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Let’s Learn Together!

Science: Life Cycles Week 1 – Read the article “Animal Life Cycle” and complete questions 1-3. Read the article “Plant Life Cycle” and complete questions 1-3. Week 2 – Read the article “Frog Life Cycle” and complete questions 1-3. Complete Life Cycle writing piece. Background Information - Life cycles are the stages a living thing goes through during its life from birth to death. All organisms go through specific stages of development, some are very slow while others happen quickly. Although living organisms have diverse life cycles, they all have four things in common: birth, growth, reproduction and death.

Social Studies: Rules vs. Laws and the 3 Branches of Government Social Studies activities in this learning bundle first have students comparing the concepts of rules versus laws. Third graders will be given some examples and will have to classify them as examples of rules or laws and then provide a possible consequence. Next, students will read a piece of text that introduces the 3 branches of government – executive, legislative, and judicial, and explain how laws are made. Students will show their understanding by completing one of three different end products – a letter, a brochure, or a comic strip.

Social Studies and science

Activities At –A–Glance

The following assignments should be kept in the student’s

portfolio to be turned in at a later date:

Science: Plant comic strip and Life Cycle writing piece

Social Studies: Government Final Product

My child completed his/her science and social studies work from learning bundle four.

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Parent Signature

S1

Science – Life Cycles – Grade 3

Animal Life Cycles

The animal world is full of amazing creatures. All animals have a cycle

of life. Life begins with eggs or live young, continues to the youth

phase, progresses to adulthood that includes reproduction, and then

death.

Birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, and insects start their life cycles as

eggs. Many young birds are born with fluffy feathers and need their parents for survival. Over the

first few weeks of life, their true feathers begin to grow, their wing muscles develop and

strengthen, and they are ready to go out on their own. Reptiles, like lizards, turtles, alligators and

snakes, hatch from their eggs ready to care for themselves. Young reptiles look like smaller

versions of the adult. Fish lay many eggs at a time, which hatch into young fish called fries.

Amphibians, like frogs and salamanders also lay eggs.

Most amphibians lay their eggs in water, because their young hatch with

fins to swim and gills to breathe. As they age, they go through big

changes. They grow lungs to breathe air and legs so they can walk on land.

When most insects hatch, they look worm-like. This is called a larva. These

babies don’t look anything like the adult. Like amphibians, insects go

through many changes before becoming an adult. The big changes that

amphibians and insects go through are called a metamorphosis.

Mammals are the only animals that don’t usually lay eggs. Instead, most

mammals have live birth. Some examples are lions, bears, giraffes, dolphins,

whales, monkeys, bats, horses and humans. Young mammals are born live

and usually look like smaller versions of the adult. Mammals have different

lengths of time that they are pregnant with their babies. Human females are

pregnant for about nine months. Rabbit females are only pregnant for about

one month, while elephant females are pregnant for almost two years!

Animal adult life spans are also very different from each other. Scientists

have discovered whales, fish and tortoises that are close to 200 years old! There are some ants

and flies that only live three weeks, and mice and chameleons usually only live about one year.

The world’s animal population has a lot of variety but all animals go through the same four stages

of life: birth, growth, reproduction, and death.

Frog Eggs

Giraffe and her offspring

Metamorphosis of a beetle

S2

1. Which is not a part of the animal’s life cycle?

A. Birth

B. Death

C. Reproduction

D. Habitat

2. Which of the following animals lay eggs? Select all that apply.

A. Elephants

B. Fish

C. Alligators

D. Bears

E. Turtles

3. What does the word metamorphosis mean?

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Plant Life Cycles

What happens when a seed is planted? A lot actually! The

seed has everything inside of it that the plant will become. A

seed needs water to begin growing and then it needs

sunlight become a strong and healthy plant.

A seed that is planted in healthy soil and receives water will

soon break through the outer seed coat. Its roots will head

downward into the soil and a tiny plant will head upward

Young Duckling

S3

through the soil to receive sunlight and grow. Now the seed with tiny leaves has become a

seedling. It is delicate and easily damaged. The seedling still needs water and sunlight to

continue its journey.

