5E Unit Plans for Third Grade BUNDLE

This is a BUNDLE of all the 5E Unit Plans for Third Grade. The 5E Instructional Model walks students through the five components of inquiry-based learning. Each unit includes multiple lessons for each of the 5Es and provides a structure for your science instruction.

See this blog post to find out more information about the 5E Instructional Model.

This 5E Unit Plan BUNDLE includes the following 5e Model units:

Balanced and Unbalanced Forces Unit (3-PS2-1)

The balanced and unbalanced forces 5E Model Unit, including the concepts of friction, gravity, and motion as they pertain to balanced and unbalanced forces. The unit includes three parts per 5E (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate) and more.

Patterns in Motion Unit (3-PS2-2)

The Patterns in Motion 5E Model Unit Plan focuses on patterns in motion, including the concepts of forces that affect patterns in motion. Throughout the unit students make observations and measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

Static Electricity Unit (3-PS2-3)

This Static Electricity 5E Model Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit using the 5E Model lesson plans. It focuses on investigating static electricity, learning about what affects static electricity, and diagramming the flow of electrons in static electricity. Throughout the unit, students identify, test and use the cause and effect relationship of static build-up and discharge to explain static electricity.

Magnetic Forces and Design Challenge (3-PS2-3 & 3PS2-4)

This Magnetic Forces 5E Model Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit using the 5E Model lesson plans. It focuses on investigating magnetism by learning about the relationship of magnetic interactions between two objects. Throughout the unit, students identify, test and use the cause and effect relationship of magnetic forces to explain how magnets work. This unit also includes a design challenge in which student apply the scientific ideas learned throughout the unit.

Life Cycles of Plants and Animals (3-LS-1-1)

This Life Cycle of Plants and Life Cycle of Animals 5E Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit using the 5E Model lesson plan. It focuses on investigating life cycles and developing models to describe the unique and diverse life cycle of organisms. The unit includes three parts for each of the 5E’s (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate) and more.

Animal Groups (3-LS-2.1)

This Animal Groups 5E Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit that focuses on investigating animal groups and the cause and effect relationships of predator and prey. Students explain why animals form groups for survival and investigate the social interaction and group behavior of animals. By the end of the unit, students understand that being part of a group helps animals obtain food, defend themselves, and cope with changes. Groups may serve different functions and vary dramatically in size. The unit includes three parts for each of the 5E’s (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate) and more.

Inheritance of Traits (3-LS-3.1)

This Inheritance of Traits 5E Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit that focuses on providing evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents. Variation of traits is also explored within groups of similar organisms. Students analyze the many characteristics of organisms and determine which are inherited from parents. Students also look at variations of traits and analyze how those traits look and function in different organisms. The unit includes three parts for each of the 5E’s (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate) and more.

Environment and Traits (3-LS-3.2)

This Environment and Traits 5E Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit that focuses investigating acquired and learned traits from the environment. Throughout the unit, students use evidence to explain how traits can be influenced by the environment, including diet and learning. Students explore the cause and effect relationship of environmental factors on animal and plant traits. The unit includes three parts for each of the 5E’s (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate) and more.

Ancient Life (3-LS-4.1)

This Ancient Life 5E Science Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit that focuses investigating fossils of plants and animals. Throughout the unit, students analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago. Students explore types of fossils, paleontologists, and fossil excavation. The unit includes three parts for each of the 5E’s (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate) and more.

Natural Selection (3-LS-4.2)

This Natural Selection 5E Science Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit that focuses using evidence to construct an explanation for how variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in survival. Throughout the unit, students use evidence to provide explanations about natural selection. Students different traits among species and investigate how those traits enable species to survive, find mates and reproduce. The unit includes three parts for each of the 5E’s (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate) and more.

Adaptations (3-LS-4.3)

This Adaptations 5E Science Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit where students learn how in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. Throughout the unit, students use evidence to construct an argument about adaptations. Students learn about how animals survive in an environment and adaptations they have that help them survive.

Changing Habitats (3-LS-4.4)

This Changing Habitats 5E Science Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit where students study how when an environment changes the types of plants and animals may change too. Throughout the unit, students look at biodiversity and human impact on habitats. They explore how populations live in a variety of habitats and how environmental changes affect the physical characteristics, temperature or availability of resources forcing organisms to either adapt, move or die.

Weather (3-ESS-2.1)

This Weather 5E Science Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit where students study how to represent data to describe typical weather conditions during a particular season. Throughout the unit, students look weather across different times and different areas so that they can make predictions about what kind of weather might happen next. They explore how scientists predict the weather using a variety of tools and how scientists keep track of weather patterns.

Climate (3-ESS-2.2)

This Climate 5E Science Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit where students obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world. Throughout the unit, students look at how to describe a range of an area’s typical weather conditions and the variations of those conditions. Students use the patterns to describe a region’s climate.

Extreme Weather (3-ESS-3.1)

This Extreme Weather 5E Science Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit where students learn how a variety of natural hazards result from natural processes. They also learn that humans cannot eliminate natural hazards, but can take steps to reduce their impacts Throughout the unit, students look at solutions to the problem of extreme weather hazards and engage in an engineering design challenge to protect a town against extreme weather.

5E Unit Plans Include

• Teacher Notes that provide an overview of the resource and explanation of the NGSS standards
• Common Misconceptions about the topic
• Teaching Timeline available with four different options, including a correlation with the Third Grade Science Stations
• Vocabulary Cards to reinforce the topic’s key terms throughout the unit. These are the same vocabulary cards available in the Third Grade Science Stations
• Big Idea Posters for the topic that illustrate the main concepts students will learn
• Exit Tickets in three formats: short answer, fill-in-the-blank, and multiple choice
• Google Drive and Powerpoint Teacher Presentation that supports the student resources
• Google Drive Student Resources for a paperless option

Free Upgrade to Google Classroom Digital Resources:

• Google Slides Teacher Presentation that supports the student resources
• Google Slides Student Resources for a paperless option
• Google Forms Exit Slides

What is the 5E Instructional Model?

The 5E Model is student-led, with the teacher acting mainly as the facilitator. Through open-ended questions, real-life experiences, guided investigations, and research, the students gain a deep understanding of the scientific topics that are covered in the lessons. Each stage of the model serves as a foundation to the next, creating a coherent model that frames lessons, activities, and units.