Unit Plan 1 (Grade 3 Science): Science Skills & Safety

Focus: Establish lab norms, safety routines, measurement skills, questioning, and data table use to support all upcoming science investigations.

Grade Level: 3

Subject Area: Science (Practices • Engineering Prep)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 35–45 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this launch unit, students learn how to “think and act like scientists” by practicing safety, careful measurement, noticing and wondering, and recording data in tables. They co-create class norms for tools and materials, practice using rulers, timers, and thermometers, and organize simple observations in charts. By the end of the week, students can describe a simple design or investigation problem, name criteria and constraints, and follow shared lab routines that will support all later units.

Essential Questions

• What does it mean to think and work like a scientist in our classroom?
• How do safety rules and routines help us do better science?
• Why do scientists use tools, measurements, and data tables instead of just guessing?
• How can we describe a simple science or design problem using criteria and constraints?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Describe and follow key lab safety norms (eyes, hands, movement, voice) during simple activities.
2. Use basic measurement tools (rulers, timers, balances, thermometers as available) to collect simple data.
3. Record observations and measurements in labeled tables with headings, units, and neat entries.
4. Ask clear “I notice / I wonder” questions about simple objects, materials, or phenomena.
5. Define a simple design problem with a clear goal (criteria) and limits (constraints) in student language.

Standards Alignment — 3rd Grade (NGSS-Aligned)

• 3-5-ETS1-1 — Define a simple design problem with specified criteria and constraints.
  • Example: “Design a container that keeps water from spilling when we walk across the room,” with limits on materials and time.

(This unit also builds general science practices that support future performance expectations in grades 3–5.)

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can name and follow our class science safety rules.
• I can use tools (like a ruler or timer) to measure and not just guess.
• I can fill in a data table with labels and numbers that match what we measured.
• I can ask good questions about what I see in science.
• I can tell what the goal (criteria) and limits (constraints) are for a simple design problem.

III. Materials and Resources

Tasks & Tools (teacher acquires/curates)

• Lab safety visual aids: posters or slides with icons (goggles, careful hands, walking feet, quiet voices).
• Simple non-breakable materials for practice investigations (e.g., pencils, paper clips, blocks, sponges, cups, marbles, ramps/books).
• Measurement tools:
  • Rulers or meter sticks
  • Stopwatches or timers (or timer apps)
  • Balances (pan balances or spring scales, if available)
  • Thermometers (optional, depending on availability)
• Pre-made data table templates (with headings and blank rows) at varied complexity.
• Chart paper or whiteboard for class “Science Norms” anchor chart.
• “Criteria and Constraints” mini-chart with kid-friendly definitions and examples.
• Student science notebooks or stapled “Science Skills Week” packets.

Preparation

• Post initial lab safety icons around the room and prepare space for movement but with clear boundaries.
• Create data table examples on chart paper (e.g., “Object / Length (cm)”, “Trial / Time (s)”).
• Prepare a short, simple measuring task (e.g., measuring how far a toy car rolls, how many paper clips long a pencil is).
• Decide on a simple design scenario to revisit all week (e.g., designing a paper tower or a safe cup carrier).
• Prepare exit tickets or quick-check slips for each day.

Common Misconceptions to Surface

• “Safety rules are just to stay out of trouble.” → Safety rules help us protect ourselves and our classmates and help our science go well.
• “Scientists just guess or try things randomly.” → Scientists measure, record, and look for patterns in data.
• “Any way of writing numbers is fine.” → Data tables need labels, units, and neat organization so others can understand.
• “Criteria and constraints are the same.” → Criteria = what success looks like; constraints = limits like materials, time, or size.

Key Terms (highlight in lessons) safety, measurement, data table, observe, question, investigation, tool, criteria, constraints, design problem, trial, pattern

IV. Lesson Procedure

(Each day follows: Launch → Explore → Discuss → Reflect.)

