effects for animals that form groups. (GQ2)
 I can compare/contrast the benefits for two different animals that form groups. (GQ2)
 I can make a claim about the benefits for animals that form groups. (GQ2)
 I can use evidence to support a claim about animals that form groups. (GQ2)
 I can use a model to explain the benefits to animals that form groups. (GQ2)
Assessment: The NGSS evidence statements describe the observable features of students’ performances by the end of
the grade. Assessment Boundary: None.
3-LS4-3
Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some
survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
SEP: Engaging in
DCI: Adaptation: For any particular environment,
CCC: Cause and Effect: Cause and
Argument from Evidence: some kinds of organisms survive well, some survive effect relationships are routinely
Construct an argument
less well, and some cannot survive at all.
identified and used to explain
with evidence.
change.
What this could look like in the classroom:
The teacher could tap into prior knowledge/experience from growing plants in 2nd grade, and ask them what
characteristics the plants liked. Students should observe, read about, research, and see videos of animals/plants that
are well suited to their environment and those that are not (ideally for the same environment). Students should keep
track on a graphic organizer of the plant/animal, whether it was well- or poorly-suited for its environment, and what
evidence that used to make that claim. Teachers can also ask students cause and effect “what if” questions (e.g., “what
if this organism was in a wetter environment/hotter environment, etc.)” This leads to the next PE. Students can gain
practice making simple CER arguments either by doing one for each animal (teacher gives the claim such as “a frog
would not survive in the desert.” and having students support or argue with that claim. Alternatively, students could
make an argument about a specific environment. (Make a claim about 1 animal that would survive well, 1 that would
survive less well, and 1 that would not survive in this environment). Revisit the first PE after this one to connect this
idea to fossils.
Possible Learning Targets:
 I can evaluate how well a plant/animal is suited for its environment. (GQ1)
 I can predict the effects of placing a plant/animal in a different environment (name a specific environmental change
in the actual learning target). (GQ4)
 I can make a claim about how well a plant/animal would do in a different environment. (GQ4)
 I can use evidence to support a claim about how well a plant/animal would do in a different environment. (GQ4)
 I can predict which plants/animals would do well in an environment and which would not. (GQ4)
Guiding question 3 is implied in many targets as it addresses how environments change.
Assessment: The NGSS evidence statements describe the observable features of students’ performances by the end of
the grade. Assessment Boundary: None.
Unit 3:NGSS Life Science
Clover Park School District
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Grade 3
CPSD Science Curriculum Guide
2017 – 2018
3-LS4-4
Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the
types of plants and animals that live there may change.
SEP: Engaging in Argument DCI: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
CCC: Systems and
from Evidence
When the environment changes in ways that affect a place’s physical System Models
Make a claim about the
characteristics, temperature, or availability of resources, some
A system can be
merit of a solution to a
organisms survive and reproduce, others move to new locations, yet described in
problem by citing relevant
others move into the transformed environment, and some die.
terms of its
evidence about how it
LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
components and
meets the criteria and
Populations live in a variety of habitats, and change in those habitats their interactions.
constraints of the problem. affects the organisms living there.
What this could look like in the classroom:
This PE ties nicely to 3-LS4-3. In the suggestions for that PE, students were making cause and effect statements about
an organism being in a different environment. Now, students can move to evaluating solutions for organisms in an
environment that has changed. The suggestion would be to select a specific organism and environmental change (loss of
reef habitat and creating artificial habitat, or loss of farmland due to development and hydroponic and other
gardening). Students should be guided to break apart the problem by clearly naming the system and identifying its
parts. Then students should identify appropriate criteria and constraints to such a problem. Then students should be
given a solution to the problem (or multiple solutions) and asked to evaluate the solution(s) in terms of how well they
addressed the criteria and constraints. Students should also explore if the solution changed any part of the system or
interactions within the system. Students should think about “unintended consequences” as a criteria/constraint.
