Supporting Young Learners in Science

Making Sense of Science

Second Grade - Second graders learn how to differentiate between what can be observed and what can only be inferred. They learn to compare other's observations to their own. Students learn more about Earth's soil and the development of plants. They also learn about the weather and seasons. Further, second graders learn how to measure and weigh objects and how to discuss the different states of matter.

Third Grade - Students in third grade learn how to make inferences based on what they observe. They learn the difference in common meanings of words versus scientific meanings. Students are to examine scientific models and delve deeper into the solar system. They are also introduced to forms of energy and the basic properties of light and heat. Additionally, they explore scientific classification.

Nature of Science

Asking questions and testing ideas through observations and experiments in the natural world.

Physical Science

A branch of science that explores non-living systems.

Earth and Space Science

A branch of science that explores the interconnections between the land, ocean, atmosphere, and life of our planet. These include the cycles of water, carbon, rock, and other materials that continuously shape, influence, and sustain Earth and its inhabitants.

Life Science

Life science is the is the study of life and living things. This includes animals, plants and human beings.

Big Ideas in Science

There are sixteen big ideas that follow students throughout grades K-5. These “Big Ideas” flow throughout all grade levels and increase in rigor as students progress to each grade level. Not every grade level covers all sixteen “Big Ideas”. The grade levels that do not have standards within certain grade levels are designated with an “N/A”.

Activities have been identified in each grade level that encompass one or more standards necessary to learn for that particular grade level. In an effort to address the standards and topics particular for a grade level, simple activities that parents can do with their children have been provided. Online resources that will help teach the topic/standard have also been provided. Click on the links embedded below to access the online resources.

The Practice of Science

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

Our Senses

All My Senses

Are Chickens The Only Ones?

What is a Scientist?

The Lost Lady Project

Look at pictures in magazines with your child. Have your child make observations about the pictures. For each picture, have your child make an inference (what you think is happening) about what is happening in the picture. Do this multiple times until your child can accurately make observations and inferences on their own.

What is the difference between an observation and an inference?

I can use my 5 senses to make observations.

I can formulate testable questions.

I can carry out scientific investigations.

The Role of Theories, Laws, Hypotheses, and Models

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

Scientific Theory and Evidence

Scientific Models

Have your child find the definition for the following words as they relate to science: theory, law, hypothesis, and model. Students should write the definition in their science journal.

Show your child a globe or a picture of a globe. Have a discussion about how scientists use models and why they use them.

Create a model of your home with your child.

How do the scientific definitions of the following words: theory, law, hypothesis, model, differ from other definitions of the words that you may know?

How do models help scientists understand and explain how things work?

I can recognize that certain words in science have specific meanings related to just science.

I can use models to explain how things work.

Earth In Space and Time

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

Three Years of the Sun

Using a flashlight, hold the flashlight on the opposite side of a dark room from your child. Have your child make observations about the light. Move the light closer to your child and have him/her make more observations. Have your child compare and contrast what the light looked like when it was close and what it looked like when it was far away.

During the day, have your child draw a picture of the Sun and write observations in their science journal about the Sun.

How did the light from the flashlight look when it was close to you? How did it look when it was far away? Did the light itself actually change? How can you relate this to the stars in the sky?

What forms of energy does the Sun produce? (Answers: light and heat)

I can make observations about the Earth, Sun, moon, and stars.

Earth Structures

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

What’s The Dirt On Dirt?

Have your child collect a set of about ten rocks. In their science journal, have your child draw a picture of each of the rocks that they collected. Next to each rock picture, have your child write some properties of the rock such as: big/small, color, smooth/rough, etc.

Have your child make observations during the day about the Sun. Have your child go outside after the Sun has set and make observations again when the Sun is not present.

How do rocks differ from each other?

What differences did you notice about the Sun during the day as compared to when the Sun is not present at night.

I can explain why all life is dependent on water.I can describe the composition and structure of Earth’s surface.

Earth Systems and Patterns

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

What is Weather?

Seasons

Observe Water in Winter and Summer

Salt Water

Chasing Tornadoes

FEMA for Kids

Place one closed container of water and one open container of water outside. Leave the containers outside for several days. Have your child make an observation in their science journal each day about each container.

Show your child a picture of what a fall, spring, summer and winter day looks like in the northern part of the country. Have your child research and draw a picture of what a tree would look like during each of the four seasons.

What are the four seasons?

Can you describe how a tree changes during different seasons?

What happened to the water in the closed container? What happened to the water in the open container?

I can explain how Earth’s water and air are in constant motion.

Properties of Matter

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

States of Matter

Liquids

Measure and Compare Temperatures

Three States of Matter

States of Water

Forms of Water

Give your child a set of different objects. Have your child observe and measure different properties of the objects such as: size, shape, color, temp., weight, texture, sinking or floating in water, and response to magnets.