Session 1 — Science Norms & Safety

• Launch (8–10 min)
  • Quick prompt: “What do you think scientists do all day?” Collect a few ideas.
  • Introduce our goal: to learn how to work like scientists safely and carefully this week.
• Explore (15–20 min)
  • Conduct a brief safety walk of the classroom, pointing out safe and unsafe areas or behaviors.
  • In small groups, students examine picture cards or scenarios (e.g., running with materials vs. walking carefully) and sort them into “Safe for Science” and “Not Safe for Science.”
  • Groups share one safe and one unsafe example, then revise if needed.
• Discuss (7–10 min)
  • Co-create a Science Safety Norms anchor chart (3–5 key rules in positive language).
  • Connect norms to why they matter (protect people, protect materials, get good results).
• Reflect (3–5 min)
  • Exit ticket: “One science safety rule I will use and why it matters is…”

Session 2 — Measuring Like a Scientist

• Launch (5–7 min)
  • Show a pencil and ask students to estimate its length, then reveal actual length measured with a ruler.
  • Ask: “Why is measuring better than guessing?”
• Explore (20–25 min)
  • Stations to practice one tool at a time (e.g., rulers, timers, balances).
  • At each station, students:
    • Inspect the tool (What is it called? What does it measure? What units do we see?).
    • Measure simple items or events (e.g., length of a marker, time to walk across the room).
    • Record data in pre-made tables in their notebooks or packets.
• Discuss (7–10 min)
  • Whole-group share: “What did your tool measure? Why is that helpful in science?”
  • Emphasize reading units (cm, seconds, grams) and writing numbers neatly.
• Reflect (3–5 min)
  • Quick write: “One tool I used today was a ______. It measures ______ and helps scientists by ______.”

Session 3 — Data Tables & Patterns

• Launch (5–7 min)
  • Display a messy list of numbers vs. a clean data table with headings. Ask: “Which is easier to understand, and why?”
• Explore (20–25 min)
  • Conduct a simple repeatable investigation (e.g., roll a toy car down a small ramp 3 times and measure distance, or time how long it takes a sponge to soak up water for several trials).
  • As a class, set up a data table together (e.g., “Trial / Distance (cm)” or “Trial / Time (s)”).
  • Students record data in their own copy of the table, then circle the largest/smallest value.
• Discuss (7–10 min)
  • Ask students: “What pattern do you see in the data?” (e.g., “The car went farther on the 3rd try.”)
  • Highlight that scientists use tables to spot patterns and questions (e.g., “Why did it go farther that time?”).
• Reflect (3–5 min)
  • Exit ticket: Students draw a mini table with 2–3 rows and correctly label the headings.

Session 4 — Asking Questions & Defining Design Problems

• Launch (5–7 min)
  • Place a simple science “mystery” setup at the front (e.g., two cups with different lids, two paper towers of different shapes).
  • Invite students to share “I notice…” and “I wonder…” statements.
• Explore (20–25 min)
  • In pairs, students rotate through 2–3 “mystery” objects/materials and write at least one notice and one wonder for each.
  • Introduce a class design scenario (e.g., “We need a paper tower that stands at least 30 cm tall.”).
  • As a class, identify:
    • Criteria (must stand 30 cm, must stand for at least 10 seconds, must be free-standing).
    • Constraints (only 10 pieces of paper, 30 cm of tape, 20 minutes to build).
• Discuss (7–10 min)
  • Record the design problem, criteria, and constraints on a chart.
  • Ask: “How do criteria and constraints help us make decisions?”
• Reflect (3–5 min)
  • Quick write: “A design problem we talked about today was ______. The criteria were ______ and the constraints were ______.”

Session 5 — Science Skills Mini-Challenge

• Launch (5–7 min)
  • Review the week’s big ideas: safety, measurement, data tables, questions, criteria/constraints.
  • Explain that today students will use all these skills in a short mini-challenge.
• Explore (25–30 min)
  • In small teams, students complete a mini design/investigation challenge (e.g., build and test the tallest paper tower or the slowest marble roll):
    • Revisit safety norms before handling materials.
    • Use at least one measurement tool to collect data (height, distance, or time).
    • Record results in a simple data table.
    • Identify one criterion for success and one constraint they faced.
• Discuss (7–10 min)
  • Teams briefly share their results:
    • What did you build or test?
    • How did measurement and data tables help you?
    • What changes would you make next time?
• Reflect (3–5 min)
  • Final reflection: “Now I know that scientists…,” completing the sentence with at least two ideas from the week.