Possible Learning Targets:
 I can describe the challenge a plant/animal would face in a changed environment. (GQ4)
 I can evaluate how an environmental change would affect the parts of the environment. (GQ4)
 I can evaluate how an environmental change would affect interactions within an environment. (GQ4)
 I can evaluate a possible solution for an organism in a changed environment. (3/4)*
 I can evaluate how well an environmental solution met criteria and constraints. (3/4)*
 I can evaluate how a solution would affect the parts of the environment. (3/4)*
 I can evaluate how a solution would affect interactions within an environment. (3/4)*
 I can identify any unintended consequences of the environmental solution. (3/4)*
 I can compare two different environmental solutions. (3/4)*
*Performance expectation is more tied to environmental problem solutions than the guiding questions indicate. Be sure
to read the performance expectation when planning this unit. Many of these targets do not have a matching guiding
question.
Assessment: The NGSS evidence statements describe the observable features of students’ performances by the end of
the grade. Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to a single environmental change. Assessment does not include
the greenhouse effect or climate change.
Unit 3:NGSS Life Science
Clover Park School District
4/26/2017 10:13 AM
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Grade 3
CPSD Science Curriculum Guide
2017 – 2018
A Teaching Sequence Towards Mastery of 3rd Grade Life Science Concepts
Science & Engineering
Practices
Guiding Question 1: Where Do Organisms Live?
Performance Expectation (PE)
Cross Cutting
Concepts
Engage
(eliciting background knowledge & misconceptions)
3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence
that in a particular habitat some organisms can
survive well, some survive less well, and some
cannot survive at all.
3-LS4-4. Make a claim about the merit of a
solution to a problem caused when the
environment changes and the types of plants and
animals that live there may change.
Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI)
LS4.C: Adaptation
For any particular environment, some kinds of
organisms survive well, some survive less well,
and some cannot survive at all. (3-LS4-3)
LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
Populations live in a variety of habitats, and
change in those habitats affects the organisms
living there. (3-LS4-4)
Where Do Organisms Live?
Class Discussion, Public charting or individual
student journal responses
Paige Keeley Formative Assessment Probes:
No More Plants
Do They Need Air
Explore
(resources not listed in “order of instruction”- simply
options- not all materials must be used)
FOSS
Environments (4-6): All
A-Z
Non-Fiction Book: Habitats and the Environment
Focus Book: Clever Camouflage
Focus Book: Extreme Habitats
Focus Book: Life Along the Colorado
Focus Book: Blooming Algae
Process Activity: Habitat in a Bottle
Science Video: In the Zone
Science Video: Teens, Frogs, and Climate Change
PBL Pack: Protect Your Local Environment
Cause & Effect
Engaging in Argument from
Evidence
Systems &
System Models
More Picture Perfect
Wiggling Worms-Chapter 10
Even More Picture Perfect
Ducks Don’t Get Wet-Chapter 14
Digital Resources
BBC: Habitats
BBC: Habitats Clips
PBS Kids: Wild Kratts Habitats
PBS Kids: Draw that Habitat
PBS: Where Creatures Live
NGSS Hub: Lessons aligned to the PEs in this unit
Explain/Evaluate
(students answer question in C-E- R format)
Where Do Organisms Live?
Class Discussion, Public charting or individual
student journal responses
Possible Learning Targets:
I can evaluate how well a plant/animal is suited for its environment. (GQ1)
Unit 3:NGSS Life Science
Clover Park School District
4/26/2017 10:13 AM
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Grade 3
CPSD Science Curriculum Guide
2017 – 2018
A Teaching Sequence Towards Mastery of 3rd Grade Life Science Concepts
Guiding Question 2: How Does Living in a Group Help Some Animals Science & Engineering
Practices
Survive?
Cross Cutting
Concepts
Engage
Performance Expectation (PE)
(eliciting background knowledge & misconceptions)
3-LS2-1. Construct an argument that
some animals form groups that help
members survive.
