Grade 3 Science
Understanding Life Systems:  Growth and Change in Plants

Below are sites and videos that I will use in class for this unit of study.  Children are encouraged to review these videos and their notes to ensure understanding.

Bill Nye the Science Guy has EXCELLENT videos that teach children science concepts in interesting ways. Check out YouTube for his videos.

​Learning Goal 3.1:  We will learn the basic needs of plants.  

The basic needs of a plant are:  AIR, WATER, SPACE, LIGHT, and WARMTH.  We will also learn that plants need a gas called CARBON dioxide, and nutrients from the soil to help them survive.  
The video "Who Needs Dirt" is above grade 3 level, but is a good extension for what we have learned in class.  

Learning Goal 3.2:  We will identify the major parts of a plant, including the stem, root, flower, pistil, leaf, seed, and fruit.   We will describe how each contributes to the plant's survival within the environment it lives in.

Besides having the kids cut, colour, and sequence the parts of the plants, we also visited these websites:

Brainpop Jr--The Plant Life Cycle

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Learning Goal 3.3:  We will describe the changes that different plants go through during their life cycle.

Learning Goal 3.4:  We will describe how most plants get their energy to live directly from the sun, and how plants help other living things to get energy from the sun.

Videos on Photosynthesis suitable for Grade 3:     Mosa Mack:  Photosynthesis

Dr. Binocs Video on Photosynthesis                         

Learning Goal 3.5:  We will describe ways in which humans from various cultures, including Aboriginal people, use plants for food, shelter, medicine, and clothing.

Learning Goal 3.6:  We will describe ways in which plants and animals are dependent on each other.

Learning Goal 3.7:  We will describe the different ways plants are grown for food.  We will explain the advantages (good things) and the disadvantages (bad things) of locally grown and organically produced food, including why it is good for the environment.

Plants can grow INDOORS and OUTDOORS, as long as we provide them the things that they need to survive.  This is why plants are dependent on us!  We must help plants to grow.  Farmers make our food, and learn all about the best ways to grow our crops.  

In Ontario, we can grow many things in spring and summer.  In the winter, there are GREENHOUSES that we use to grow vegetables and fruits.  We also IMPORT fruits and vegetables from other countries.

Learning Goal 3.8:  We will identify different conditions in the environment that may threaten plant and animal survival..

THINK about everything that we have learned that a plant NEEDS in order to survive.  

Now, let's think of things that may HURT a plant's survival.  If we hurt our plants, ALL animals will become extinct.  

Some Additional Interesting Videos about Plants:

The Magic School Bus:  Gets Planted
I have always LOVED the Magic School Bus.  Fiction and non-fiction rolled into GREAT educational cartoons for kids!  As a child, I loved pretending I was a teacher like Ms. Frizzle!

Students will watch this one day during lunch.  

Some Additional Websites About Plants:

GREAT website for teachers to get FREE resources:

Good in Every Grain---We can get free soil, seeds, for our germination experiments and more!
Four Seasons of an Apple Tree---For our unit on Growth and Change in Plants
How Do Apples Grow---Read Aloud of the book.
Apples:  How Does it Grow----Good Video on how Apples Grow

Click on each of the texts below to link to the websites used in class: 

 Grade 3 Link to Learning Website

Elearning Site for Science

Science Kids:  Fun Science and Technology Games for Kids

Turtle Diary

Kids Love 2 Learn.ca