Understanding the Animal Kingdom

3-LS1-1 — Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death. Clarification Statement: Changes organisms go through during their life form a pattern. Assessment Boundary: Assessment of plant life cycles is limited to those of flowering plants. Assessment does not include details of human reproduction.

3-LS3-1 — Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms. Clarification Statement: Patterns are the similarities and differences in traits shared between offspring and their parents, or among siblings. Emphasis is on organisms other than humans. Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include genetic mechanisms of inheritance and prediction of traits. Assessment is limited to non-human examples.

3-LS3-2 — Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment. Clarification Statement: Examples of the environment affecting a trait could include normally tall plants grown with insufficient water are stunted; and, a pet dog that is given too much food and little exercise may become overweight.

3-LS4-2 — Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. Clarification Statement: Examples of cause and effect relationships could be plants that have larger thorns than other plants may be less likely to be eaten by predators; and, animals that have better camouflage coloration than other animals may be more likely to survive and therefore more likely to leave offspring.

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. Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence could include needs and characteristics of the organisms and habitats involved. The organisms and their habitat make up a system in which the parts depend on each other.

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. Clarification Statement: Examples of environmental changes could include changes in land characteristics, water distribution, temperature, food, and other organisms. Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to a single environmental change. Assessment does not include the greenhouse effect or climate change.

L.3.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

L.3.1.h — Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.

L.3.1.i — Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.

L.3.2 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

L.3.2.d — Form and use possessives.

RI.3.2 — Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.

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.

RI.3.7 — Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

RI.3.8 — Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).

SL.3.1 — Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

SL.3.1.a — Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

SL.3.1.c — Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others.

W.3.1 — Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

W.3.1.a — Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons.

W.3.1.b — Provide reasons that support the opinion.

W.3.1.c — Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and reasons.

W.3.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

W.3.2.a — Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension.

W.3.2.b — Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.

W.3.7 — Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

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.