If the seedling survives, it will continue to grow and will become an adult. The adult plant

produces more leaves and eventually flowers. A flower’s purpose is to attract the insects

and make the seed. Seeds are needed to help new plants grow. However, flowers can’t

spread seeds on their own. Flowers get help from wind, rain, insects, and other animals.

Like animals, plants go through the same four stages of life: birth, growth, reproduction,

and death. Next time you stop to smell a rose, think about what a journey that plant had to

make to bloom into that beautiful flower!

1. According to the passage, what is a seedling?

a. A flowering plant

b. A seed coat

c. A young plant

d. An adult plant

2. What happens after a seed breaks through the seed coat?

a. It produces a flower

b. Wind and rain lift the seed and plant it

c. Its roots grow into the soil

d. The seed shrinks

3. In the space below, draw a comic strip to show the life cycle of the plant.

S4

The Life Cycle of a Frog

A tiny green frog swims across the pond and back to land. She has just laid a cluster of

eggs in a calm section of water. The eggs look like black spots inside a clump of clear

jelly. The mother frog will never return to these eggs. When they hatch, the young ones

will be on their own.

The frogs that hatch will go through many changes before they become adult frogs. The

series of changes that a living thing goes through is known as its life cycle. Cycle is

another word for circle. We call these changes a cycle, or circle, because they happen

over and over again in the same way.

Stage One- Egg Most frogs lay many eggs at once. The more eggs the frog lays, the

better the chance they have to survive. There are many dangers that could destroy the

eggs. Other animals might eat them, or a storm might create rough waters. If the eggs

survive, it usually takes between 6 and 21 days for them to be ready to hatch at tadpoles.

Stage Two-Tadpole You may have seen tadpoles swimming around in a pond. When a

tadpole first hatches, it is quite fragile, or weak. It tries to find a piece of grass or a weed

to stick to until it is strong enough to swim on its own. After about 10 days, the tadpole is

ready to explore. Tadpoles have gills, just like fish, which allow them to breathe

underwater.

Stage Three-Froglet The tadpole goes through many changes. Skin grows over the gills.

The head gets longer, and legs begin to grow. It looks like a frog with a long tail. During

this time, the froglet will begin to eat different types of food, such as small insects or plants.

Stage Four- Adult Frog Once the tail disappears, the froglet is a true frog that breathes

with lungs. The adult frog will look for a mate. They will lay their own eggs. Then, the circle

of life, or life cycle, will start all over again.

1. Which of the following things does NOT

have a life cycle?

A. Tomato plant

B. Butterfly

C. Rock

D. Human

S5

2. What would happen if you took a tadpole out of water?

A. It would grow legs

B. It wouldn’t be able to breathe

C. It would lay eggs

D. It would eat insects

3. Describe the life cycle of the frog. Be sure to support your answer with information from

the text.

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S6

Life Cycle Writing

The life cycles of the animals above are very different. However, all life cycles

have some similarities. Describe those similarities and their importance in the

process of life.

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Grade 3 Social Studies

SS 1

Rules vs Laws Imagine that you and your family are sitting down to play a game. First, you would need to know the rules. Someone in your family would read the rules of the game aloud. Then, you would clearly understand how to play. The rules, just like laws, tell us how to play fairly and how to make sure that everyone is treated in the same way. Every country has its own set of laws, and each is unique to that country. For example, in the United States, the law is that drivers must drive on the right side of the road. In England, on the other hand, the law is that drivers must drive on the left side of the road. If you and your family are traveling to England, you can see how knowing the law can keep you safe.

The main difference between rules and laws is the level of consequence that you face if you break them. If you do not follow rules, there may be consequences such as being grounded or having recess taken away. If people do not follow laws, they are usually punished more severely by the police or the government.

