Third Grade Science:   Plant Unit Web Resources Try This ! Recommended Reading Videos Third Grade Science Home Page

Web Resources

The Great Plant Escape This fantastic website from the University of Illinois is a great introduction to plant science and is a lot of fun, too. Students help Bud, Sprout, and Detective Leplant solve the mysteries of plant life in several cases. Students explore the different parts of plants, discover what each part does, and much more. The site also includes a glossary and links to other sites of interest to budding botanists.

Plants This site gives a good simple overview of plant parts and their functions.

Grow a Plant This short animation shows what a seed needs to sprout and how it grows into a plant.

Trees are Terrific A great multimedia presentation from the University of Illinois highlighting basic information about trees. Trees are very special members of the plant kingdom and very necessary for the survival of the earth. Be sure to check out this fun site for a great overview of trees and their many uses.

Exploring the Secret Life of Trees Another must visit multimedia presentation from the University of Illinois that discusses key characteristics of trees. Don't miss it!

Eco Kids Play and Learn Forests This great website is loaded with information about some very special members of the plant kingdom -- trees. The earth and its human population could not survive without trees. Learn all about them and how we can preserve them from this wonderful resource.

Real Trees for Kids This site provides information and resources about coniferous trees for kids of all ages.

Dragonfly Tree Links Four websites with unusual information about trees developed by Miami University's Dragonfly Project.

What Tree is That? Using an interesting multimedia format, this website from the National Arbor Day Foundation that takes students through the observation process necessary to identify different trees. The site also includes a glossary of common tree terms.

Cork Trees This website published by the Cork Quality Council features one of the most fascinating natural products derived from trees. Cork trees like those pictured to the right are grown on huge plantations in Portugal and Spain and harvested every 9 to 12 years for their cork.

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Try This !

Treevial Pursuit A interactive game for one or two players which tests a student's knowledge of trees in literature, tree products, biology and history.

The Celery Stalks at Midnight A fun and simple experiment that demonstrates capillary action in plants using easy to find household articles. Be sure to try this amazing experiment and give a report of your findings to Mrs. Ramsey.

Estimate the Height of a Tree This activity shows students how they can easily estimate the height of a tree using ratios. Third grade students may need to use a calculator to help solve the ratio problem. Try this activity using different units of measure.

Plant Parts Salad Plants are producers. They provide oxygen and food to animals and people. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute provides this short interactive game that shows students that many plant parts may be used for food.

Kids Gardening Anything and everything you ever wanted to know about gardening with kids. This site features great information and hundreds of fun and educational activities for children and adults to do together.

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Recommended Reading

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert Accelerated Reader Book Level:   2.0 A father and child grow vegetables and then make them into a soup.

Flower Garden by Eve Bunting Accelerated Reader Book Level:   2.2 Helped by her father, a young girl prepares a flower garden as a birthday surprise for her mother.

How a Seed Grows by Helene Jordan Accelerated Reader Book Level:   2.6

Uses observations of bean seeds planted in eggshells to demonstrate the growth of seeds into plants.

Red Leaf Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert Accelerated Reader Book Level:   2.6 A child describes the growth of a maple tree from seed to sapling.

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle Accelerated Reader Book Level:   2.7 A simple description of a flowering plant's life cycle through the seasons.

Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levinson Accelerated Reader Book Level:   3.0 Rhyming text and photographs follow a pumpkin patch as it grows and changes, from seeds to plants to pumpkins ready to harvest, to jack-o-lanterns and then to seeds again.

Be a Friend to Trees by Patricia Lauber Accelerated Reader Book Level:   3.3

Discusses the importance of trees as sources of food, oxygen, and other essential things.

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons Accelerated Reader Book Level:   3.4

Explores the intricate relationship between seeds and the plants which they produce.

The Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller Accelerated Reader Book Level:   3.4 Brief text and lavish illustrations explain plant reproduction and the purpose of a flower and present some plants which don't seem to be flowers but are.

The Magic School Bus Gets Planted: A Book about Photosynthesis Written by Lenore Notkin Created by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen Accelerated Reader Book Level:   3.7

Explains the process of photosynthesis in a very entertaining way.

Tell Me Tree: All About Trees for Kids by Gail Gibbons Accelerated Reader Book Level:   4.0 An introduction to the vast variety of trees found on the earth.

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Videos

The Magic School Bus Gets Planted Video Climb aboard the Magic School Bus and learn about plants with Ms. Frizzle, Arnold, Phoebe and the gang.

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