All third graders participate in a FOSS hands-on science curriculum that includes physical investigations and interactive indoor and out door activities. Students begin the year by studying the Earth Science module, Sun, Moon, and Stars. Your child will learn how objects in the sky move in regular and predictable patterns. Reading and writing experiences are integrated as the students study Chumash folklore and make connections between the sun, moon, and stars throughout history.
The students will enter the exciting world of Matter and Energy. Through active investigations, students develop a basic understanding of how energy is stored and used in daily life. Your child participates in an exciting unit of light absorption and reflection and then moves toward conducting and observing chemical reactions. You child is also exposed to the introduction of atoms and elements.
The Structures of Life module further develops students’ interest and enthusiasm as they observe, compare, categorize, and care for a selection of organisms like crayfish. Through careful investigation and observation, students learn to identify properties of plants and animals. Your child will determine how plants and animals adapt to their environment for survival, and how this biological process impacted native communities in California. This unit includes a visit to the Santa Monica Mountains and provides the opportunity to observe this process at the Satwiwa Interpretive Center.
RECOMMENDED LINKS
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/index.html
kidsastronomy.com