3rd Grade Science B1

African Elephants on the Savanna

African elephants live in family groups on the savanna. These groups are usually made up of females and their young, led by a matriarch. Living in groups helps elephants survive in different ways. Elephants:

• Travel together to find food and water

• Take turns watching for predators like lions

• Protect baby elephants by surrounding them

• Communicate with rumbles and trumpets

A student says that African elephants benefit from living in groups. Which sentence best supports this claim?

• The elephants can walk in a line.

• The elephants enjoy playing in water.

• The elephants warn each other of danger.

• The elephants can eat more grass in less time.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-4

The life cycle of African elephants is similar to the life cycle of humans. Both grow, change, and reach adulthood. Which sentence best describes how humans and elephants are alike based on their life cycles?

• Both are born small and grow larger over time.

• Both hatch from eggs before learning to walk.

• Both change their appearance completely as adults.

• Both are born knowing how to find food alone.

Tags

NGSS.1-LS3-1

Over time, fewer elephants have been hunted or harmed by humans, leading to a lower death rate.

Part A: Which of these is most likely to happen first because fewer elephants are dying?

• The number of elephants will shrink because food will run out.

• The elephant population will grow because more survive to adulthood.

• The population will stay the same because birth rates won’t change.

• The number of elephants will drop until another species takes over.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Part B: Which is most likely to happen next if the elephant population keeps growing?

• The elephants will move to colder places.

• The population will decline due to lack of space and food.

• More water will appear naturally in the savanna.

• The population will continue growing forever.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Sometimes a young elephant is forced to leave the group. What is one likely effect of an elephant living alone? Use evidence to support your answer.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

A student is comparing two plants to see which would grow best in a hot, dry desert. The student researches two plants and finds the information shown in the table. Which plant is most likely to grow well in a desert, and why?

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS1-5