Sunflowers in Sun and Shade is a free printable Grade 3 science worksheet on using measured heights as evidence that surroundings change a trait, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 3-LS3-2. It prints 7 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.
Heights measured after ten weeks, from one packet of seed sown in two places.
HEIGHTS AFTER TEN WEEKS
Sunny bed: 148 cm, 152 cm, 139 cm, 155 cm, 144 cm
Shady bed: 96 cm, 88 cm, 102 cm, 91 cm, 85 cm
All seeds came from the same packet.
All had the same soil and the same watering.
Every plant had yellow flowers and a thick stem.
1. What was the tallest plant in the sunny bed?
2. What was the shortest plant in the shady bed?
3. What would a third bed with even less light probably show?
4. What claim does this record support?
2.Why use seeds from the same packet when testing surroundings?
A.So any difference is caused by the surroundings, not different parents
B.So they look the same in photos
C.Because packets are cheaper
3.A seedling grown in a dark cupboard is pale and spindly. What caused that?
A.Growing without light
B.It came from a pale parent
C.It was too warm
4.Flamingos get their pink color from the food they eat. What does that show?
A.Their surroundings, through their food, affect a trait
B.All birds are pink
C.The color is only inherited
5.How could you test whether light affects the height of a plant?
A.Grow one plant and measure it once
B.Grow seeds from one packet, some in light and some in shade, with everything else the same
C.Grow different kinds of seed in the same place
6.Two cuttings from one geranium grow on a sunny windowsill and in a dark corner. Which will probably have greener, sturdier leaves?
A.The one in the dark corner
B.Both exactly the same, because they came from one plant
C.The one on the sunny windowsill
7.Identical twins grow up apart, and one does far more sport. One is much stronger. Inherited or surroundings?
A.Surroundings, because the twins started the same
B.Neither
C.Inherited, because they are twins
LessonPrint · 3-LS3-2 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Sunflowers in Sun and Shade
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. 155 cm. 2. 85 cm. 3. Plants shorter than the shady bed's, if less sunlight means less growth. 4. Seed from one packet grew to different heights, so the sunny and shady beds changed how tall the plants grew.
2.So any difference is caused by the surroundings, not different parents
3.Growing without light
4.Their surroundings, through their food, affect a trait
5.Grow seeds from one packet, some in light and some in shade, with everything else the same
6.The one on the sunny windowsill
7.Surroundings, because the twins started the same
Questions about Sunflowers in Sun and Shade
What does the Sunflowers in Sun and Shade worksheet cover?
It practices using measured heights as evidence that surroundings change a trait — 7 questions for Grade 3, all on NGSS 3-LS3-2: Show with evidence that surroundings can change a trait. The instruction to students is “Read the record, then answer the questions”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which NGSS performance expectation does Sunflowers in Sun and Shade practice?
3-LS3-2, under Life Science for Grade 3. The published performance expectation reads: “Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.” The worksheet assesses that performance expectation rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Sunflowers in Sun and Shade is written for Grade 3, typically ages 8-9. It is one of the sheets on 3-LS3-2, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Sunflowers in Sun and Shade come with an answer key?
Yes. All 7 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 Sunflowers in Sun and Shade 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 Sunflowers in Sun and Shade free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Sunflowers in Sun and Shade, 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-LS3-2
Show with evidence that surroundings can change a trait.