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 4 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
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: Kelp on rocks in shallow sunlit water, Coral in an icy polar sea, Kelp in cloudy water where little light reaches
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: Coral on a warm, clear, shallow reef, A goldfish in salty sea water, A cod in sea water warmer than it likes
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: An anglerfish in the deep dark sea, Coral in cloudy water near a muddy river mouth, A starfish left on a hot dry beach
Survives well hereSurvives less well hereCannot survive here
LessonPrint · 3-LS4-3 · Set 4 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Shallows, Open Sea, Deep Dark
Set 4. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. Coral in an icy polar sea — 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
2.1. A cod in sea water warmer than it likes — Survives less well here 2. A goldfish in salty sea water — Cannot survive here 3. Coral on a warm, clear, shallow reef — 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. Coral in cloudy water near a muddy river mouth — Survives less well here
Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 3-LS4-3 of the Next Generation Science Standards.