Unit Plan 34 (Grade 3 Science): STEM Capstone—Weather, Forces & Life

Focus: Integrate forces and motion, magnets, weather and climate data, and habitats/adaptations into one coherent STEM capstone model that shows how organisms survive in particular environments and how designs can help them.

Grade Level: 3

Subject Area: Science (Physical Science • Earth & Space Science • Life Science • Engineering/Modeling)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this capstone unit, students synthesize their learning about forces, magnets, weather & climate, and survival in habitats. Working in teams, they design a STEM Habitat System Model—a tabletop or poster model that shows: a habitat with organisms and their traits, typical weather and climate data for that region, paths of motion (using ramps and tracks) that show forces acting on objects, and at least one magnet-based feature or design solution that helps with a challenge in that environment. Along the way, students investigate motion, represent weather data, reason about survival and traits, and argue for the merit of their design, drawing together 3-PS2, 3-ESS2, and 3-LS4 standards.

Essential Questions

• How can we design one STEM model that shows forces, weather & climate, and living things in their habitats all working together?
• How do balanced and unbalanced forces, including magnetic forces, affect the motion of objects in our model?
• How do weather patterns and climate shape the habitats where organisms live and the traits that help them survive?
• In a particular habitat, why can some organisms survive well, some less well, and some not at all, and how can engineering solutions help with environmental problems?
• How can we use evidence (data, observations, test results) to support claims about motion, survival, and the merit of our design solutions?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Plan and conduct simple investigations of balanced and unbalanced forces using ramps, pushes, pulls, and magnets, and describe their effects on motion (3-PS2-1).
2. Observe and/or measure patterns of motion (e.g., constant, changing speed, direction) and use these patterns to predict future motion (3-PS2-2).
3. Ask and discuss questions about magnetic interactions between objects that are not touching, noticing cause-and-effect (3-PS2-3).
4. Define a simple design problem in their capstone model that can be solved using magnets (e.g., a magnetic transport system or safety device) (3-PS2-4).
5. Represent seasonal weather data in tables and graphs, and describe typical conditions in their chosen habitat region (3-ESS2-1).
6. Obtain and combine information to describe the climate of their chosen region and how it differs from other regions (3-ESS2-2).
7. Use evidence to explain how variations in traits help some organisms survive better in their model’s habitat (3-LS4-2).
8. Construct an argument that in their habitat some organisms can survive well, some less well, and some not at all (3-LS4-3).
9. Make a claim about the merit of an engineering or design solution in their model that addresses an environmental problem in the habitat (3-LS4-4).
10. Communicate their integrated thinking in a STEM Habitat System Model and short presentation that uses data, diagrams, and explanations.

Standards Alignment — 3rd Grade (NGSS-Aligned)

• 3-PS2-1 — Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
• 3-PS2-2 — Make observations or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.
• 3-PS2-3 — Ask questions about cause-and-effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact.
• 3-PS2-4 — Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.
• 3-ESS2-1 — Represent data in tables and graphs to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
• 3-ESS2-2 — Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.
• 3-LS4-2 — Use evidence to construct explanations for how variations in traits affect an organism’s ability to survive.
• 3-LS4-3 — Construct an argument that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some less well, and some not at all.
• 3-LS4-4 — Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused by environmental changes.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can investigate and describe how pushes, pulls, and magnets change the motion of objects in our model.
• I can record and graph weather data for a place and explain what the typical weather and climate are like there.
• I can explain how trait differences help some organisms survive better than others in our chosen habitat.
• I can argue that in our habitat some organisms survive well, some less well, and some not at all, and give reasons.
• I can describe a design problem in our habitat and make a claim about the merit of our solution using evidence.
• I can use pictures, labels, data, and explanations to share our STEM Habitat System Model clearly.