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3rd Grade Environment and Traits worksheets

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Environment and Traits

Grade 3 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the answer.

  1. Seedlings crowded in a small pot grow more slowly than the same seedlings given more space. What most likely slowed their growth?

    • seeds planted too close to the top
    • too much sunlight on the leaves
    • too little space for their roots
    • slower growth inherited from parents
  2. Fish of the same kind grow smaller in a crowded pond than in a pond with more space and food. What most likely caused the smaller size?

    • hatching later in the year
    • parents that were small fish
    • less food and space for each fish
    • colder water in the big pond
  3. Two tomato plants grow from the same kind of seed with the same sun and water. Only one gets fertilizer, and it grows bigger. What caused the size difference?

    • the fertilizer added to the soil
    • the small plant getting more shade
    • the plants being different ages
    • seeds from different parent plants
  4. A plant in a hot, sunny spot needs water more often than the same kind of plant in a cool, shady spot. Why?

    • the shady plant has bigger roots from birth
    • the shady plant is a different kind
    • the sunny plant inherited a need for more water
    • heat and sunlight dry the soil faster
  5. Sunflowers planted close together grow taller and thinner than the same kind planted far apart. All get the same water. What caused the difference?

    • getting less water than the others
    • inheriting a thin shape
    • competing with neighbors for sunlight
    • being a different variety
  6. A tree's rings are wide in wet years and narrow in dry years. What does a narrow ring tell you about that year?

    • the tree was very young
    • the year was dry
    • the tree grew faster that year
    • the year was very wet
  7. Two calves from the same herd grow to different sizes. One grazes in a large pasture with plenty of grass. The other stays in a small pen with less food. What caused the size difference?

    • the color of each calf's coat
    • the breed of each calf's parents
    • being born in different years
    • the amount of food and space
  8. Plant A got 1 hour of sun a day, plant B got 3 hours, and plant C got 6 hours. Use the graph. How much taller is plant C than plant A?

    • 6 cm
    • 3 cm
    • 12 cm
    • 9 cm
  9. Puppies in a litter have the same fur pattern, but one is heavier because it eats more. Which trait was most affected by the environment?

    • the puppy's weight
    • the puppy's fur pattern
    • the puppy's ear shape
    • the puppy's eye color
  10. Two kittens from one litter have the same eye color. One is calm around people because it was handled gently every day. Which trait was shaped by its environment?

    • its fur pattern
    • its eye color
    • its whisker length
    • how calm it is around people
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3rd Grade Environment and Traits worksheet 1 – printable PDF
Download PDF: 123456

About this worksheet

Environment and traits helps third graders connect observations with scientific explanations instead of memorizing isolated facts. Students may say every difference is inherited, or forget that a fair test changes only one condition. This worksheet uses short evidence-based situations so students must read the setup, identify the pattern, and choose the answer that fits the science idea named in the title. Students find the condition that caused a difference, read plant and animal growth graphs, and plan fair tests that change one thing.

Support versions use familiar examples and direct wording. Standard and challenge versions add closer distractors and require more comparison. Encourage your child to point to the evidence in the prompt before choosing an answer. If the answer does not explain the observation or solve the stated problem, it is probably a distractor. That habit builds careful science reasoning and prepares students for longer investigations.

What your child will learn

  • Find the condition that caused a difference
  • Read growth data from graphs
  • Plan a fair test
  • Tell inherited traits from environment effects

NGSS standard: 3-LS3-2

Worked example

Two bean plants from the same kind of seed get the same water, but one sits in sun and one in shade. The sunny plant grows taller, so sunlight affected its height.

Common mistake

Changing two conditions at once and then naming one as the cause.

Helpful hint

Look for the one condition that was different.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with environment and traits?

Changing two conditions at once and then naming one as the cause.

How can I help my child with environment and traits?

Look for the one condition that was different.

Are these 3rd grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

Similar: Plant Life Cycles · Animal Life Cycles

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