V. Differentiation and Accommodations

Advanced Learners

• Ask students to design a second version of a data table (e.g., add an average row or a comparison column).
• Challenge them to revise the design problem by tightening criteria (e.g., taller tower, less tape).
• Have them write a short “lab helper guide” explaining safety rules and measurement tips for younger students.

Targeted Support

• Provide visual checklists for safety routines and station steps.
• Offer pre-labeled tables where students only fill in numbers.
• Use sentence frames such as:
  • “Our design problem is to… The criteria are… The constraints are…”
  • “My tool measured… and the unit was…”

Multilingual Learners

• Pair students strategically for peer modeling of language and routines.
• Use bilingual word banks or picture glossaries for key terms (safety, measure, data, table, criteria, constraints).
• Allow oral explanations and labeled drawings as evidence of understanding, not only written sentences.

IEP/504 & Accessibility

• Break tasks into short, clear steps with frequent check-ins.
• Provide adapted tools (larger print rulers, digital timers with sound, picture supports).
• Allow alternative responses (e.g., pointing, circling, or using stickers in tables instead of writing all numbers).

VI. Assessment and Evaluation

Formative Checks (daily)

• Session 1 — Safety exit tickets correctly state a rule and why it matters.
• Session 2 — Station work shows students can use at least one measurement tool with reasonable accuracy and record a value.
• Session 3 — Student tables have titles, headings, and correctly placed data; students can describe at least one pattern.
• Session 4 — Students identify criteria and constraints for the class design problem with prompting.
• Session 5 — Team challenge notes show some use of measurement, tables, and problem description (criteria + constraints).

Summative — Science Skills & Safety Check (0–2 per criterion, total 10)

1. Safety & Norms

• 2: Consistently follows science safety rules and can clearly explain why at least two rules are important.
• 1: Usually follows rules with occasional reminders; can explain one rule in simple terms.
• 0: Frequently ignores or forgets rules; struggles to explain their purpose.

2. Measurement Use

• 2: Correctly uses at least one measurement tool (ruler, timer, or balance) and records a reasonable measurement with units.
• 1: Attempts measurement but may misread tool or omit units; needs some support.
• 0: Does not use tools appropriately or cannot produce a meaningful measurement.

3. Data Tables

• 2: Creates or completes a data table with a title, labeled columns/rows, and correctly placed data for a simple investigation.
• 1: Table is partially complete (some labels or data missing or misplaced).
• 0: No usable data table is produced.

4. Questioning & Observation

• 2: Writes or states clear “I notice / I wonder” statements that connect to the investigation or materials.
• 1: Provides basic observations or questions, but they may be vague or off-topic.
• 0: Has difficulty generating observations or questions even with support.

5. Defining a Design Problem (3-5-ETS1-1)

• 2: Accurately describes a simple design problem and names at least one criterion and one constraint.
• 1: Describes the problem but does not clearly distinguish between criteria and constraints.
• 0: Cannot describe the problem or its requirements in a meaningful way.

Feedback Protocol (TAG)

• Tell one strength (e.g., “You organized your data table in a way that’s easy to read.”).
• Ask one question (e.g., “How could you make your measurement even more exact next time?”).
• Give one suggestion (e.g., “Try adding units to all of your measurements so others know what you measured.”).

VII. Reflection and Extension

Reflection Prompts

• Which science safety rule do you think is most important, and why?
• How did using tools and tables change the way you thought about your investigation?
• Why is it helpful to know the criteria and constraints before you start building or testing something?

Extensions

• Science Safety Poster: Students create a poster showing one safety rule with a picture and a short explanation.
• Tool Detective: Students choose one measurement tool and research (or discuss) where professionals use it in real life (builders, chefs, athletes).
• Design Problem Swap: In pairs, students write a short design problem with criteria and constraints and swap with a partner, who then suggests a possible solution.

Standards Trace — When Each Standard Is Addressed

• 3-5-ETS1-1 — Sessions 4–5 (defining a simple design problem with clear criteria and constraints; applying this in the mini-challenge).