Science and Your Third Grader
The third grade is a really exciting time for your child. They are now in the middle of elementary school, and teachers will begin preparing them for higher level learning. To do this, lessons will begin moving faster, which is a challenge for a lot of kids. They may have gotten used to the slower pace of learning in first and second grade and it can take them a while to adjust to the speed of learning teachers set.
In the third grade your child may need more of your help when it comes to understanding their lessons because they are trying to adjust to the new system of learning lessons put in by teachers. Try taking time out in the afternoons or before dinner to discuss your child's lessons with them. Making sure they understood what was discussed that day can prepare them for the next day's lessons, and help them adjust to their new learning styles.
Like the year before, third grade science builds up on what your child learned in previous elementary levels. It introduces the same concepts, but adds more information to it. Under life science, your child will review the human body and its senses. The sense of touch will be focused on. This is because children will be introduced to the parts of the skin and how this giant organ is made up of cells. Skin and hair will be the first human cells your child will view under the microscope.
The discussion of human cells will be followed by a review of animal and plant cells. Slowly, your child will be taught to master their skills in distinguishing animal and plant cells, particularly the organelles. Following this is a lesson on plants, plant parts and pollination. This is a particularly important lesson because it leads to the topics of photosynthesis and genetics. By the end of the third grade, your child should be able to understand how energy is created in plants through photosynthesis. This is part of the study on the flow of matter and energy. Your child will also be introduced to basic genetics by studying how several plants pollinate.
The basic genetic principles your child learns by studying plants can carry on to their study of animals. The study of animals in the third grade also relates to simple genetics. Like the discussion on plants, the parts of certain animals will be discussed. This leads to a better understanding of animal interdependence. As more animals are introduced, your child's concept of the food web and chain will grow. Apart from that, your child's third grade science teacher should talk to them about how animals adapt to their different environments, as well as how animals survive the winter.
By this time, you may think that your child has learned enough for one school year. Admittedly, life science takes up a big chunk of third grade science. It is often used as a jump off point for a lot of the earth science and physical science topics found in the third grade, simply integrating all the science topicsinstead of separating them. For example, the discussion on how animals adapt and survive the winter can open up the earth science topic of the earth's atmosphere and the weather.
Page Two: Fun Facts About Third Grade Science (Science and Your Third Grader continued)
