Third Grade - Wetlands
In third grade we study wetlands and estuaries, the areas where fresh water meets salt water. We learn about watersheds and water movement and test water flow in mini-watersheds. With different samples of water, we learn about density and salinity, and how along with temperature differences, these properties create water layers and currents. We learn about different sediment types and test their properties. We learn about osmosis and how plants and animals meet the challenges of living in an area of changing salinity. We learn about food webs and investigate the special adaptations of crabs, worms and clams, and the many ways birds are adapted to feed in these rich environments. We learn the steps of the scientific method and make and test our own hypotheses of the workings of mudflats. We learn there’s a lot more there than mud!
