Virginia SOL 3.1.b.ii

Science3rd GradeScientific and Engineering Practices

The Standard

use appropriate methods and/or tools for collecting data

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 choose a tool that matches the property they need to observe or measure. They follow consistent steps, use suitable units, and record results in an organized table.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can select a ruler for length, a balance for mass, or a thermometer for temperature and explain the choice. The student measures carefully and records each result with units.
Common Misconceptions: Students may choose tools by appearance rather than by what the tool measures. They may omit units, change procedures between trials, or estimate when a measurement is needed.
How to Assess It: Give students a toy car and ask, “How could you collect data about how far it travels?” Have them name the tool, units, steps, and data table headings.

Lesson moves

Test three paper towel brands by measuring how many milliliters of water each absorbs, using equal-sized sheets and repeated trials.
Ask students to write which tool they would use to compare playground surface temperatures and explain why.
Play a matching game with investigation questions, tool cards, and unit cards, such as plant height, water temperature, and rock mass.
Track daily outdoor temperature for one school week, then use the data to recommend suitable clothing for each day.

Free download

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

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

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