Shallows, Open Sea, Deep Dark is a free printable Grade 3 science worksheet on arguing which ocean habitats suit a sea organism and which do not, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 3-LS4-3. It prints 3 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
Sort each one into how well it would survive there.
1.Sort each one: Survives well here or Survives less well here or Cannot survive here?
Sort: A crab in a rock pool, Coral in an icy polar sea, A cod in sea water warmer than it likes
Survives well hereSurvives less well hereCannot survive here
2.Sort each one: Survives well here or Survives less well here or Cannot survive here?
Sort: A clownfish on a reef with no anemones to hide in, A goldfish in salty sea water, Kelp on rocks in shallow sunlit water
Survives well hereSurvives less well hereCannot survive here
3.Sort each one: Survives well here or Survives less well here or Cannot survive here?
Sort: A starfish left on a hot dry beach, Kelp in cloudy water where little light reaches, An anglerfish in the deep dark sea
Survives well hereSurvives less well hereCannot survive here
LessonPrint · 3-LS4-3 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Shallows, Open Sea, Deep Dark
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. A cod in sea water warmer than it likes — Survives less well here 2. A crab in a rock pool — Survives well here 3. Coral in an icy polar sea — Cannot survive here
2.1. A clownfish on a reef with no anemones to hide in — Survives less well here 2. A goldfish in salty sea water — Cannot survive here 3. Kelp on rocks in shallow sunlit water — Survives well here
3.1. A starfish left on a hot dry beach — Cannot survive here 2. An anglerfish in the deep dark sea — Survives well here 3. Kelp in cloudy water where little light reaches — Survives less well here
Questions about Shallows, Open Sea, Deep Dark
What does the Shallows, Open Sea, Deep Dark worksheet cover?
It practices arguing which ocean habitats suit a sea organism and which do not — 3 questions for Grade 3, all on NGSS 3-LS4-3: Argue that a habitat suits some living things, suits others less, and suits some not at all. The instruction to students is “Sort each one into how well it would survive there”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which NGSS performance expectation does Shallows, Open Sea, Deep Dark practice?
3-LS4-3, under Life Science for Grade 3. The published performance expectation reads: “Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.” The worksheet assesses that performance expectation rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Shallows, Open Sea, Deep Dark is written for Grade 3, typically ages 8-9. It is one of the sheets on 3-LS4-3, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Shallows, Open Sea, Deep Dark come with an answer key?
Yes. All 3 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Shallows, Open Sea, Deep Dark can I print?
25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Shallows, Open Sea, Deep Dark free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Shallows, Open Sea, Deep Dark, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
More practice for 3-LS4-3
Argue that a habitat suits some living things, suits others less, and suits some not at all.