Give your child a set of materials that are in the form of liquid, solid and gas. Have your child identify the objects as a liquid, solid, or gas.

Have your child practice measuring liquids using measuring cups from the kitchen.

How can you tell if something is a liquid, solid or gas?

I can sort objects by their properties.

Changes in Matter

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

Mixing It Up!

Making Cookies!

States of Water – Part 1

States of Water – Part 2

Have your child observe an ice cube melting. Put water in the freezer and make observations of what happens to the water over time. Boil water in a pot until the water is gone. Have your child write all observations or draw pictures of their observations in their science journal.

What happens to water if placed in very cold temperatures?

What happens to frozen water when placed in warmer temperatures?

What happens to water that is boiled?

I can recognize that matter can change.

Forms of Energy

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

A Camping We Will Go!

Star Light, Star Bright

Cook something on the stove with your child. Have your child observe the food item prior to cooking and after cooking. Make observations about what happened to the food item.

Identify the following forms of energy: light, heat, sound, electrical, and mechanical. Have your child draw an example of each in their science journal.

What happens when heat energy is added to food?

What are the basic forms of energy? (light, heat, sound, electrical, and mechanical)

I can describe how energy causes things to change.

Energy Transfer and Transformations

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

Light Can Produce Heat

What Is Light Energy?

Science Friction

Friction Interactive

Have your child find items around the house that give off light and heat. Write or draw their findings in their science journal.

Have your child rub their hands together very fast and make observations.

What can you conclude about objects that give off light? (They often give off heat too.)

What do you notice happening when you rub your hands together?

I can observe/describe water, sound and light waves.

Forces and Changes in Motion

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

Magnet Power

Motion Interactive

Wind

Ask your child to draw a picture in their science journal of a plane going on a journey. Have him/her include the takeoff, flight, and landing.

How was the plane able to take off from the ground? (A push)

How was the plane able to land? ( Pull from gravity)

I can observe/demonstrate that a push or pull will change the way things move.

Organization and DEVELOPMENT of Living Organisms

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

How The Digestive System Works

All Systems Go!

Plant Parts

Plants Respond!

Ask your child to draw a picture of a human in their science journal. Have him/her label the following: brain, heart, lungs, stomach, muscles, and skeleton) Under the picture, write each body part’s function.

) Ask your child to draw a picture of a plant in their science journal. Structures of the plants should be labeled. Add a description of the function of each structure in the plant.

What is the function of the brain, heart, lungs, stomach, muscles, and skeleton?

How do the structures of plants play a role in food production, support, water and nutrient transport, and reproduction?

I can explain that plants and animals are alike in some ways and different in other ways.

I can recognize that all plants and animals have internal and external parts.

Diversity and Evolution of Living Organisms

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

Animal Classification - Groups

Vertebrates & Invertebrates

Ways That Animals Are Produced

Vascular and Non-Vascular Plants

Seeds and Spores

Flowering and Non-Flowering Plants

Have your child cut out pictures of animals from magazines. Create a page in the science journal for each of the following categories: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, arthropods, vertebrates and invertebrates. Have your child place each picture under the correct heading and glue into their science journal.

What is the difference between a vertebrate and an invertebrate?

What are some characteristics of mammals?

I can classify plants and animals.

Heredity and Reproduction

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

Where Do Butterflies Come From?

Have your child draw a two column chart in their science journal. Label one side “Plant Life Cycle” and the other side “Animal Life Cycle”. Have your child write different parts of each cycle that they already know.

What are some parts of a plant’s life cycle?

What are some parts of an animal’s life cycle?

I can observe that offspring look similar to their parents but not exactly the same.

Interdependence

Online Activities

Activities Parents Can Do

Questions Parents Can Ask

"I Can" Statements

What Do Living Things Need To Survive?

Seasonal Effects on Plants and Animals

Surviving Winter

Have your child pretend that they are going to have to survive in the following environments: desert, jungle, forest, and tundra. For each environment, have your child list in their science journal what they would need in order to survive in that area.

Have your child make four columns in their science journal. Label each column, “fall, winter, spring, summer”. Under each column draw a picture of what a plant and what an animal would look like during that season.

Regardless of the environment, you are in, what are the basic needs you would have to have in order to survive?

How do plants and animals adapt to changing seasons?

I can observe that all plants and animals (including humans) need the basic necessities of food, water, air and space.

BCPS Parent Resources For Parents of 2nd Graders

Quarter 1

Click on the Tabs below to view resources for each week

Week 1

August 21 - 25
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can observe and describe major stages in the life cycle of a bean plant.	BrainPop – Plant Life Cycle	Soak a dry bean in water for 8-10 hours. Plant that bean in a cup of soil and watch it grow over the next couple of weeks. Your child may keep a daily observation log by drawing and writing what they see each day.	Describe the life cycle of a bean plant.

