3rd Grade Science
Help Questions
3rd Grade Science › 3rd Grade Science
Antwon is planning a week-long ski trip for his family.
Using the information provided, which months would be the best for him to book the trip?
December, January, and February
September, October, and November
June, July, and August
March, April, and May
Explanation
The information presented in the data table breaks down the average temperature per month in the area that Antwon is going to be vacationing. When reviewing the temperatures of each month, the best months for a ski trip would be December, January, and February. These months are the coldest of the year and more likely to generate snow based on weather conditions during winter.
Gordon Hubbell and a crew of fossil hunters were digging holes in the desert of Peru in 1988. This desert is one of the driest places on Earth. It gets almost no rain. Hubbel was digging and found jawbones and more than 200 sharp teeth. He is an expert in fossilized sharks, so he recognized the teeth right away. They were shaped like triangles and came to a very sharp point. They belonged to a distant relative of the great white shark!
How could Hubbell "prove" that these teeth were from a relative of the great white shark?
Show a fossilized tooth and a great white shark tooth next to each other so people can see the similarities.
There is no way to prove where these teeth came from, so he can only make a claim.
Hubbell can dig for other fossilized teeth and show people how many there are in this area.
Hubbell can compare the tooth to all of the fossils ever found and show people that this one is different.
Explanation
Hubbell is an expert in fossilized sharks, so he recognized the similarities between his find and great white shark teeth, but others may need "proof" before they would believe him. If Hubbell placed a great white shark's tooth next to his fossil, the similarities and differences could be noted. By comparing the teeth, it would allow scientists to determine what creature it belonged to with certainty.
How does a fossil tell us about an organism that lived in the past?
A fossil provides evidence about the approximate size of an organism, its living location, and the conditions that an organism lived in.
A fossil can tell us the color of an organism, its favorite food, and the age of the organism.
A fossil cannot tell us anything about an organism that lived in the past. We would need to see the plant or animal to make any decisions about it.
A fossil can tell us the approximate size of an organism, its favorite food, and how many offspring it had.
Explanation
Fossils are a rich source of information to learn about organisms of the past. A fossil can tell us the size of an organism or at least its bones. We can also study where the organisms lived based on where the fossil is found. Scientists can explore what the conditions of that area were, so we know if the organism was an aquatic plant, a land-dwelling creature, or something that needed warm weather.
Fruit and vegetable plants rely on pollinators to spread pollen from flower to flower for reproduction. To make new plants, the pollen has to be transported.
What changes may occur to the plants if there are no pollinators?
There will eventually be no plants because they cannot reproduce without the pollinators.
There will be more plants because they don't have to worry about pollinators eating them.
The plants would not be affected by pollinators disappearing.
The plants will grow weaker because there are no pollinators to bring them food.
Explanation
Plants rely on pollinators for reproduction. Bees, bats, hummingbirds, and other pollinators will move from flower to flower, and the pollen will get stuck to them. When they land on the next flower, the dust will transfer. Seeds are spread, and new plants form. Without pollinators, there would be significant consequences for the plant's future. Eventually, there will be no more fruit and vegetable plants because of the lack of pollinators.
Polar bears hunt seals through holes in the sea ice. They travel from great distances across sheets of frozen water to find seal colonies. The seals rest on the ice in large groups and raise their pups. When the seals go out to hunt fish they slip into the water from the edge of the ice.
If temperatures rise and the ice begins to melt, what impact could there be for the seals?
Melting sea ice and warmer temperatures means the seals will become better swimmers.
Warmer temperatures and melting sea ice would not impact seals.
Seals would not have places to raise their pups and would be exposed to bears.
The temperature warming and ice melting would mean more summer fun for seals.
Explanation
Animals may have to change when there are environmental changes that impact their lives. In the case of the seal dealing with the difference in the amount of sea ice, the change would need to be huge to survive. Seals rely on the sea ice for raising their pups and escaping polar bears, so they would either need to adapt and change their offspring-rearing techniques or find another place to live. These changes would be challenging, and the seals may not survive.
Samantha is planning a trip to the zoo and needs to decide which season would be the best for being outdoors.
Using the information provided which season should she choose and why?
Spring is the best season for visiting the zoo because the temperatures are comfortable and there is very little rain.
