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

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

Sunflowers in Sun and Shade

3-LS3-2

NameDate

Read the record, then answer the questions.

1.Read the record, then answer the questions.

Sunflowers From One Packet

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. 1. What claim does this record support?
  2. 2. Why did plants from one packet end up different heights?
  3. 3. What was kept the same between the two beds?
  4. 4. What was the tallest plant in the sunny bed?
2.A tree on a windy hilltop is short and bent. A tree of the same kind in a valley is tall and straight. What explains it?
  • A.The hilltop tree is older
  • B.The two trees are different kinds
  • C.The wind on the hilltop affected how it grew
3.Why use seeds from the same packet when testing surroundings?
  • A.Because packets are cheaper
  • B.So they look the same in photos
  • C.So any difference is caused by the surroundings, not different parents
4.Hydrangea bushes of one kind have blue flowers in some soils and pink in others. What causes the difference?
  • A.The bushes are different kinds
  • B.The gardener's favorite color
  • C.The soil they grow in
5.A seedling grown in a dark cupboard is pale and spindly. What caused that?
  • A.It came from a pale parent
  • B.It was too warm
  • C.Growing without light
6.A dog is given too much food and little exercise. What may happen?
  • A.Its puppies will be overweight
  • B.It grows a longer tail
  • C.It becomes overweight
7.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

LessonPrint · 3-LS3-2 · Set 14 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Sunflowers in Sun and Shade

Set 14. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Seed from one packet grew to different heights, so the sunny and shady beds changed how tall the plants grew. 2. The plants in the shady bed had less sunlight, which affected their growth. 3. The same seed packet, the same soil and the same watering. 4. 155 cm.
  2. 2.The wind on the hilltop affected how it grew
  3. 3.So any difference is caused by the surroundings, not different parents
  4. 4.The soil they grow in
  5. 5.Growing without light
  6. 6.It becomes overweight
  7. 7.Their surroundings, through their food, affect a trait

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 3-LS3-2 of the Next Generation Science Standards.