What the Surroundings Change
A 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on using evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.
What the Surroundings Change is a free 55-minute Grade 3 science lesson plan for Common Core standard 3-LS3-2 — show with evidence that surroundings can change a trait. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 3
- Length:
- 55 minutes
- Standard:
- 3-LS3-2
Grade 3 · Life Science
3-LS3-2
Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.
Objective
Students will be able to use a controlled comparison to show the environment changed a trait.
Students are successful when they can
- Names what was kept the same.
- Names the one thing that differed.
- Attributes the difference to the environment.
What you need
- Sunflower data from a sunny and a shady bed, from one packet
- Two trays of seedlings set up under different light
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up
5 min- Show the two bed results: 148 cm sunny, 96 cm shady, same packet.
- Ask what could explain the difference.
Teach — rule out the seed
14 min- List what was the same: seed packet, soil, watering.
- List what differed: how much sunlight each bed got.
- Say what that lets you conclude: the sunlight changed the height.
- Ask what would happen if the seed had come from two packets. Nothing could be concluded.
- Take a wind-bent cliff tree and ask which explanation fits.
- Say the general rule: to blame the environment, everything else must be held the same.
“What else could explain it? Rule that out first.”
Investigate — set up a comparison
19 min- Groups set up two trays from the same seed with one condition different.
- They write down everything they are keeping the same.
- They predict the result and say what it would show.
- They agree a measurement and a date to take it.
Independent practice
14 min- Students complete the 'What the Surroundings Change' page.
- Check answers name what was controlled.
Close
3 min- Ask what result would make the class change its mind.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Concludes from two plants of unknown origin.
Why: They look similar.
Fix: Different seed could explain it. Same packet is what rules that out.
Thinks environment and inheritance are alternatives.
Why: One or the other must be it.
Fix: Height is inherited AND affected by light. Both.
Changes light and water together.
Why: Both matter.
Fix: Then neither can be blamed. One difference at a time.
If they are not there yet
- The comparison set up, with the conclusion to write.
- A checklist of things to keep the same.
If they finish early
- Design a comparison for a trait that is not height.
- Say what would show a trait is purely inherited.
- Explain why identical twins raised apart interest scientists.
Exit ticket
Sunflowers from one packet reached 148 cm in sun and 96 cm in shade. Why can the difference be blamed on the light?
What to look for: Everything else — seed, soil, watering — was kept the same, so light was the only difference. No controlled variables named means that step is missing.
Printable practice for 3-LS3-2
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- What the Surroundings ChangeCircle the best answer.
Questions about What the Surroundings Change
How long does the What the Surroundings Change lesson take?
55 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 14 min, investigate 19 min, independent practice 14 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does What the Surroundings Change teach?
3-LS3-2 — 3-LS3-2, Life Science for Grade 3: “Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.” In plain terms, show with evidence that surroundings can change a trait.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Sunflower data from a sunny and a shady bed, from one packet, two trays of seedlings set up under different light and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: concludes from two plants of unknown origin; thinks environment and inheritance are alternatives and changes light and water together. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Sunflowers from one packet reached 148 cm in sun and 96 cm in shade. Why can the difference be blamed on the light?.” Everything else — seed, soil, watering — was kept the same, so light was the only difference. No controlled variables named means that step is missing. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with What the Surroundings Change?
Yes — 1 printable 3-LS3-2 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is What the Surroundings Change free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 8 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Aligned to 3-LS3-2 of the Next Generation Science Standards.