North Carolina

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Skills available for North Carolina third-grade science standards

Standards are in black and IXL science skills are in dark green. Hold your mouse over the name of a skill to view a sample question. Click on the name of a skill to practice that skill.

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North Carolina Standard Course of Study North Carolina Standard Course of Study

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P Physical Science

Forces and Motion
- NCES.3.P.1 Understand motion and factors that affect motion.
  - NCES.3.P.1.1 Infer changes in speed or direction resulting from forces acting on an object.
  - NCES.3.P.1.2 Compare the relative speeds (faster or slower) of objects that travel the same distance in different amounts of time.
    - How do mass and force affect motion? (3-G.3)
    - Compare the speeds of moving objects (3-G.4)
  - NCES.3.P.1.3 Explain the effects of earth's gravity on the motion of any object on or near the earth.
Matter: Properties and Change
- NCES.3.P.2 Understand the structure and properties of matter before and after they undergo a change.
  - NCES.3.P.2.1 Recognize that air is a substance that surrounds us, takes up space and has mass.
  - NCES.3.P.2.2 Compare solids, liquids, and gases based on their basic properties.
  - NCES.3.P.2.3 Summarize changes that occur to the observable properties of materials when different degrees of heat are applied to them, such as melting ice or ice cream, boiling water or an egg, or freezing water.
    - Change-of-state diagrams: solid, liquid, and gas (3-C.1)
    - Heating, cooling, and changes of state (3-C.2)
Energy: Conservation and Transfer
- NCES.3.P.3 Recognize how energy can be transferred from one object to another.
  - NCES.3.P.3.1 Recognize that energy can be transferred from one object to another by rubbing them against each other.
    - Introduction to static electricity and charged objects (3-H.1)
  - NCES.3.P.3.2 Recognize that energy can be transferred from a warmer object to a cooler one by contact or at a distance and the cooler object gets warmer.

E Earth and Space Science

Earth in the Universe
- NCES.3.E.1 Recognize the major components and patterns observed in the earth/moon/sun system.
  - NCES.3.E.1.1 Recognize that the earth is part of a system called the solar system that includes the sun (a star), planets, and many moons and the earth is the third planet from the sun in our solar system.
  - NCES.3.E.1.2 Recognize that changes in the length and direction of an object's shadow indicate the apparent changing position of the Sun during the day although the patterns of the stars in the sky, to include the Sun, stay the same.
    - Shadows (3)
Earth Systems, Structures and Processes
- NCES.3.E.2 Compare the structures of the Earth's surface using models or three-dimensional diagrams.
  - NCES.3.E.2.1 Compare Earth's saltwater and freshwater features (including oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, and glaciers).
    - Water on Earth (3-T.1)
  - NCES.3.E.2.2 Compare Earth's land features (including volcanoes, mountains, valleys, canyons, caverns, and islands) by using models, pictures, diagrams, and maps.
    - Identify Earth’s land features (3-T.3)

L Life Science

Structures and Functions of Living Organisms
- NCES.3.L.1 Understand human body systems and how they are essential for life: protection, movement and support.
  - NCES.3.L.1.1 Compare the different functions of the skeletal and muscular system.
    - Body systems: perception and motion (4-L.7)
  - NCES.3.L.1.2 Explain why skin is necessary for protection and for the body to remain healthy.
Ecosystems
- NCES.3.L.2 Understand how plants survive in their environments.
  - NCES.3.L.2.1 Remember the function of the following structures as it relates to the survival of plants in their environments: roots – absorb nutrients; stem – provide support; leaves – synthesize food; and flowers – attract pollinators and produce seeds for reproduction.
  - NCES.3.L.2.2 Explain how environmental conditions determine how well plants survive and grow.
  - NCES.3.L.2.3 Summarize the distinct stages of the life cycle of seed plants.
    - Read and construct flowering plant life cycle diagrams (3-L.4)
    - How do flowering plants make new plants? (3-L.5)
  - NCES.3.L.2.4 Explain how the basic properties (texture and capacity to hold water) and components (sand, clay and humus) of soil determine the ability of soil to support the growth and survival of many plants.

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P Physical Science

Forces and Motion

NCES.3.P.1 Understand motion and factors that affect motion.

NCES.3.P.1.1 Infer changes in speed or direction resulting from forces acting on an object.

NCES.3.P.1.2 Compare the relative speeds (faster or slower) of objects that travel the same distance in different amounts of time.

NCES.3.P.1.3 Explain the effects of earth's gravity on the motion of any object on or near the earth.

Matter: Properties and Change

NCES.3.P.2 Understand the structure and properties of matter before and after they undergo a change.

NCES.3.P.2.1 Recognize that air is a substance that surrounds us, takes up space and has mass.

NCES.3.P.2.2 Compare solids, liquids, and gases based on their basic properties.

NCES.3.P.2.3 Summarize changes that occur to the observable properties of materials when different degrees of heat are applied to them, such as melting ice or ice cream, boiling water or an egg, or freezing water.

Energy: Conservation and Transfer

NCES.3.P.3 Recognize how energy can be transferred from one object to another.

NCES.3.P.3.1 Recognize that energy can be transferred from one object to another by rubbing them against each other.

NCES.3.P.3.2 Recognize that energy can be transferred from a warmer object to a cooler one by contact or at a distance and the cooler object gets warmer.

E Earth and Space Science

Earth in the Universe

NCES.3.E.1 Recognize the major components and patterns observed in the earth/moon/sun system.

NCES.3.E.1.1 Recognize that the earth is part of a system called the solar system that includes the sun (a star), planets, and many moons and the earth is the third planet from the sun in our solar system.

NCES.3.E.1.2 Recognize that changes in the length and direction of an object's shadow indicate the apparent changing position of the Sun during the day although the patterns of the stars in the sky, to include the Sun, stay the same.

Earth Systems, Structures and Processes

NCES.3.E.2 Compare the structures of the Earth's surface using models or three-dimensional diagrams.

NCES.3.E.2.1 Compare Earth's saltwater and freshwater features (including oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, and glaciers).

NCES.3.E.2.2 Compare Earth's land features (including volcanoes, mountains, valleys, canyons, caverns, and islands) by using models, pictures, diagrams, and maps.

L Life Science

Structures and Functions of Living Organisms

NCES.3.L.1 Understand human body systems and how they are essential for life: protection, movement and support.

NCES.3.L.1.1 Compare the different functions of the skeletal and muscular system.

NCES.3.L.1.2 Explain why skin is necessary for protection and for the body to remain healthy.

Ecosystems

NCES.3.L.2 Understand how plants survive in their environments.

NCES.3.L.2.1 Remember the function of the following structures as it relates to the survival of plants in their environments: roots – absorb nutrients; stem – provide support; leaves – synthesize food; and flowers – attract pollinators and produce seeds for reproduction.

NCES.3.L.2.2 Explain how environmental conditions determine how well plants survive and grow.

NCES.3.L.2.3 Summarize the distinct stages of the life cycle of seed plants.

NCES.3.L.2.4 Explain how the basic properties (texture and capacity to hold water) and components (sand, clay and humus) of soil determine the ability of soil to support the growth and survival of many plants.