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Mississippi Grade 3 Science
Mississippi Grade 3 Science: explore science lessons, skill quizzes, practice tests, and standards references. Use evidence and answer explanations to guide review.
Focused lessons · Useful practice · Clear next steps
Standards source: Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards, Mississippi Department of Education.
Grade 3 Science: Learn, Practice, and Quiz
Read a short lesson, work through its example, and try a related science-area quiz. States organize these ideas differently; use your state standards to choose what matches your class.
Physical Science
Life Science
Earth & Space
Mississippi Science by Grade
Every Mississippi science center, grade 1 through grade 8.
Start With a Practice Test
Six full, timed grade 3 science practice tests, 25 questions each, instant scoring, and a written explanation for every question. Mississippi does not test science this year, so use these to find gaps early. Each one opens right here.
Mississippi Grade 3 Science Practice Test 1
A full diagnostic across every science area for this grade.
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Mississippi Grade 3 Science Practice Test 2
Fresh questions and new phenomena to build accuracy.
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Mississippi Grade 3 Science Practice Test 3
New problems that push reading of data, models, and evidence.
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Mississippi Grade 3 Science Practice Test 4
Another complete, timed exam to build pacing and stamina.
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Mississippi Grade 3 Science Practice Test 5
A brand-new mixed set to test how ready you are.
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Mississippi Grade 3 Science Practice Test 6
A final full-length simulation to confirm you are ready.
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Grade 3 Science Skill Quizzes
Pick one science area, answer 10 questions, and see exactly where the idea broke down. Each quiz opens right here.
Matter and Its Properties
A quick 10-question check on matter and its properties, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Forces and Motion
A quick 10-question check on forces and motion, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Energy
A quick 10-question check on energy, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Waves and Information
A quick 10-question check on waves and information, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Cells, Structures and Life Processes
A quick 10-question check on cells, structures and life processes, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Ecosystems and Heredity
A quick 10-question check on ecosystems and heredity, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Evolution, Fossils and Adaptation
A quick 10-question check on evolution, fossils and adaptation, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Earth and Space Systems
A quick 10-question check on earth and space systems, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Earth, Human Activity and Engineering
A quick 10-question check on earth, human activity and engineering, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Grade 3 Science Study Tools
A few minutes of review between practice tests. Both open right here.
Grade 3 Science Flashcards
All 145 terms this grade is expected to know. Search the deck, filter by science area, star the hard ones, and mark off what you have down.
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Grade 3 Science Quick Review
Every must-know idea for this grade on one page, grouped by science area, with the vocabulary for each one.
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Mississippi Grade 3 Science Snapshot
Mississippi Grade 3 Science Topics
This study reference lists 35 expectations for grade 3 from Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science, organized for study. Check the current state document for the official sequence, full wording, and any updates. Reference codes help you compare the listed expectations with the source. Confirm the current state edition and grade placement before using them as classroom requirements.
L.3 Life Science
- L.3.1.1L.3.1.2L.3.1.3L.3.2.1L.3.2.2L.3.2.3+7Organism Needs, Structures, and Life Cycles
P.3 Physical Science
- P.3.5.1Heating, Cooling, and Changes of State
- P.3.5.2Models Communicate Concept Matter Made Particles Too Small
- P.3.5.3Conduct Investigations Particles Speed Up Slow Down Addition
- P.3.6.1P.3.6.2Forces, Motion, and Interactions
- P.3.6.3Magnets, Electricity, and Circuits
- P.3.6.4Engineering Design and Solution Evaluation
E.3 Earth and Space Science
- E.3.7A.1E.3.7A.2E.3.7A.3E.3.7B.3E.3.7B.4E.3.9.2+1Earth Materials, Rocks, Fossils, and Landforms
- E.3.7B.1Scientific Information Technology Four Major Layers Earth Varying
- E.3.7B.2Models Characteristics Earth'S Continental Landforms Landforms Volcanoes Mountains
- E.3.9.1Models Communicate Characteristics Earth'S Major Systems Geosphere Hydrosphere
- E.3.9.3Water Cycle, Weather, Climate, and Atmosphere
- E.3.10.2E.3.10.3.aE.3.10.3.bNatural Resources and Human Impacts
- E.3.10.4Engineering Design and Solution Evaluation
Grouped and ordered from the state's own standards document.
Mississippi Grade 3 Science Standards
A science standards reference for grade 3, with codes and learning expectations from Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science. If your Mississippi classroom or report card mentions a code, you will find it here.