Week 2

August 28 - September 1
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can observeand describe major stages in the life cycle of a butterfly.	PBS – Butterfly Life Cycle	Plant a milkweed plant or another butterfly plant. Make observations over a few weeks to find caterpillars, chrysalises, and butterflies. You can also find butterfly time lapse videos online to observe or go to local parks to try and locate caterpillars, chrysalises, and butterflies.	What are the stages of a butterfly’s life cycle?

Week 3

September 4 - 8

Student "I Can" Statement"

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can describe the basic needs of plants and animals.

PBS-Animals and Plants Can Live in a City

Take your child on a walk around the neighborhood. Have your child draw a picture of plants and animals they see living and growing in the neighborhood.

How do plant and animals in a city get what they need to live and grow?

Week 4

September 11- 15
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can understand plants and animals have basic needs that must be met in order to survive.	PBS – What Living Things Need to Stay Alive	Build a bird feeder with your child. Cut a rectangle in one side of a clean half-gallon milk carton. Poke a hole in the folded top of the milk carton, then thread a string through it and tie it in a loop. Fill the bottom of the carton with birdseed. Hang the carton by the string on a tree branch, on a porch, or in some other outdoor location.	Can you list some of your basic needs?

Week 5

September 18 - 22
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can explain that plants require sunlight, air, water, nutrients (food), and space.	Science Kids – How Plants Grow	Grow seeds in a cup or jar with your child. Fill the cup to the top with cotton balls. Carefully sprinkle seeds on top of the cotton balls and spray the seeds lightly with water. Place the jar/cup in a sunny location that is not too hot, and water the seeds each day.	Which basic need do you think is most important to plants?

Week 6

September 25 - 29
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can describe how living things must live in a habitat that meets their basic needs.	Mr. Nussbaum.com – Habitat Maker	Create a habitat diorama with your child. Lay the lid of a shoebox on a table with the inside showing. Put glue on one side and stand it up on the lid. Decorate the shoebox so that it looks like the place that your animal naturally lives and grows, and include food and water..	What might happen if a plant or animal could not meet its basic needs?

Week 7

October 2 - 6
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can identify the possibility of severe weather by observing weather conditions.	NOAA – SciJinks	Look outside with your child and have them describe the weather. Construct some simple weather instruments to observe and record the weather over time. To make a rain gauge, tape a ruler to the outside of a clear jar. Place the jar in an open area to collect rain. To make a windsock, bend a wire hanger into a circular shape and tape strips of tissue paper or a plastic bag onto it. Hang it in an open area and use a compass to determine the wind direction.	What are some different kinds of weather that you have experienced?

Week 8

October 9 - 13

Student "I Can" Statement"

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can understand that the Sun produces energy that warms the land, water, and air.

StudyJams - Heat

Compare how fast ice cubes melt in the sun vs. the shade with your child. Fill up two containers with equal amounts of water. Place a small plastic toy in each container and freeze overnight. Place the frozen blocks on paper plates. Place one plate in the sun, and another in shade. Observe what happens.

What are some ways that you can tell the sunlight warms the Earth?

When have you used shade to protect you from the sun?

Week 9

October 16 - 20
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can use thermometers to measure temperature; and use charts, tables, and graphs to record and compare data.	Math Is Fun – Interactive Thermometer	Build a thermometer with your child. Pour equal parts water and rubbing alcohol into an empty bottle. Add a few drops of food coloring and insert a straw. Use a lump of clay or Play-Doh to secure the straw at the top of the bottle, making sure not to cover the top of the straw. Place your thermometer in the sun. Use it in the same location at the same time each day. Each time you check it, mark the level of the liquid and the date with a marker.	How do we know if it is cooler or warmer than yesterday?

Week 10

October 23 - 27
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can understand that the Sun produces energy that warms the land, water, and air.	PBS – Thermal Energy Transfer	Create a shelter for a piece of chocolate to protect it from the sun with your child. Using two pieces of chocolate that are exactly alike, place one piece on a paper plate in the shelter and another piece on a plate in the sunlight. Observe what happens.	How do we know what the temperature is outside?

Quarter 2

Click on the Tabs below to view resources for each week

Week 1

October 30 - November 3
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can demonstrate the greater the force applied to an object, the greater the change in motion of the object.	BBC – What is a Force?	Have your child take a ball (basketball, tennis ball, marble, table tennis ball, etc.) and place it on the ground. Push it with a little bit of force. Record where the ball stopped. Return the ball to the same starting point and push it again with more force. Record where it stopped. Repeat with various amounts of force.	How are force and motion related?

Week 2

November 6 - 10
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can demonstrate the greater the force applied to an object, the greater the change in motion of the object.	ABC Education - Pushing and Pulling: How much force?	Go to a playground with your child that has swings. Sit on the swing and have your child push you with different amounts of force. Observe what happens. Do the same with your child on the swing.	Why does it take more force to move heavier objects?

