Virginia SOL 3.5.a

Science3rd GradeLiving Systems and Processes

The Standard

ecosystems are made of living and nonliving components of the environment

Virginia Standards of Learning for Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify organisms and physical features in a habitat. They sort examples such as frogs, plants, water, rocks, soil, and sunlight into the correct group.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can examine an ecosystem picture and accurately name examples from both groups. The student can explain that plants and animals are organisms, while water, air, and sunlight are not.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think plants are not alive because they do not move from place to place. They may also classify water, fire, or clouds as alive because they move or change.
How to Assess It: Show a pond picture and ask students to list two organisms and two nonliving features, then explain how they sorted each item.

Lesson moves

Give pairs a tray of nature items and picture cards to sort into organisms and nonliving features, then check each choice together.
Ask students to write: Is a tree alive even when it is not moving? Use two observations as evidence.
Play ecosystem card sort relay, with teams placing frogs, grass, rocks, water, soil, and sunlight under the correct labels.
Walk around the schoolyard and record organisms and nonliving features on a two-column observation sheet.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 3.5.a, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

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