How Does Living in a Group Help Some Animals
Survive?
Class Discussion, Public charting or individual
student journal responses
Explore
Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI)
LS2.D: Social Interactions and Group
Behavior
Being part of a group helps animals obtain
food, defend themselves, and cope with
changes. Groups may serve different
functions and vary dramatically in size (3LS2-1)
(resources not listed in “order of instruction”- simply
options- not all materials must be used)
Cause & Effect
A-Z
Quickreads: Honeybees
Engaging in Argument
from Evidence
Digital Resources
National Geographic: Killer Whales (teacher
background info about why they are found in pods)
BBC: Social Animals
NGSS Hub: Lessons aligned to the PEs in this unit
Explain/Evaluate
(students answer question in C-E- R format)
How Does Living in a Group Help Some Animals
Survive?
Class Discussion, Public charting or individual
student journal responses
Possible Learning Targets:
I can describe the positive/negative effects for animals that form groups. (GQ2)
I can compare/contrast the benefits for two different animals that form groups. (GQ2)
I can make a claim about the benefits for animals that form groups. (GQ2)
I can use evidence to support a claim about animals that form groups. (GQ2)
I can use a model to explain the benefits to animals that form groups. (GQ2)
Unit 3:NGSS Life Science
Clover Park School District
4/26/2017 10:13 AM
Page 6
Grade 3
CPSD Science Curriculum Guide
2017 – 2018
A Teaching Sequence Towards Mastery of 3rd Grade Life Science Concepts
Science & Engineering
Practices
Guiding Question 3: How Do Environments Change?
Cross Cutting
Concepts
Engage
Performance Expectation (PE)
(eliciting background knowledge & misconceptions)
3-LS4-4. Make a claim about the merit of a
solution to a problem caused when the
environment changes and the types of plants
and animals that live there may change.
How Do Environments Change?
Class Discussion, Public charting or individual
student journal responses
Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI)
LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning,
and Resilience
When the environment changes in ways that
affect a place’s physical characteristics,
temperature, or availability of resources,
some organisms survive and reproduce,
others move to new locations, yet others
move into the transformed environment, and
some die.(secondary to 3-LS4-4)
LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
Populations live in a variety of habitats, and
change in those habitats affects the
organisms living there. (3-LS4-4)
Explore
(resources not listed in “order of instruction”- simply
options- not all materials must be used)
FOSS
Environments (4-6): All
A-Z
Non-Fiction Book: Habitats and the Environment
Focus Book: Life Along the Colorado
Focus Book: Blooming Algae
Science Video: In the Zone
Science Video: Teens, Frogs, and Climate Change
PBL Pack: Protect Your Local Environment
Process Activity: Design Adaptations
Engaging in Argument from
Evidence
Systems &
System Models
Digital Resources
BBC: Habitats
BBC: Habitats Clips
PBS Kids: Wild Kratts Habitats
PBS Kids: Draw that Habitat
PBS: Where Creatures Live
NGSS Hub: Lessons aligned to the PEs in this unit
Explain/Evaluate
(students answer question in C-E- R format)
How Do Environments Change?
Class Discussion, Public charting or individual
student journal responses
Possible Learning Targets:
I can evaluate a possible solution for an organism in a changed environment. (3/4)*
I can evaluate how well an environmental solution met criteria and constraints. (3/4)*
I can evaluate how a solution would affect the parts of the environment. (3/4)*
I can evaluate how a solution would affect interactions within an environment. (3/4)*
I can identify any unintended consequences of the environmental solution. (3/4)*
I can compare two different environmental solutions. (3/4)*
*Performance expectation is more tied to environmental problem solutions than the guiding questions indicate. Be
sure to read the performance expectation when planning this unit.
Unit 3:NGSS Life Science
Clover Park School District
4/26/2017 10:13 AM
Page 7
Grade 3
CPSD Science Curriculum Guide
2017 – 2018
A Teaching Sequence Towards Mastery of 3rd Grade Life Science Concepts
Guiding Question 4: What Happens to Organisms in Changing Environments?