Week 3

November 13 - 17

Student "I Can" Statement"

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can explain how the human body is composed of different parts that work together in a system.  

I can describe how each body part has its own function within the system.  

CPALMS Original Tutorial: All Your Parts 

Using sidewalk chalk, trace the outline of your child. Have your child draw a brain, heart, lungs, stomach, muscles, and skeleton in the correct location on their body’s outline, then have them state the function of each organ. 

Can you name your major body parts? 

Week 4

November 27 - December 1
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can understand how if a body part cannot perform its function, the other parts suffer.	Mr.Nussbaum.com – Lonnie: Human Body Parts Online Game	Show your child a car. It can either be in the form of an image or a toy car. Ask your child to list the various parts of the car, such as the wheels, engine, steering wheel, headlights, and trunk. Ask your child to pick two car parts and describe how they might work together for the car to function properly. (For example, the steering wheel turns the wheels so that a person can drive.) Discuss how this relates to body parts and their functions.	Why is it important for the body parts to work together?

Week 5

December 4 - 8
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can describe how small pieces of rock and dead plant and animal parts can be the basis of soil.	My American Farm -Thrive	Go outside and scoop up some dirt. Pour it on a paper plate and allow your child to make observations of what they see. A toothpick or craft stick may help them sort through the soil.	What parts make up soil?

Week 6

December 11- 15

Student "I Can" Statement"

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can explain the process by which soil is formed. 

I can classify soil types based on color, texture (size of particles), the ability to retain water, and the ability to support the growth of plants. 

Discovery Education – Wet Test 

Discovery Education – Types of Soil 

Have your child collect samples of soil from outside. Have your child observe the different samples specifically looking for items that they think the soil is made from. Have your child make a prediction about how soil is formed.  

Go outside and make observations of soil from various locations – the backyard, in a pot, at the park, and so on. How are they alike and different? 

How is soil formed? 

What are some ways we can classify soil? 

Week 7

December 18 - 21
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can explain how people use electricity and heat to cook food.	YouTube - Easy Stove Safety Tips for the Whole Family	Soak some rice in tap water overnight. Do not add heat. The next day, cook some other rice in hot water. Compare the rice and discuss how adding heat changed the rice. Then try the test with other foods that you cook in water such as beans, pasta, carrots, or oats.	What happens when heat energy is added to food?

Week 8

January 8 - 12

Student "I Can" Statement"

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can explain how people use electricity to cool and warm their homes.  

I can explain how people use electricity to power their cars, including opening car windows or turning on the lights.  

The Greens – Energy Vampires 

Give your child 90 seconds to make a list of all of the things that they turn on and off on a daily basis. 

How is energy most often used in your home? 

Week 9

January 15 - 19

Student "I Can" Statement"

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can explain how people use electricity to power their cars, including opening car windows or turning on the lights.

PBS Kids – Fidgit Power

Make a list of ways that you could save energy in your home

What would you miss the most if there was no electricity in your home?

Quarter 3

Click on the Tabs below to view resources for each week

Week 1

January 22 - 26

Student "I Can" Statement

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can identify magnetic and nonmagnetic items and that magnets can be used to make some things move without touching them. 

  CPALMS – Magnetic Motion

Using a magnet, see how many paper clips your child can lift. 

What do all magnetic items have in common? 

How can magnets be used to make things move? 

Week 2

January 29 - February 2
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can recognize that objects are pulled toward the ground unless something holds them up.	CPALMS – Falling for Gravity	Have your child complete the following: collect different sized balls or round objects that can be safely dropped (basketball, tennis ball, marble, table tennis ball, and so on). Drop each item from the same height. Observe what happens.	How does gravity affect objects?

Week 3

February 5 - 9
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can demonstrate the greater the force applied to an object, the greater the change in motion of the object.	CPALMS – Pets, Pushes, and Pulls	Have your child take a ball (basketball, tennis ball, marble, table tennis ball, etc.) and place it on the ground. Push it with a little bit of force. Record where the ball stopped. Return the ball to the same starting point and push it again with more force. Record where it stopped. Repeat with various amounts of force.	How are force and motion related?

Week 4

February 12 - 16

Student "I Can" Statement

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can investigate the effects of applying various pushes on different objects. 

I can investigate the effects of applying various pulls on different objects. 

.

Discovery Education – Making Things Move Game

Discovery Education – Sid the Science Kid: Sid’s Super Kick 

Have your child do the following: collect a stack of books or magazines. Place one book/magazine on the table. Using two fingers, pull it toward you. Add a book/magazine and repeat. Repeat this process and observe how the objects and pulls are related.

How does pushing affect objects? 

How does pulling affect objects?

