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3rd grade · Science · Unit 7 of 8

Surviving in a Habitat

Groups, traits and habitats that help animals survive.

What your child practices

Practices why some animals live in groups, how small differences in traits can help some individuals survive, and why some organisms do well in a habitat while others cannot survive there.

Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 3.L2U1.8 · how organisms depend on each other

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Some animals live in groups to survive: bees in a colony, fish in schools.
  2. Groups help find food, share jobs and stay safe from predators.
  3. Small trait differences help some animals survive better in a habitat.

Example: Why do fish swim in schools? Many fish together confuse a predator. Answer: it is harder for predators to catch one

Surviving in a Habitat in Arizona

In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 7 of 8 in 3rd grade Science, after Energy from the Sun and before Matter Moves in Ecosystems.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Arizona Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    A cactus would NOT survive well in…

    • a dry hillside
    • a sandy place
    • a desert
    • a swamp

  2. Question 2

    Which trait helps a bird crack hard seeds?

    • A thin, long beak
    • A thick, strong beak
    • Webbed feet
    • Bright feathers

  3. Question 3

    A rabbit with faster legs can…

    • dig deeper only
    • see in the dark
    • eat less
    • escape predators better

  4. Question 4

    Which habitat suits a salmon?

    • A cold river and the ocean
    • A treetop
    • A dry field
    • A hot desert

  5. Question 5

    A moth with coloring that matches tree bark is more likely to…

    • fly away forever
    • be eaten
    • survive
    • turn into a bird

  6. Question 6

    Meerkats take turns standing guard. This helps the group…

    • grow taller
    • sleep all day
    • spot danger early
    • find water only

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