Megan Reynolds

Megan Reynolds

I am a teacher & designer. Connecting with students & seeing them enjoy learning is my favorite feeling on earth! I hope you enjoy this article!

3rd Grade Science Choice Board Tutorial for Teachers

Build your own Science Choice Board for 3rd Grade in minutes! Keep kids engaged & learning using these tactics & templates
To use a choice board in your 3rd Grade Classroom during Science you will need to create the Sciencechoices (there are lots of examples), organize the classroom, and have a goal;

Time-saving, differentiation, and dynamic classroom management are my favorite reasons to use a choice board!

Integrating choices every day you will need to hone in on the best way to apply 3rd Grade Science choice boards to your classroom style!

Here are a few ideas and instructions on choices, classroom management and getting buy-in from your3rd Graders

Ideas & Examples of Great 3rd Grade Science Choices

Plant Life Cycle Journal
Draw & write about your plant growing! Start with seeds, show roots & sprouts, then leaves & flowers. Finally, seeds again! Watch it change every day.
Simple Machines Scavenger Hunt
Find & draw 6 cool tools: a slide (ramp), doorstop (wedge), jar lid (screw), seesaw (lever), wheelbarrow (wheel & axle), and scissors (fulcrum). Happy hunting!
Weather Diary: Track & Draw Skies
Each day, draw the sky in your Weather Diary, and write if it’s sunny, rainy, or cloudy. Use colors and draw things like the sun or clouds. Have fun watching the sky!
Rock Detective: Explore & Classify
Be a Rock Detective! Find 3 rocks. Look at their size, color, and shape. Are they smooth or rough? Draw them and guess if they’re igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic. Share with friends!
Solar System Storybook
Join Sunny the Star on a fun space adventure! Meet her planet pals, explore cool rings, and dance on moons. Draw your favorite part and share your space story!
Habitat Adventure: Create a Diorama
Make a mini 3D scene of an animal’s home using a box! Fill it with things like plants, water, and ground that match where your animal lives. Have fun crafting!
Recycle Hero: Craft from Scraps
Recycle Hero: Turn trash into treasure! Gather old boxes, bottles, and paper. Think of something cool, like a robot or car. Then cut, glue, and color to make it real!
Energy Hunt: Find & List Sources
Energy Hunt: Look around your home/school for things that give energy, like the sun, batteries, food, and plug-in devices. Write them down!
Magnet Magic: Test & Record Forces
Magnet Magic: See how magnets pull or push! Use a paperclip and a magnet. Move the magnet close, then away, and write what happens. It’s like an invisible force!

Using a Choice Board to Differentiate Science in a 3rd Grade Classroom

Keep It Simple

Everyone “teacher & student” should know exactly what they are doing. If you don’t make it even easier! 

Differential Instruction vs Saving time?

There is nothing more irritating than “Saving Time” with a Choice Board & ending up with “More work!”.  Are you using this to hit standards or save time or both? 

"Self Guided" or "instruction-based"?

If you giving out work, should they do it on their own or are these more instructions for each choice?

General rule, if the grade is > 3 there is more work per choice.

FREE Blank Fillable & Custom Choice Board

All ages, all grades where you need 9 grid choice board. Start loving learning again! 

How To Manage Your 3rd Grade Classroom During Science (With a Choice Board)

I find its easiest to use a big board at the front of the classroom where all students can see the choices  then decide what they want to do

This often will be coming in from a break or transition between subjects. 

If you can get all students to know whats expected during a choice activity it becomes one-hundred times easier to manage the class & have everyone know what choices they have!  

There are three core steps you have to hit when using a Choice Board; 

1) The Set Up
2) 
The Instruction 
3) The Q+A 

1) The Set Up

Select your choices, decide on how you are going to use this time in your classroom. Build the choice board

1) The Instruction

Tell the students what they are going to be doing (this becomes easier over time) Simply start with 3 options & move from there. 

1) The Q & A

Does anyone have questions? This will help you or the next time. Remember the goal is to make this easier each time! 

Why Use A Choice Board?

So, let’s chat about choiceboards and why they’re like the coolest thing ever in your classroom. 

Picture this: kiddos bouncing into the room, eyes lighting up because they get to pick their own adventure in learning new words.

 It’s like a mini vocab party, and everyone’s invited!

We all have our own jam, right? Some of us are little artists, others are born performers, and some love to get lost in stories. Choice boards are like a buffet of fun learning snacks, so every munchkin finds something tasty that helps the vocab stick!

And here’s the kicker – when the little ones get to steer the ship, they turn into these mini captains of learning. They’re making the calls, and with every choice, they puff up a bit more with confidence. It’s a win-win – they’re learning and feeling like the boss at the same time.

Plus, for us teachers, it’s like having a secret helper in the room. We get to sprinkle in all sorts of activities that match our students’ levels and what makes their hearts tick. It’s like custom-making a learning playlist that gets every kid grooving to the vocab beat. How cool is that?