Week 5

February 19 - 23

Student "I Can" Statement

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I

I can compare and describe changing patterns in nature that repeat themselves, such as weather conditions including temperature and precipitation, day to day.

My Four Seasons-Discovery Education

Keep a daily weather log with your child. Record each day’s weather over a week or two. Notice any patterns that are observed.

How does understanding weather patterns help us in our daily lives?

What are some weather conditions that may repeat themselves every day? What happens to the temperature each day throughout the day

Week 6

February 26 - March 1
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can compare and describe changing patterns in nature that repeat themselves, such as weather conditions including temperature and precipitation, season to season.	Celebrity Parties	Pick a city in the northern United States. With your child, search for images of that city in each season. Repeat this with another northern city. You can also use books, magazines, or newspapers to find pictures of cities during different seasons. What do they have in common?	What happens with the weather each winter? Summer? Spring? Fall?

Week 7

March 4 - 8
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can understand that Earth is mostly made of rock.	CPALMS – Rocks for Kids	Go on a rock scavenger hunt with your child.	Where have you observed rocks?

Week 8

March 11 - 15
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Students	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can find the rocks where I live	Where do Rocks Come from?	Observe rocks of various types and sizes and record observations.	What do you notice about the different types and sizes of rocks?

Week 9

March 18 - 22
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can use my senses to observe and describe how rocks have different shapes, colors, and other physical properties.	Mr. Nussbaum - Rocks	Play a rock sorting game with your child. Gather an assortment of rocks. Decide on a secret property for sorting. Then sort the rocks while your child observes. Have them guess the property you used to sort the rocks.	Why do you think that not all rocks are the same?

Quarter 4

Click on the Tabs below to view resources for each week

Week 1

April 1 - 5

Student "I Can" Statement"

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can understand that the Sun produces energy that warms the land, water, and air.

StudyJams - Heat

CPALMS- Sunlight Beach

Compare how fast ice cubes melt in the sun vs. the shade with your child. Fill up two containers with equal amounts of water. Place a small plastic toy in each container and freeze overnight. Place the frozen blocks on paper plates. Place one plate in the sun, and another in shade. Observe what happens. .

What are some ways that you can tell the sunlight warms the Earth?

When have you used shade to protect yourself from the sun?

Week 2

April 8 - 12
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can understand that the Sun produces energy that warms the land, water, and air.	PBS – Thermal Energy Transfer	Create a shelter for a piece of chocolate to protect it from the sun with your child. Using two pieces of chocolate that are exactly alike, place one piece on a paper plate in the shelter and another piece on a plate in the sunlight. Observe what happens.	How do we know what the temperature is outside??

Week 3

April 15 - 19

Student "I Can" Statement"

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can investigate evaporation to know when it happens and how to prevent it.

YouTube – Water Droplet’s Adventure

CPALMS – Two Containers

Place a full cup of water in front of a sunny window. Use a marker to make a line at the beginning water level. Each hour mark the water level and begin to look for changes.

What would happen if we did not have the heat from the Sun?

Week 4

April 22 - 26
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can investigate that air is all around us and that moving air is wind.	PBS – Sid the Science Kid Wind Investigation	Create a pinwheel and place it outside. Check on it throughout the day to observe wind. 2	What do we call moving air?

Week 5

April 29 - May 3
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can use my senses to describe air	CPLAMS – Wind is a Wonder	Create a windsock and place it outside. Use it as a basic guide to wind direction and speed.	How can wind help us/Harm us?

Week 6

May 6 - 10

Student "I Can" Statement"

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can classify matter by using observation and measurement. 

CPALMS – Sweet Shop Properties Part 1: Using your Senses

CPALMS – Sweet Shop Properties Part 2: Measuring Length

Using the two lists of items they created in the magnet activity above, have your child observe and measure other properties of the same objects such as size, shape, color, temperature, weight, texture, and sinking or floating in water (if the item is small/can get wet.)

In what ways can you sort objects?

Week 7

May 13 - 17

Student "I Can" Statement"

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can classify matter as a solid, liquid, or gas based on its physical properties.

CPALMS – The Shape of Water

Make butter using a simple recipe with your child. Have them identify the states of matter during each of the three stages the butter goes through: 1. It starts as a liquid (whipping cream). 2. It becomes a solid (whipped cream). 3. It separates and becomes both solid and liquid (butter and buttermilk).

How can you tell something is a solid?

How can you tell something is a liquid?

How are solids different from liquids?

Week 8

May 20 - 24
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can change the properties of some objects.	Discovery Education – Physical Changes Video	How Degrading - Set up a bucket of saltwater. Have your child submerge various trash items (newspaper, tin can, glass, plastic) in the saltwater. Observe these items over a span of a couple of weeks.	How can I change the properties of objects?