Performance Expectation (PE)
Science & Engineering
Practices
Cross Cutting
Concepts
Engage
(eliciting background knowledge & misconceptions)
3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence
that in a particular habitat some organisms can
survive well, some survive less well, and some
cannot survive at all.
3-LS4-4. Make a claim about the merit of a
solution to a problem caused when the
environment changes and the types of plants
and animals that live there may change.
Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI)
LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and
Resilience
When the environment changes in ways that affect
a place’s physical characteristics, temperature, or
availability of resources, some organisms survive
and reproduce, others move to new locations, yet
others move into the transformed environment, and
some die.(secondary to 3-LS4-4)
LS4.C: Adaptation
For any particular environment, some kinds of
organisms survive well, some survive less well, and
some cannot survive at all. (3-LS4-3)
LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
Populations live in a variety of habitats, and change
in those habitats affects the organisms living there.
(3-LS4-4)
What Happens to Organisms in Changing
Environments?
Class Discussion, Public charting or individual student
journal responses
Paige Keeley Formative Assessment Probes:
No More Plants
Explore
(resources not listed in “order of instruction”- simply
options- not all materials must be used)
FOSS
Environments (4-6): All
A-Z
Non-Fiction Book: Habitats and the Environment
Focus Book: Clever Camouflage
Focus Book: Extreme Habitats
Focus Book: Life Along the Colorado
Focus Book: Blooming Algae
Process Activity: Habitat in a Bottle
Science Video: In the Zone
Science Video: Teens, Frogs, and Climate Change
PBL Pack: Protect Your Local Environment
Process Activity: Design Adaptations
Cause & Effect
Engaging in Argument from
Evidence
Systems &
System Models
More Picture Perfect
Wiggling Worms-Chapter 10
Even More Picture Perfect
Ducks Don’t Get Wet-Chapter 14
Digital Resources
BBC: Habitats
BBC: Habitats Clips
PBS Kids: Wild Kratts Habitats
PBS Kids: Draw that Habitat
PBS: Where Creatures Live
NGSS Hub: Lessons aligned to the PEs in this unit
Explain/Evaluate
(students answer question in C-E- R format)
What Happens to Organisms in Changing
Environments?
Class Discussion, Public charting or individual student
journal responses
Possible Learning Targets:
I can predict the effects of placing a plant/animal in a different environment (name a specific environmental change
in the actual learning target). (GQ4)
I can make a claim about how well a plant/animal would do in a different environment. (GQ4)
I can use evidence to support a claim about how well a plant/animal would do in a different environment. (GQ4)
I can predict which plants/animals would do well in an environment and which would not. (GQ4)
I can describe the challenge a plant/animal would face in a changed environment. (GQ4)
Unit 3:NGSS Life Science
Clover Park School District
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Grade 3
CPSD Science Curriculum Guide
2017 – 2018
I can evaluate how an environmental change would affect the parts of the environment. (GQ4)
I can evaluate how an environmental change would affect interactions within an environment. (GQ4)
I can evaluate a possible solution for an organism in a changed environment. (3/4)*
I can evaluate how well an environmental solution met criteria and constraints. (3/4)*
I can evaluate how a solution would affect the parts of the environment. (3/4)*
I can evaluate how a solution would affect interactions within an environment. (3/4)*
I can identify any unintended consequences of the environmental solution. (3/4)*
I can compare two different environmental solutions. (3/4)*
*Performance expectation is more tied to environmental problem solutions than the guiding questions indicate. Be
sure to read the performance expectation when planning this unit.
