Grade 3 · Science · Life science

3rd Grade Environment and Traits worksheets

6 printable versionsBuilding ConfidenceAbout 8 minutes eachFree · no account

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Environment and Traits

Grade 3 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the answer.

1.
Two bean plants grow from the same kind of seed in the same size pots. One gets more sunlight and grows taller. What caused the height difference?
- the size of the pots
- the kind of seed
- the amount of sunlight
2.
A plant watered every day stays firm. The same kind of plant with no water wilts. What caused the difference?
- the age of the plant
- the amount of water
- the kind of plant
3.
The same kind of hydrangea grows blue flowers in one soil and pink flowers in another soil. What changed the flower color?
- the plant's parents
- the soil
- the plant's age
4.
An arctic fox grows white fur in winter and brown fur in summer. What causes the color change?
- a new fox each season
- the fox's age
- the changing seasons
5.
The same kind of tree grows straight in a calm forest but short and bent on a windy coast. What caused the difference?
- the strong wind on the coast
- the trees' parents
- the age of the trees
6.
A child's skin gets darker after playing outside all summer. What caused the change?
- time in the sunlight
- a trait from a grandparent
- growing one year older
7.
Flamingos get their pink color from the shrimp and algae they eat. A flamingo eats food with no pink color in it. What happens to its feathers?
- they become paler
- they stay just as pink
- they turn blue
8.
A plant kept in a dark closet grows pale yellow leaves. The same kind of plant in a sunny room stays green. What caused the difference?
- the shape of its leaves
- the kind of pot
- the amount of light
9.
This radish grew in full sun. About how many centimeters across is it?
- 6
- 10
- 8
10.
A sunflower on a windowsill bends toward the window each day. What in its environment causes this?
- water in the soil
- warm air from a heater
- sunlight from the window

3rd Grade Environment and Traits worksheet 1 – printable PDF — Download PDF: 1 2 3 4 5 6

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.