Week 9

May 27 - 31
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can observe water in all three states: solid, liquid, and gas	YouTube: Water In All Its States	Observe water as a gas (in this case water vapor) with your child by placing a glass of ice water on a table. Over a few minutes, the ice will cause the water vapor to condense on the sides of the glass. Leave the glass of water on the table for several days and observe how the water level drops as time passes, showing the process of liquid water changing to a gas (evaporation).	Is gas more like a solid or a liquid??

Week 10

June 3 - 7

Student "I Can" Statement"

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can observe water in all three states: solid, liquid, and gas

I can explain that solids have a definite shape; liquids and gases do not.

Science Learning Hub - Water: Solid, Liquid and Gas

Scholastic StudyJams! – Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Have your child imagine they are an ice cube and write a small passage describing what happens to them. They can choose to stay frozen in a freezer, melt in iced tea on the beach, or any other fate of an ice cube they can think of.

Make observations about the shape of solids, liquids, and gases with your child using an ice cube, plastic bag, and Alka seltzer tablet: 1. Begin with an ice cube in the plastic bag (the solid). 2. Have your child work on melting it and changing it into a liquid. 3. Once it is liquid, add an Alka-Seltzer tablet to the bag and quickly reseal it. (This will cause gas to build up inside the bag.)

If you were to leave an ice cube outside, what would happen to it?

How can you tell if something is a liquid, solid, or gas?

How can you describe the shape of a liquid, solid, or gas?

BCPS Parent Resources For Parents of 3rd Graders

Quarter 1

Week 1

August 21 - 25
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can classify animals into major groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, arthropods) according to their physical characteristics and behaviors.	CPALMS Original Student Tutorial – Animal Classification Part 1: Groups	Have your child sort the animals into the following categories: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, or arthropods.	What physical characteristics and behaviors are characteristics of mammals/reptiles/amphibians/fish/ birds/arthropods?

Week 2

August 28 - September 1
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can classify animals into major groups (vertebrates and invertebrates) according to their physical characteristics and behaviors.	CPALMS Original Student Tutorial – Animal Classification Part 2: Vertebrates and Invertebrates	Have your child sort the animals into the following categories: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, or arthropods.	What is the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates? Provide examples of animals in those groups.

Week 3

September 4 - 8
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can classify animals into major groups (those having live births and those which lay eggs) according to their physical characteristics and behaviors.	CPALMS Original Student Tutorial – Animal Classification Part 3: Ways That Animals Are Produced	Have your child sort the animals into the following categories: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, or arthropods.	What are some ways that animals are produced? Provide examples of animals in those groups.

Week 4

September 11 - 15
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can classify plants into major groups such as those that produce seeds or those that produce spores according to their physical characteristics.	CPALMS Original Student Tutorial – Let’s Classify Plants, Part 2: Seeds and Spores	Go on a walk with your child and try to find ferns. Look on the underside of the leaves and find spores. Have your child observe the differences and similarities between seeds and spores.	Which types of plants produce seeds? Which types of plants produce spores?

Week 5

September 18 - 22
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can classify plants into flowering and nonflowering groups according to their physical characteristics.	CPALMS Original Student Tutorial – Let’s Classify Plants, Part 3: Flowering or Non-flowering Plants	Go on a walk around the neighborhood with your child. See if they can identify the plants you pass as flowering or nonflowering.	What physical characteristics do flowering and nonflowering plants have?

Week 6

September 25 - 29
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can classify plants into flowering and nonflowering groups according to their physical characteristics.	Flowering Plants and Non-Flowering Plants Sort	Search for photos of various plants online or in books or magazines. See if your child can identify the plants as flowering or nonflowering.	How do flowering and nonflowering plants reproduce?

Week 7

October 2 - 6
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can describe the different structures in plants and their roles in food production and reproduction.	CPALMS Original Student Tutorial – Plant Parts	Have your child observe flowers and fruits. Are they able to locate the seeds? Have your child plant the seeds.	What parts of the plant are responsible for food production? What parts of the plant are responsible for reproduction?

Week 8

October 9 - 13
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can describe the different structures in plants and their roles in water and nutrient transport and support.	Supermarket Botany	Have your student fill a cup with water and a few drops of food coloring. Place a stalk of celery in the cup and make observations of it over several hours.	What parts of a plant are responsible for water and nutrient transport? What parts of a plant are responsible for support?

Week 9

October 16 - 20
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can investigate and describe how plants grow towards the light.	CPALMS Original Student Tutorial – Plants Respond!	Have your child plant seeds in a few different paper cups. Place them in various locations around the house and make observations about which way the plants are growing.	Why do plants grow towards light?

Week 10

October 23 - 27
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can investigate and describe how roots respond to gravity by growing down.	PBS – Plant Adaptations	Have your child wet a paper towel and place seeds on it facing different directions. Seal this in a Ziplock bag and tape it to a window. Observe how each seed grows.	How do plants respond to gravity?

