The most exciting thing we have recently been doing in 3rd Grade is observing and experimenting in Science. Through inquiry and trial and error, students learn so much more than reading a book or watching a PowerPoint.
The unit we are currently in has to do with plants and how they grow. Each student made a hypothesis about whether or not a seed would be able to grow without water. Our independent variable was sunlight (stays the same) and the dependent variable was water (changes). Could lima beans placed in the same area of the classroom grow with water and without water? We observed that the seeds in water germinate, and the seeds without water stayed the same without shriveling.
There also is an amaryllis plant in our classroom that we watched grow from a dry bulb into a foot tall, beautiful 4 budded flower. Our most recent experiment had to do with fruits and their seeds. We discovered that all fruits have seeds, and even tomatoes are considered fruits in scientists’ eyes due to this fact. Another fun fact about fruit is that when you pick it, it ripens unlike a vegetable that goes bad. That’s why the Bible always mentions fruits of the Holy Spirit instead of vegetables of the Holy Spirit. The third graders compared and contrasted the fruits. They found that different fruits have seeds varying in size, and outer coverings that are rough or smooth. We also discussed how having animals eat fruit helps spread the seeds to be planted elsewhere, creating new plants and fruit. It’s been a fruitful venture.