Virginia SOL 3.1.b.i

Science3rd GradeScientific and Engineering Practices

The Standard

with guidance, plan and conduct investigations

Virginia Standards of Learning for Science · The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices by

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students turn a testable question into a simple investigation. With teacher guidance, they choose materials, decide what to change and measure, follow steps, record observations, and work safely.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can make a workable plan with clear steps and a way to collect results. During testing, the student follows the plan, keeps conditions fair, and records accurate observations.
Common Misconceptions: Students may change several conditions at once or skip repeated trials. They may write a prediction instead of a procedure, record only expected results, or confuse observations with explanations.
How to Assess It: Give pairs two paper towel brands, equal amounts of water, droppers, and cups. Ask them to plan and run a fair absorbency test, then submit their steps and results table.

Lesson moves

Give groups three paper towel types, droppers, and water; students plan a fair absorbency test, run it, and record drop counts.
Ask students how they could test whether sunlight affects ice melting, including steps, measurements, and conditions that must stay the same.
Play Investigation Fix-It: teams draw flawed procedure cards, identify each problem, and rewrite the procedure as a fair, repeatable test.
Have students test which classroom material best insulates an ice cube, then recommend a material for keeping a lunch cool.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 3.1.b.i, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

Keep exploring

Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.