Winter is the best season to visit the zoo because it is frigid and it is the season with the least amount of rain.
Fall is the best season to visit because the temperatures are cold and there there is a lot of rain.
Summer is the best season to visit the zoo because it is the hottest month and there is the most rain.
Explanation
Using data tables are a great way to organize information and compare numbers or facts. Each season has its own positive and negative attributes that are suitable for different activities. For a family trip to the zoo, the weather would need to be comfortable, and there would need to be less chance of rain. The season that would be best for a zoo visit would be the spring because there are moderate temperatures and less of a chance of rain than in the fall or summer. Winter would likely be too cold for an outdoor trip, and summer would be much too warm.
Richard lives in Tennessee, and the data table below shows the average temperatures throughout the year. The year is split into four seasons. Spring is characterized by cooler temperatures that start to increase as it gets closer to summer. The summer is hot. The fall begins to cool down, and lower temperatures are noticeable as winter approaches. In the wintertime, temperatures are at the lowest, and it is frigid.
Which months would be classified as spring based on the descriptions provided?
June, July, and August
September, October, and November
December, January, and February
March, April, and May
Explanation
The information presented in the data table breaks down the average temperature per month in the area that Richard lives. When reviewing the descriptions of the four seasons, summer is the hottest month, so the months with the highest temperatures match the description. June, July, and August are the months with the most elevated temperatures; therefore, that is the summer season.
Amazon Rainforest: In the Amazon Rainforest is rains almost every day. There are very tall trees that create a canopy, and the ground of the forest is covered in plants. The plants on the ground try to grow wide or tall to reach sunlight. The very tall trees can block much of the sunlight.
Which animal would most likely NOT survive in this habitat, and why?
A spider would not survive because it would be at risk of getting squished.
A rabbit would not survive because it would have nowhere to hide.
A hawk would not survive because there is nothing in a grassy area for it to hunt.
A parrot would not survive because it would be too loud and pretty.
Explanation
In this type of environment, it would be tough for a hawk to survive. Hawks hunt small mammals that they spot with their keen eyesight on the ground in grassy fields and open areas. They fly high above, looking for prey and swoop down on them. In a rainforest, it can be dark, and there is limited open space to hunt. It would be difficult for hawks to adapt and find food.
Explain how the cheetahs' variation in traits has given it a survival advantage above other animals.
The cheetah is very attractive so other animals like it.
The cheetah hunts animals that no other predators want to eat.
The cheetah can run very fast to catch its prey.
The cheetah has very sharp claws that help it dig tunnels for hiding.
Explanation
The cheetah is just one of many predators in Africa, hunting for food daily. The cheetah has a variation in its traits that makes it unique and well suited for the environment it lives in and the prey it hunts. The cheetah has developed over many years the ability to run incredibly fast. When hunting gazelles and other fast land animals, the cheetah has to be able to outrun and catch the prey. These high speeds have helped the cheetah survive while other predators have not done so well.
Panda: This bear is huge and can weigh up to 300 pounds. It has very thick black and white fur that keeps it warm when it is cold or chilly outside. It primarily eats bamboo but will also eat rodents, grass, and meat if needed. They drink their water from streams and rivers. They take shelter in hollow trees and the holes between rocks.
Sahara Desert: The Sahara Desert is made entirely of sand. It rarely rains and is very dry. There are only a few plants, and they have small leaves. The sand is scorching and moves every time it is touched; when the wind blows, the sand shifts in all directions.
Based on the information provided, how well would the panda survive in this habitat, and why?
The panda would survive very well because it is adapted and has the traits to live in the Sahara Desert.
The panda would not survive because it is not adapted and does not have the traits to live in the Sahara Desert.
The panda would survive less well in the desert than other places because it is not adapted and does not have the traits to live in the Sahara.
There is not enough information to decide if the panda could survive in the desert.
Explanation
In this habitat, the panda would not survive. The panda has thick fur to protect it against cold weather, and the desert is sweltering, so it would overheat quickly. It's black and white coat would offer no camouflage in the sand, and there is no water source for the panda to drink from. The food sources that pandas rely on are not available in the Sahara. The panda would not survive in this habitat because it is not adapted to live there.