NOTES: During this unit, students also learn that populations of organisms live in a variety of habitats, and change in those habitats
affects the organisms living there. When the environment changes in ways that affect a place’s physical characteristics, temperature, or
availability of resources, some organisms will survive and reproduce, some will move to new locations, others will move into the
transformed environment, and others will die. Students will need the opportunity to engage in a portion of the engineering design
process in order to investigate the merit of solutions to problems caused when the environment changes. This process should include the
following steps:
• Students brainstorm a list of environmental changes that might affect the organisms that live in the environment. This could include
changes in− Land characteristics,− Water distribution,− Temperature,− Food,− Other organisms.
• As a class or in small groups, students define a problem that occurs when the environment changes.
For example, if the distribution of water changes, the available water may no longer support the types of organisms that are found in the
environment.
• As a class, determine criteria that can be used to weigh a possible solution’s viability. For example, the response (solution) to the
problem should not result in the extinction of a species.
• Small groups conduct research, using books and other reliable media sources, to determine possible solutions/ways in which organisms
can solve the problem. For example, if the available water supply is no longer adequate for the organisms in the environment, there are a
number of ways in which organisms respond (i.e., solve the problem); these include:− Plants do not grow as large as before (shorter plant,
smaller or fewer leaves);− Fewer seeds germinate, thereby resulting in a smaller population;− Herd animals may move to another
environment where the water supply is adequate;− Populations of some species may decrease, either through lower rate of reproduction
or death;− Some populations completely die out; or− Other organisms (plants and animals) that require less water to survive may move
into the environment.
• Students make claims about the merit of each of the various responses (solutions) by organisms based on how well the responses meet
criteria; students use research data as evidence to support their thinking.
Unit 3:NGSS Life Science
Clover Park School District
4/26/2017 10:13 AM
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Grade 3
CPSD Science Curriculum Guide
2017 – 2018
A Teaching Sequence Towards Mastery of 3rd Grade Life Science Concepts
Guiding Question 5: How Do People Learn About Extinct Organisms?
Science & Engineering
Practices
Cross Cutting
Concepts
Engage
Performance Expectation (PE)
(eliciting background knowledge & misconceptions)
3-LS4-1. Analyze and interpret data from
fossils to provide evidence of the organisms
and the environments in which they lived
long ago.
How Do People Learn About Extinct Organisms?
Class Discussion, Public charting or individual
student journal responses
Explore
3-LS4-4. Make a claim about the merit of a
solution to a problem caused when the
environment changes and the types of
plants and animals that live there may
change.
Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI)
LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning,
and Resilience
When the environment changes in ways that
affect a place’s physical characteristics,
temperature, or availability of resources,
some organisms survive and reproduce,
others move to new locations, yet others
move into the transformed environment, and
some die.(secondary to 3-LS4-4)
LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and
Diversity
Some kinds of plants and animals that once
lived on Earth are no longer found anywhere.
Fossils provide evidence about the types of
organisms that lived long ago and also about
the nature of their environments. (3-LS4-1)
(resources not listed in “order of instruction”- simply
options- not all materials must be used)
A-Z
Non-Fiction Book: Habitats and the Environment
Focus Books: Fossils
Focus Book: Habitats Then and Now
Quickreads: How Fossils are Made
Career File: Paleontologist
Even More Picture Perfect
Fossils Tell of Long Ago-Chapter 16
Analyzing & Interpreting
Data
Analyze and interpret data
from fossils (e.g., type, size,
distributions of fossil
organisms) to provide
evidence of the organisms
Systems & System
and the environments in
Models
which they lived long ago.
(Examples of fossils and
environments could include:
− Marine fossils found on dry
Scale, Proportion,
land;
and Quantity
− Tropical plant fossils found in
Arctic areas;
− Fossils of extinct organisms.
Digital Resources
PBS: Fossils
PBS: Types of Fossils
NOVA: Fossil Evidence
NGSS Hub: Lessons aligned to the PEs in this unit
Explain/Evaluate
Engaging in Argument from
Evidence
(students answer question in C-E- R format)
How Do People Learn About Extinct Organisms?
