![]() ![]() For example, they might decide to import ice from another moon if there is no drinking water available, or harness volcanic heat if it’s too cold. After learning about the conditions on each moon, each group must construct a space station that can survive in those conditions. After their “trip” to Jupiter, Wardcliff Elementary 3rd graders are divided into four groups of “colonists,” one for each of the planet’s moons. This requires kids to actively learn about different atmospheric conditions, temperature, and terrain of various planets. It’s not enough for students to simply look at such a dynamic presentation, however - they need to be active participants in order to absorb scientific concepts. When studying the solar system, students might be asked to write travel brochures to entice visitors to their respective planets, or even produce a “commercial” on videotape advertising the assets of the planet to intergalactic travelers. “Kids have to actually experience something concretely. “None of us has ever been to Jupiter, yet my third graders will swear to you they’ve been there,” he says. When studying the solar system, Stephenson transforms his classroom into a spacecraft near Jupiter with the help of slides, video- and audio-cassettes, black lights and strobe lights. “It just has to be introduced in a meaningful way.” ![]() ![]() Stephenson, the 3rd grade teacher at Wardcliff and Michigan’s 2005 Science Teacher of the Year. “Kids this age can grasp much more than parents give them credit for,” says Robert L. At Wardcliff Elementary School in Okemos, Michigan, new material is always introduced with some sort of “hook” to grab students' attention - for example, an experiment with unexpected results (called a “discrepant event”) causes students to question what happened in order to understand the underlying scientific principle. Teachers can still generally decide, sometimes with the help of a science coordinator or other administrator, which science topics to tackle, with one main difference: They tend to take on more heavy-duty areas of study. Topics such as butterflies and dinosaurs, often overdone because of their popularity with children, now take a back seat to more challenging subjects such as the solar system, rocks and minerals, water cycles, and properties of matter. Even if these subjects have been introduced to students in earlier grades, teachers delve deeper this year.Ĭhildren continue to do better with complex topics, however, if they are able to see real-life examples of scientific phenomena. Third grade science curriculums remain as flexible as they were in the earlier grades. That has served to put a spotlight on the subject. Even if your child has a more traditional classroom with one teacher who covers all academic subjects, that instructor may start putting more time and effort into teaching science due to federal education mandates. Beginning in 2007, 3rd graders are now required to take yearly standardized tests in science, along with math and language arts. She may now have a specialized science teacher who rotates among classrooms, and/or a textbook just for the subject. Even though science curriculums vary greatly from district to district, your 3rd grader may see more of an emphasis on it this year. ![]()
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