L.3 Life Science
- L.3.1.1Organism Needs, Structures, and Life CyclesExamine evidence to communicate information that the internal and external structures of animals (e.g., heart, stomach, bone, lung, brain, skin, ears, appendages) function to support survival, growth, and behavior
- L.3.1.2Organism Needs, Structures, and Life CyclesExamine evidence to communicate information that the internal and external structures of plant (e.g., thorns, leaves, stems, roots, or colored petals) function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction
- L.3.1.3Organism Needs, Structures, and Life CyclesObtain and communicate examples of physical features or behaviors of vertebrates and invertebrates and how these characteristics help them survive in particular environments, (e.g., animals hibernate, migrate, or estivate to stay alive when food is scarce or temperatures are not favorable)
- L.3.2.1Organism Needs, Structures, and Life CyclesIdentify traits and describe how traits are passed from parent organism(s) to offspring in plants and animals
- L.3.2.2Organism Needs, Structures, and Life CyclesDescribe and provide examples of plant and animal offspring from a single parent organism (e.g., bamboo, fern, or starfish) as being an exact replica with identical traits as the parent organism
- L.3.2.3Organism Needs, Structures, and Life CyclesDescribe and provide examples of offspring from two parent organisms as containing a combination of inherited traits from both parent organisms
- L.3.2.4Organism Needs, Structures, and Life CyclesObtain and communicate data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from both parent organisms and that variations of these traits exist in groups of similar organisms (e.g., flower colors in pea plants or fur color and pattern in animal offspring)
- L.3.2.5Organism Needs, Structures, and Life CyclesResearch to justify the concept that traits can be influenced by the environment (e.g., stunted growth in normally tall plants due to insufficient water, changes in an arctic fox's fur color due to light and/or temperature, or flamingo plumage)
- L.3.4.1Organism Needs, Structures, and Life CyclesObtain data from informational text to explain how changes in habitats (both those that occur naturally and those caused by organisms) can be beneficial or harmful to the organisms that live there
- L.3.4.2Organism Needs, Structures, and Life CyclesAsk questions to predict how natural or man-made changes in a habitat cause plants and animals to respond in different ways, including hibernating, migrating, responding to light, death, or extinction (e.g., sea turtles, the dodo bird, or nocturnal species)
- L.3.4.3Organism Needs, Structures, and Life CyclesAnalyze and interpret data to explain how variations in characteristics among organisms of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing (e.g., plants with larger thorns being less likely to be eaten by predators or animals with better camouflage colorations being more likely to survive and bear offspring)
- L.3.4.4Organism Needs, Structures, and Life CyclesDefine and improve a solution to a problem created by environmental changes and any resulting impacts on the types of density and distribution of plant and animal populations living in the environment (e.g., replanting sea oats in coastal areas or developing or preserving wildlife corridors and green belts). Use an engineering design process to define the problem, design, construct, evaluate, and improve the environment
- L.3.4.5Organism Needs, Structures, and Life CyclesConstruct scientific argument using evidence from fossils of plants and animals that lived long ago to infer the characteristics of early environments (e.g., marine fossils on dry land, tropical plant fossils in arctic areas, or fossils of extinct organisms in any environment)
P.3 Physical Science
- P.3.5.1Heating, Cooling, and Changes of StatePlan and conduct scientific investigations to determine how changes in heat (i.e., an increase or decrease) change matter from one state to another (e.g., melting, freezing, condensing, boiling, or evaporating)
- P.3.5.2Models Communicate Concept Matter Made Particles Too SmallDevelop and use models to communicate the concept that matter is made of particles too small to be seen that move freely around in space (e.g., inflation and shape of a balloon, wind blowing leaves, or dust suspended in the air)
- P.3.5.3Conduct Investigations Particles Speed Up Slow Down AdditionPlan and conduct investigations that particles speed up or slow down with addition or removal of heat
- P.3.6.1Forces, Motion, and InteractionsCompare and contrast the effects of different strengths and directions of forces on the motion of an object (e.g., gravity, polarity, attraction, repulsion, or strength)
- P.3.6.2Forces, Motion, and InteractionsPlan an experiment to investigate the relationship between a force applied to an object (e.g., friction, gravity) and resulting motion of the object
- P.3.6.3Magnets, Electricity, and CircuitsResearch and communicate information to explain how magnets are used in everyday life
- P.3.6.4Engineering Design and Solution EvaluationDefine and solve a simple design problem by applying scientific ideas about magnets (e.g., can opener, door latches, paperclip holders, finding studs in walls, magnetized paint). Use an engineering design process to define the problem, design, construct, evaluate, and improve the magnet
E.3 Earth and Space Science
- E.3.7A.1Earth Materials, Rocks, Fossils, and LandformsPlan and conduct controlled scientific investigations to identify the processes involved in forming the three major types of rock, and investigate common techniques used to identify them
- E.3.7A.2Earth Materials, Rocks, Fossils, and LandformsDevelop and use models to demonstrate the processes involved in the development of various rock formations, including superposition, and how those formations can fracture and move over time