Class Discussion, Public charting or individual
student journal responses
Possible Learning Targets:
I can make inferences about a fossil’s environment. (GQ5/6)
I can make a claim about what happened to an organism by analyzing its fossils. (GQ5/6)
I can infer what environments from a long time ago must have been like. (GQ5/6)
I can make comparisons between organisms that live now with those that lived long ago. (GQ5)
I can explain why a fossil for a marine organism might be found on land. (GQ6)
I can use evidence from fossils to explain how we can make claims about times very far in the past.
Unit 3:NGSS Life Science
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Grade 3
CPSD Science Curriculum Guide
2017 – 2018
A Teaching Sequence Towards Mastery of 3rd Grade Life Science Concepts
Guiding Question 6: What Do Fossils Show About Environments of Long
Ago?
Science & Engineering
Practices
Cross Cutting
Concepts
Engage
Performance Expectation (PE)
(eliciting background knowledge & misconceptions)
3-LS4-1. Analyze and interpret data from
fossils to provide evidence of the
organisms and the environments in
which they lived long ago.
What Do Fossils Show About Environments of Long
Ago?
Class Discussion, Public charting or individual
student journal responses
Explore
(resources not listed in “order of instruction”- simply
options- not all materials must be used)
Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI)
LS4.A: Evidence of Common
Ancestry and Diversity
Some kinds of plants and animals that
once lived on Earth are no longer
found anywhere (3-LS4-1)
Fossils provide evidence about the
types of organisms that lived long ago
and also about the nature of their
environments. (3-LS4-1)
A-Z
Non-Fiction Book: Habitats and the Environment
Focus Books: Fossils
Focus Book: Habitats Then and Now
Quickreads: How Fossils are Made
Career File: Paleontologist
Systems &
Engaging in Argument from System Models
Evidence
Even More Picture Perfect
Fossils Tell of Long Ago-Chapter 16
Digital Resources
PBS: Fossils
PBS: Types of Fossils
NOVA: Fossil Evidence
NGSS Hub: Lessons aligned to the PEs in this unit
Explain/Evaluate
(students answer question in C-E- R format)
What Do Fossils Show About Environments of Long
Ago?
Class Discussion, Public charting or individual
student journal responses
Possible Learning Targets:
I can make inferences about a fossil’s environment. (GQ5/6)
I can make a claim about what happened to an organism by analyzing its fossils. (GQ5/6)
I can infer what environments from a long time ago must have been like. (GQ5/6)
I can make comparisons between organisms that live now with those that lived long ago. (GQ5)
I can explain why a fossil for a marine organism might be found on land. (GQ6)
I can use evidence from fossils to explain how we can make claims about times very far in the past.
NOTES:
To begin the progression of learning in this unit, students need multiple opportunities to study fossils. If actual fossils are
not available, pictures and diagrams found in books and other media sources can be used. Students should observe fossils
of a variety of organisms, both plant and animal, and they should observe diagrams of fossils within layers of rock. As
students examine each fossil, they should be asked to identify whether the organism lived on land or in water and to give
evidence to support their thinking. As students examine diagrams of fossils in layers of rock, they should be asked to
Unit 3:NGSS Life Science
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Grade 3
CPSD Science Curriculum Guide
2017 – 2018
identify the type of environment that existed when the layers of rock were formed. Students should consider the types of
organisms that are fossilized in the rock layers in order to provide evidence to support their thinking.
If the type of environment in which the fossil was found is different from the type of environment that might have existed
when the organism lived (e.g., marine fossils found on dry land, or tropical plant fossils found in Arctic areas), this would
provide the opportunity to ask students to think about the types of changes that might have occurred in the environment
and what effects these changes might have had on the organisms that lived in the environment as it changed over time. As
students observe and analyze fossils, they learn that fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long
ago and the nature of their environments. They also learn that some kinds of plants and animals that once lived on Earth
are no longer found anywhere and that this could be a result of changes that occurred in the environment.
Unit 3:NGSS Life Science
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