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toc =Third Grade Course Description= The students will become scientists and engage in scientific inquiry; hands-on active learning; multisensory methods; student-to-student interaction; discourse and reflective thinking; reading and research. Students will develop the skills of conducting investigations using tools to gather data, and communicating reasonable explanations using evidence and knowledge.Students will explore earth, life, and physical science as well as scientific reasoning and technology. Units will include Measurement, Physics of Sound, Human Body and Earth Materials.

=Vocabulary=

= Concept Maps =

=Topic List=

Earth Materials

 * Mock Rocks (“Rocks” created from flour, sand, pebbles, shells)
 * Observing and comparing to real rocks
 * Measuring mass, circumference, diameter, and depth
 * Taking “mock rocks” apart (separating a mixture)
 * Scratch Test
 * Identifying properties of minerals
 * Determining hardness
 * Calcite Quest
 * Determining if rocks contain calcite using vinegar
 * Conducting an evaporation test
 * Take it for Granite
 * Analyzing granite to determine the minerals present

Measurement

 * The First Straw (linear measurement)
 * Discovering the need for a standard unit for accurate measurement
 * Estimating and measuring objects in centimeters and meters
 * Weight Watching (mass)
 * Learning the concepts of measuring mass in standard unit
 * Estimating, massing and comparing the mass of objects in grams
 * Take Me to Your Liter (volume)
 * Learning how to measure liquid volume using standard units
 * Estimating and measuring the capacity of various containers in milliliters and liters
 * The Third Degree (temperature)
 * Measuring temperature using a thermometer in degrees Celsius
 * Recording and graphing data over time

Human Body

 * Bones
 * Learning the three major functions of the skeleton: support, protection, and movement
 * Learning the name, location, and orientation of the most important bones
 * Discovering that many animal bones are similar to human bones in number and shape
 * Joints
 * Recognizing, identifying, and locating the three types of joints in the body: hinge, ball-and-socket, and gliding
 * Exploring the importance of joints in performing everyday tasks
 * Muscles
 * Learning that muscles provide movement, coordination, and structure for the body
 * Constructing working models of a leg, thumb, and arm to discover how muscles, bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments work together to allow movement
 * Coordination
 * Investigating, recording, and comparing hand and foot responses to visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli