Skip to content
LessonPrint

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 17 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

Next set

One paper per student

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425

Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Shallows, Open Sea, Deep Dark

3-LS4-3

NameDate

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: An anglerfish in the deep dark sea, Coral in an icy polar sea, A clownfish on a reef with no anemones to hide in

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: Kelp on rocks in shallow sunlit water, Kelp in cloudy water where little light reaches, A starfish left on a hot dry beach

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 crab in a rock pool, A cod in sea water warmer than it likes, A goldfish in salty sea water

Survives well hereSurvives less well hereCannot survive here

LessonPrint · 3-LS4-3 · Set 17 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Shallows, Open Sea, Deep Dark

Set 17. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. A clownfish on a reef with no anemones to hide in — Survives less well here 2. An anglerfish in the deep dark sea — Survives well here 3. Coral in an icy polar sea — Cannot survive here
  2. 2.1. A starfish left on a hot dry beach — Cannot survive here 2. Kelp in cloudy water where little light reaches — Survives less well here 3. Kelp on rocks in shallow sunlit water — Survives well here
  3. 3.1. A cod in sea water warmer than it likes — Survives less well here 2. A crab in a rock pool — Survives well here 3. A goldfish in salty sea water — Cannot survive here

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 3-LS4-3 of the Next Generation Science Standards.