Amplify Science (California) Grade 3
Grade 3Science17 chapters, 35 lessons
Amplify Science (California) Grade 3, published by Amplify, is a third-grade science curriculum that develops students' understanding of core life, physical, and earth science concepts through hands-on investigations and real-world phenomena. The program covers heredity and traits through the study of wolf packs and snail populations, explores how natural selection shapes survival over time, investigates magnetic forces and motion using maglev train design, and examines weather patterns and climate to understand animal habitats. Students also learn how engineers apply knowledge of organisms' traits to design solutions and how communities can prepare for natural hazards.
Chapters & Lessons
Chapter 1: Why does the train rise?
3 lessonsChapter 2: Why does the train rise without anything touching it?
2 lessonsChapter 3: Why does the train fall?
2 lessonsChapter 4: Why does the train float?
2 lessonsChapter 5: Why does the train change from floating to falling?
2 lessonsChapter 1: Why are wolves different from each other even though they are all the same species?
2 lessonsChapter 2: Why is Wolf 44’s color similar to one pack but different from the other?
2 lessonsChapter 3: Why isn’t Wolf 44 like the Bison Valley Pack in hunting style and size?
2 lessonsChapter 4: How can scientists investigate questions about traits?
2 lessonsChapter 1: Why are the snails with yellow shells not surviving well?
2 lessonsChapter 2: Why are the snails with banded shells more likely to survive than the snails with yellow shells?
2 lessonsChapter 3: Why were snails with yellow shells more likely to survive in their environment 10 years ago?
2 lessonsChapter 4: How can engineers use what they learn from organisms’ traits to design solutions?
2 lessonsChapter 1: Which island’s weather would be best for orangutans?
2 lessonsChapter 2: Which island’s weather will continue to be best for orangutans?
2 lessonsChapter 3: Over many years, which island’s weather will be best for orangutans?
2 lessonsChapter 4: How can the WPO prepare for natural hazards that might damage their offices?
2 lessonsFrequently Asked Questions
- Is Amplify Science California Grade 3 the right curriculum for my child?
- Amplify Science California Grade 3 is a phenomenon-driven, hands-on science program specifically designed to meet California NGSS standards. It is the adopted curriculum in many California districts, so if your child attends a California public school it may be exactly what they use in class. The program covers forces and magnetism through the maglev train question, animal traits and heredity through wolf packs and snail populations, and weather and habitat. It is inquiry-based, meaning your child learns science by investigating questions rather than memorizing facts.
- Which units in Amplify Science Grade 3 are the most challenging for students?
- The maglev train unit (Chapters 1–5 on force and magnetism) is typically the hardest because it asks students to reason about invisible forces — magnetic attraction and repulsion, gravity, and balanced versus unbalanced forces — before they have much prior science vocabulary. The heredity and traits unit on wolves and snails is conceptually rich too; students have to connect observable traits to the idea that both environment and inheritance shape what an organism looks like and how it behaves. Weather and climate patterns tend to be the most accessible unit.
- My child is confused about forces and magnetism — where should they start?
- Go back to Chapter 1, Session 1 (The Nature of Force) to make sure your child has a clear picture of what a force is before dealing with invisible forces. Then work through Chapter 2, Sessions 1 and 2 (Contact vs. Non-Contact Forces and Magnetic Properties) at a slow pace using magnets at home to explore attraction and repulsion firsthand. The key insight — that magnets can exert force without touching — is the conceptual leap that unlocks the rest of the maglev unit.
- What science does my child study after Amplify Science Grade 3?
- Amplify Science Grade 4 continues the California NGSS sequence, typically covering energy and waves, plant and animal structures for survival, Earth processes like weathering and fossils, and Earth-Sun-Moon systems. The investigation habits and science vocabulary your child builds in Grade 3 — especially around forces, traits, and weather data — carry directly into Grade 4. In California, the Amplify Science series is designed as a coherent K–8 program, so each grade builds on the prior year.
- How can Pengi help my child with Amplify Science California Grade 3?
- Pengi can help your child process the big questions from each unit — like why the maglev train rises or why wolf pups look different from each other — by asking guiding questions and explaining the underlying science at a 3rd-grade level. If your child needs to prepare for a unit assessment or explain a concept in their science notebook, Pengi can help them put their ideas into words. It is especially helpful for science vocabulary, turning words like magnetic force, balanced forces, and heredity into concepts your child actually understands.
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