Directions: Decide if each example is a law or a rule. Then write a possible consequence for breaking the law or rule.

Examples: Law or Rule? Possible Consequence

Stop at a stop sign.

Walk in the hallway.

Wear seatbelts in a car or truck.

Finish your homework before you play.

Pay for the candy bar before you leave the store.

Be in bed before 8:30 pm.

Grade 3 Social Studies

SS 2

Who Makes Laws?

America’s federal government is the government for the whole country. It is made up of three parts, called branches. The president leads the executive branch. The job of this branch is to make sure that all laws are followed. The legislative branch is represented by Congress. Their job is to make laws for the country and present them to the president for approval (more on this later!). The last branch is the judicial branch. This branch is made up of the Supreme Court and other courts. Their job is to make sure all the laws that are created are fair and that people who break the laws are punished fairly.

Each state also has its own government to make decisions that only affect that state. Maryland has a governor, a General Assembly, and state courts. Local counties, towns, and cities have their own governments too! For example, Charles County has a group of commissioners to make laws and decisions for the county and courts to help decide if the laws are being followed. The town of La Plata has a mayor to enforce laws and a town council to make laws for the town.

Everyone must follow the Federal laws because we live in one nation called the United States. Federal laws are made by Congress on all kinds of matters, such as speed limits on interstate highways. These laws make sure that all people are kept safe.

Grade 3 Social Studies

SS 3

Directions: Complete the graphic organizer below. A word bank has been provided to help you. Some boxes have been filled in to get you started.

Congress County Commissioners

Enforces laws Governor

Makes laws Supreme Court

Executive Branch Legislative Branch Judicial Branch

Job

Makes sure laws are fair

Federal Level

President

State Level

General Assembly State courts

Local Level

County courts

How Laws Are Made

So now we know that a law is like a rule that we must follow. We know that Congress makes the laws, and now we will learn how they are made. Laws start in Congress. When someone in the House of Representatives or the Senate wants to make a law, they start by writing a bill. A bill is like an early version, or a rough draft, of the proposed law.

Each Congress lasts about two years. During that time, Senators and Representatives may introduce thousands of bills. Yet only some of those bills will eventually become laws.

The bill has to be debated by both parts, or houses, of Congress: The House of Representatives and the Senate. If they both approve the bill to become a law, it is sent to the President of the United States. He or she can choose whether or not to sign the bill. If the President signs the bill, it becomes an official law. If the President decides not to sign the bill, it is called a veto and the bill is sent back to Congress. Congress can bypass, or override, the veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. The bill would then become a law.

Grade 3 Social Studies

SS 4

Directions: Imagine you are member of Congress with an idea for a new bill. Your bill can be about anything you want, just as long as it is school-appropriate! Write your idea for a bill below: ___________________________________________________________________

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Directions: Now, think about the steps it takes for your bill to get turned into a law. Organize the steps in the right order by numbering them on the left side of the chart below.

House of Representatives and the Senate debate your bill.

President either signs your bill, making it a law, or returns it back to the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The bill is sent to the president for review.

You introduce your bill in the House of Representatives.

Your bill is approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Directions: Explain how it is possible for a bill to become a law even if the president vetoes it.

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Grade 3 Social Studies

SS 5

Name: ___________________________________________________

Government Final Product Directions: Choose one from the list below to show what you have learned about laws and the 3 Branches of Government. Option 1: Imagine you have an alien pen pal who lives on a distant planet in another galaxy. Write a letter to your alien friend that explains the government of the United States. Your letter should describe the difference between rules and laws, the three branches of government, and how bills become laws. Letters should be at least two paragraphs.

Option 2: Create a comic strip that explains the difference between rules and laws as well as the three branches – executive, legislative, and judicial. Make sure to include their job and who makes up each branch.

Option 3: Create a brochure or pamphlet by folding a sheet of paper into three equal sections. Explain each of the three branches – executive, legislative, and judicial - including who makes up each branch and their job. Include pictures in your brochure to make it more eye catching.