Quarter 2

Week 1

October 30 - November 6
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can recognize that plants use energy from the Sun, air and water to make their own food.	CPALMS: The Sugar Factory	Work with your child to plan and present a skit from a plant’s perspective to your family members about what happens to a plant that receives no water or sunlight.	How does a plant react when it does not obtain water? Sunlight?

Week 2

November 6 - 10
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can recognize that plants use energy from the Sun, air and water to make their own food.	PBS – Illuminating Photosynthesis	Create a recipe card for the process of photosynthesis.	What will the recipe ingredients be? (sun, air, and water) What are the steps the plants undergo to make the “food”?

Week 3

November 13 - 17

Student "I Can" Statement

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can describe how plants respond to changing seasons. 

CPALMS Student Tutorial – It’s More Than Fall Color and Hirbernation, Part 1: Plants  

Plant seeds in cups. Place one cup outside, one cup inside, and one cup in the refrigerator. Observe their growth in the different temperatures. 

How do plants respond to changing seasons? 

Week 4

November 27 - December 1

Student "I Can" Statement

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can describe how animals respond to changing seasons.

CPALMS Student Tutorial – It’s More Than Fall Color and Hibernation, Part 2: Animals

Watch a nature documentary with your child. Observe how animals and plants respond to changing seasons. Video clips can also be found online or on YouTube. 

How do animals respond to changing seasons?

Week 5

December 4 - 8
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can identify basic forms of energy such as light, heat, sound, electrical, and mechanical.	CPALMS – A Camping We Will Go!	Ask your child to go on an energy scavenger hunt in your home. See if they can find an example of each form of energy: light, heat, sound, electrical, and mechanical.	What are the forms of energy? Provide an example of each form.

Week 6

December 11 - 15
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can identify basic forms of energy such as light, heat, sound, electrical, and mechanical.	StudyJams! - Sound	Create a homemade kazoo	Can you see sound energy? Explain your reasoning.

Week 7

December 18 - 22
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can identify basic forms of energy such as light, heat, sound, electrical, and mechanical.	StudyJams! - Light	Use a light and potato chip lid to make DIY Shadow Puppets.	Why is light an important energy source?

Week 8

January 8 - 12
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can investigate and observe that things that give off light often also give off heat.	Light Can Produce Heat	Have your child hold their hands or a thermometer near a lamp that is turned off. Have them record their observations. Turn on the lamp and repeat the process.	Do all things that give off light also give off heat? How can we investigate and observe this?

Week 9

January 15 - 19
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can investigate and observe that things that give off light often also give off heat.	Sources of Heat	Make s’mores using a home- made solar oven using a pizza box, shoe box, or similar item, and aluminum foil.	What do you know about light?

Quarter 3

Week 1

January 22 - 26
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can describe the changes water undergoes when it changes state through heating and cooling by using familiar scientific terms such as melting, freezing, boiling, evaporation, and condensation.	CPALMS Student Tutorial – States of Water, Part 1	Provide your child with an ice cube and a selection of pantry items such as paper cups, waxed paper, foil, paper plates, napkins, etc. Challenge them to keep the ice from melting for as long as possible.	What happens when water in the solid state heats up?

Week 2

January 29 - February 2
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can describe the changes water undergoes when it changes state through heating and cooling by using familiar scientific terms such as melting, freezing, boiling, evaporation, and condensation.	CPALMS Student Tutorial – States of Water, Part 2	Investigate what happens when the following items are placed in the freezer (they can be placed in an ice cube tray or small amounts of each can be poured into a zip lock bag): water, saltwater, rubbing alcohol, soda, fruit juice, etc.	What happens when water in the liquid form cools?

Week 3

February 5 - 9
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can describe the changes water undergoes when it changes state through heating and cooling by using familiar scientific terms such as melting, freezing, boiling, evaporation, and condensation.	CPALMS – Water Beach Vacation Lesson 2	Boil two different pots of water – one with a lid and one without. What happens to the water in each of the pots? What do you observe?	What happens when water in the liquid form heats up?

Week 4

February 12 - 16
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can describe the changes water undergoes when it changes state through heating and cooling by using familiar scientific terms such as melting, freezing, boiling, evaporation, and condensation.	CPALMS – Water Beach Vacation Lesson 3	Have students observe grass or plants outside in the early morning. What is on the plants? What observations can you make?	What happens when water in the gas form cools?

Week 5

February 19 - 23
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can investigate and observe that heat is produced when one object rubs against another, such as rubbing one's hands together.	CPALMS Virtual Manipulative - Friction	Rub your hands together and observe what happens. Now add lotion to your hands and repeat. How else can you create friction?	What are other examples of producing heat though friction, other than rubbing our hands together?

