Access Point #: SC.3.N.1.Su.1


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Ask literal questions, explore, observe, and share information.
Number: SC.3.N.1.Su.1 Category: Supported
Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08 Big Idea: The Practice of Science : 

A: Scientific inquiry is a multifaceted activity; The processes of science include the formulation of scientifically investigable questions, construction of investigations into those questions, the collection of appropriate data, the evaluation of the meaning of those data, and the communication of this evaluation.

B: The processes of science frequently do not correspond to the traditional portrayal of "the scientific method."

C: Scientific argumentation is a necessary part of scientific inquiry and plays an important role in the generation and validation of scientific knowledge.

D: Scientific knowledge is based on observation and inference; it is important to recognize that these are very different things. Not only does science require creativity in its methods and processes, but also in its questions and explanations.

Related Benchmarks

Name Description
SC.3.N.1.1: Raise questions about the natural world, investigate them individually and in teams through free exploration and systematic investigations, and generate appropriate explanations based on those explorations.
SC.3.N.1.6: Infer based on observation.
SC.3.N.1.7: Explain that empirical evidence is information, such as observations or measurements, that is used to help validate explanations of natural phenomena.



Related Courses

Name Description
5020040: Science - Grade Three
5010044: Language Arts - Grade Three
7720040: Access Science Grade 3
7710014: Access Language Arts - Grade 3
5011030: Library Skills/Information Literacy Grade 3
5020100: STEM Lab Grade 3


Related Resources

Lesson Plans

Name Description
How the Seasons Affect Plants:

In this long-term lesson, students will put observation spots in a designated area at the school to observe how it changes throughout the school year.

Overcoming Gravity:

In this lesson, students learn about the pull of gravity and see how stretch from a Slinky (a spring scale) is a way to measure resistance to gravity.

Unit/Lesson Sequences

Name Description
Light Energy:

In this unit, students first explore the different forms of energy using their senses. In the next two lessons, emphasis is placed on light energy and how light interacts with other objects.

Look-alike Liquids | Inquiry in Action: In this introductory activity, students will compare the way water and isopropyl alcohol appear on different surfaces. After seeing that these liquids behave differently, students will be given two other clear colorless liquids - salt water and detergent solution. Students will then test all four liquids on a brown paper towel to discover the differences between them. Through the activities in this investigation, students will see that liquids have characteristic properties that can be used to identify an unknown.
Major Plant Structures and Their Functions:

In this series of lessons, students learn about the major plant structures and explore their functions.

States of Matter | Inquiry in Action: In the first activity of this unit, students consider how heating and cooling affect molecular motion. The subsequent activities extend this idea to explore the relationship between temperature and the state changes of water. After considering their own experiences with evaporation and condensation, students discover that adding heat to water increases the rate of evaporation and cooling water vapor increases the rate of condensation. Students then investigate what causes moisture to form on the outside of a cold cup. As an extension, students see that at even lower temperatures water vapor can condense on the outside of a container and then freeze to form ice.