Curriculum by grade › 3rd Grade › Science

3rd Grade homeschool science curriculum

All 36 weeks of 3rd grade science, planned and ready, with the exact topic for every week below. Start with Week 1 free, no card needed.

Open the free Week 1 lesson See plans

How 3rd grade science works

Every lesson has an on-page lab or model, diagrams, and a quiz. Grades 6–8 add a full lab notebook: hypothesis, variables, three trials, averages, a chart, and a claim-evidence-reasoning write-up.

Time: about 25–40 minutes a day
Scores go straight to the gradebook and report card
Print any lesson as a worksheet with an answer key
Parent tools: hours log, weekly report, portfolio
Family plan: up to 4 students, each with their own records

The full 36-week scope & sequence

Topics and standards come straight from the live course. Standards codes are listed for reference; Life Academy is built to help meet homeschool requirements in all 50 states.

Quarter 1 (weeks 1–9)

Week	Topic	Standards
1	Forces: balanced and unbalanced	NGSS 3-PS2-1
2	Motion graphs (qualitative)	NGSS 3-PS2-2
3	Magnets and compass	NGSS 3-PS2-3, 3-PS2-4
4	Static electricity (safe)	NGSS 4-PS3-2 foundation, 3-5-ETS1-1
5	Circuits: bulb on/off	NGSS 2-ESS2-1 foundation, 4-ESS2-1 foundation, 3-5-ETS1
6	Conductors vs insulators	NGSS 3-5 Science and Engineering Practices
7	Plant adaptations	NGSS 3-PS2-1, 3-5-ETS1-3
8	Animal adaptations	NGSS 3-5 SEP
9	Fossils and environments	CCSS 3.MD.2

Quarter 2 (weeks 10–18)

Week	Topic	Standards
10	Earth materials	NGSS 3-LS1-1
11	Weathering	NGSS 3-LS2-1, 5-LS2-1 foundation
12	Scientific method steps	NGSS 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2
13	Variables in a test	NGSS 5-ESS1-1 foundation, 1-ESS1-1
14	Measurement and units	NGSS 3-5-ETS1-3, 3-PS2-1
15	Life cycles compared	NGSS 3-ESS2-1
16	Ecosystems intro	CCSS 3.MD.3
17	Inherited vs learned	NGSS 4-LS1-1 foundation
18	Midyear lab notebook	NGSS 5-PS3-1 foundation, 5-LS1-1 foundation

Quarter 3 (weeks 19–27)

Week	Topic	Standards
19	Water as a resource	NGSS 1-PS4-1, 4-PS4-1
20	Climate vs weather	NGSS 1-PS4-3, 4-PS4-2
21	Stars vs planets	NGSS 4-PS3-4, 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-3
22	The solar system scale	NGSS 4-ESS3-1, 5-ESS3-1
23	Engineering notebook	NGSS 3-5-ETS1-2, 3-5-ETS1-3
24	Change one variable	NGSS 3-LS4-3, 3-5 SEP Engaging in Argument from Evidence
25	Data tables
26	Bar graphs from data
27	Human body systems overview

Quarter 4 (weeks 28–36)

Week	Topic	Standards
28	Nutrition as chemistry of food
29	Sound waves (model)
30	Light and color
31	Engineering: alarm or switch
32	Reduce energy at home
33	Review: energy and matter
34	Design challenge with constraint
35	CER defense
36	Grade 3 science portfolio

Need a little extra help?

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Same grade: 3rd Grade math · 3rd Grade English · 3rd Grade history

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FAQ

Is this 3rd grade science curriculum free?

Week 1 is free with no card needed: open the Week 1 science lesson. Weeks 2–36 unlock with a Student plan ($35/month) or a Family plan for up to 4 students ($69/month).

How long is a 3rd grade science lesson?

Plan on about 25–40 minutes a day for science. There is one lesson per week of the school year, broken into short daily steps.

Is Life Academy accredited?

No. Life Academy is not accredited. It's built to help meet homeschool requirements in all 50 states, and parents are the school of record. Why that's usually fine.

Can I print it?

Yes. Every lesson prints as a worksheet with a separate parent answer key.

Life Academy is a parent-directed online K–12 curriculum, built to help meet homeschool requirements in all 50 states. It is not accredited, and parents issue the homeschool transcript. Nothing here is legal advice. Check your state's law at HSLDA. Questions? Email david.dukes77102@gmail.com.