Week 6

February 26- March 1
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can explain that heat is produced when one object rubs against another, such as rubbing one's hands together.	PHET - Friction	Go on a friction scavenger hunt – walk around the house and block to find examples of friction.	When are some examples of friction being helpful? What are some examples of friction being hurtful?

Week 7

March 4 - 8
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can demonstrate that heat is produced when one object rubs against another.	Friction and Heat	Have your child hold a gummy worm (or any type of gummy) and try to stretch it. Have your child roll a gummy between their hands. Have your child stretch the gummy worm between their hands and make observations. Be sure to ask them to compare how it felt to stretch the gummy before rolling it between their hands and after rolling it between their hands.	Are there other examples of items that have their physical characteristics changed when heat is added to them?

Week 8

March 11 - 15
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can explore the law of gravity.	Scholastic Study Jams- Gravity and Inertia	Try to defy gravity by having your child build a contraption using recycled materials to protect a raw egg from a 6-foot drop.	Would changing the recycled materials effect the force of gravity? Why or why not?

Week 9

March 18 - 21
Student "I Can" Statement	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can demonstrate that gravity is a force that can be overcome.	CPALMS – Overcoming Gravity	Use a spring scale or a Slinky to help your child students learn about the pull of gravity. Help them see how stretch from a Slinky (a spring scale) is a way to measure resistance to gravity.	What are some ways that society has overcome gravity?

Quarter 4

Week 1

April 1 - 5
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can explain that stars can be different; some are smaller, some are larger, and some appear brighter than others; all except the Sun are so far away that they look like points of light.	Online Solar System and Night Sky Model - Solar System Scope	Observe the night sky, specifically the stars. Draw a picture of what you see with your child.	How are stars alike and different?

Week 2

April 8 - 12
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can investigate that the number of stars that can be seen through telescopes is dramatically greater than seen by the unaided eye.	ViewSpace – Unveiling the Invisible Universe	Visit the Fox Astronomical Observatory at Markham Park. Check their website for operating dates and times.	What tool can we use to better observe stars in the sky?

Week 3

April 15 - 19
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can recognize that the Sun appears bright and large because it’s the closest star to Earth.	CPALMS – Seeing Stars	Build a pinhole projector with your child to safely observe the Sun.	Why does the Sun appear so large?

Week 4

April 22 - 26
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can identify the Sun as a star that emits energy; some of it in the form of light.	Crash Course Kids – Here Comes the Sun	Create a constellation viewer with your child using paper, scissors, tape, a pencil, and toilet paper or paper towel tube.	What form of energy does the Sun emit?

Week 5

April 29 - May 3
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can demonstrate that the energy form the Sun can heat objects and when the Sun is not present, heat may be lost.	YouTube – Heat and Light from the Sun	Build a solar oven using a cardboard box with lid, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, glue, and tape to make s’mores.	Why does the Earth’s temperature fluctuate between day and night?

Week 6

May 6 - 10
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can demonstrate that light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object or travels from one medium to another.	Dynamic Labs - Light	Provide your child with a flashlight and laser pointer (if available) to investigate how light interacts with different objects.	How does light travel?

Week 7

May 13 - 17
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can demonstrate that light can be reflected, refracted, and absorbed.	Phet – Bending Light	Go on a shadow walk with your child; look for shadows and discuss the shapes created.	How can you make light be reflected?

Week 8

May 20 - 24
Student "I Can" Statement"	Online Activity	Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child	Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child
I can demonstrate that light can be reflected, refracted, and absorbed.	Phet – Color Vision	Place a pencil in a clear cup/glass of water. Observe what the pencil looks like both in and out of the water.	How can you make light be refracted/absorbed?

Week 9

May 27 - 31

Student "I Can" Statement"

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can measure and compare temperatures of various liquids and solids.

CPALMS: Reading and Recording Temperatures

CPALMS: Measure and Compare Temperatures

Use a thermometer to measure and compare temperatures of various items in your home.

Take a trip to the grocery store and while there, make observations and comparisons regarding the temperatures of various products (both solids and liquids).

What temperature is this item?

How does it compare to other items?

How does a grocery store classify its groceries based on temperature?

Week 10

June 3 - 7

Student "I Can" Statement"

Online Activity

Activities Parents Can Do With Their Child

Questions Parents Can Ask Their Child

I can measure and compare the mass and volume of liquids and solids.

I can compare materials and objects according to properties such as size, shape, color, texture and hardness.

CPALMS: Introduction to Volume

CPALMS: Observing Properties

Help your child measure different size cups of water from a pitcher with a measuring cup. Discuss volume (the amount of matter is a measurable space) and that a cup is a measurement of volume.

Have your child take 1 ice cube from the freezer to observe its physical properties.

How does the volume of water in the different cups compare to each other?

What state of matter is the ice cube? (solid)

What is the temperature, size, shape, color, texture and weight of the ice cube?