- E.3.7A.3Earth Materials, Rocks, Fossils, and LandformsAsk questions to generate testable hypotheses regarding the formation and location of fossil types, including their presence in some sedimentary rock
- E.3.7B.1Scientific Information Technology Four Major Layers Earth VaryingObtain and evaluate scientific information (e.g. Using technology) to describe the four major layers of Earth and the varying compositions of each layer
- E.3.7B.2Models Characteristics Earth'S Continental Landforms Landforms Volcanoes MountainsDevelop and use models to describe the characteristics of Earth's continental landforms and classify landforms as volcanoes, mountains, valleys, canyons, planes, and islands
- E.3.7B.3Earth Materials, Rocks, Fossils, and LandformsDevelop and use models of weathering, erosion, and deposition processes which explain the appearance of various Earth features (e.g., the Grand Canyon, Arches National Park in Utah, Plymouth Bluff in Columbus, or Red Bluff in Marion County, Mississippi)
- E.3.7B.4Earth Materials, Rocks, Fossils, and LandformsCompare and contrast constructive (e.g., deposition, volcano) and destructive (e.g., weathering, erosion, earthquake) processes of the Earth
- E.3.9.1Models Communicate Characteristics Earth'S Major Systems Geosphere HydrosphereDevelop models to communicate the characteristics of the Earth's major systems, including the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere (e.g., digital models, illustrations, flip books, diagrams, charts, tables)
- E.3.9.2Earth Materials, Rocks, Fossils, and LandformsConstruct explanations of how different landforms and surface features result from the location and movement of water on Earth's surface (e.g., watersheds, drainage basins, deltas, or rivers)
- E.3.9.3Water Cycle, Weather, Climate, and AtmosphereUse graphical representations to communicate the distribution of freshwater and saltwater on Earth (e.g., oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers, groundwater, or polar ice caps)
- E.3.10.1Earth Materials, Rocks, Fossils, and LandformsIdentify some of Earth's resources that are used in everyday life such as water, wind, soil, forests, oil, natural gas, and minerals and classify as renewable or nonrenewable
- E.3.10.2Natural Resources and Human ImpactsObtain and communicate information to exemplify how humans attain, use, and protect renewable and nonrenewable Earth resources
- E.3.10.3.aNatural Resources and Human ImpactsHow resources are used for human needs and
- E.3.10.3.bNatural Resources and Human ImpactsHow the use of those resources impacts the environment
- E.3.10.4Engineering Design and Solution EvaluationDesign a process for cleaning a polluted environment (e.g., simulating an oil spill in the ocean or a flood in a city and creating a solution for containment and/or cleanup). Use an engineering design process to define the problem, design, construct, evaluate, and improve the environment
Source: Mississippi College and Career Readiness Standards. Always check the current official document before relying on a code for placement or reporting.
Mississippi Grade 3: Math and English Too
Science is one of three Mississippi grade 3 centers. Same format, same standards-first approach, for the other two subjects.
Mississippi Grade 3 Math
Six full practice tests, printable worksheets, step-by-step lessons, and every Mississippi grade 3 math standard.
Open the math center →Mississippi Grade 3 English
Reading, writing, and language standards for Mississippi grade 3, broken into short skill targets with practice for each one.
Open the English center →Mississippi Grade 3 Science FAQ
Does Mississippi test science in grade 3?
No. Mississippi gives MAAP Science in grades 5 and 8, so grade 3 students do not sit a state science test this year. Mississippi also gives a high school biology test. The standards on this page are still the ones grade 3 teachers teach, and they are what the next science test builds on.
Which standards does grade 3 science in Mississippi follow?
Mississippi follows the Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science, published by the Mississippi Department of Education. All 35 of this grade's standards are listed further down the page with their official codes.
How long are the practice tests?
Each of the six practice tests has 25 questions and a 45-minute timer. The timer auto-submits at zero and you get your score, a breakdown by science area, and a written explanation for every question.
Is any of this free?
Yes, every practice test, quiz, and flashcard set on this page is free and needs no login. Your progress is saved in your own browser and nowhere else.
What is the fastest way to use this page?
Take practice test 1 cold. Look at the topic breakdown, pick the weakest science area, and do that skill quiz. Then read the quick review for that area and come back for practice test 2.
Grade 3 Science in Other States
Standards, practice tests, and quizzes for grade 3 science in every state and Washington, D.C.
Start With One Practice Test
Grade 3 is a building year for science in Mississippi. Take a timed test, see which area is thinnest, and fix that one before it compounds.
Start a practice testA USEFUL NEXT STEP
Mississippi Grade 3 Science: study questions
How should I choose a Grade 3 science study target?
Start with the course or standards reference for this state. Explain one idea before doing its related practice, then use the feedback to decide what needs another example.
Are these activities official state assessments?
These are independently published learning resources. A practice score does not predict or replace an official state score. Use the directions in each activity and consult your school for official testing and accommodation rules.
Resources from Effortless Math · Editorial standards