Mr. Nolde's Third Grade Page!!

Many of the activities linked on this page still use Flash.

At this point in time, my best suggestion is to use Chrome browser. When doing so, be sure to add the RUFFLE extension. You can download that extension by going to this site.

HTML5 activities are being posted here as more of them become available on the world wide web.

If a site uses flash, you will see this symbol next to the link:

If a site uses HTML5, you will see this symbol next to the link:

Click on any of the subject areas to quickly get to that section of the 3rd Grade Page.
Matter, Energy, & Forces	Rocks & Minerals
Simple Machines	Life Cycles, Adaptations, & Ecosystems

How much do I weigh on the Moon? -Go to the weighing station to find out! As you learned in class, gravity is the force that pulls things towards the center of the Earth. When we weigh something, we are actually measuring this force! Your bodyweight will be different, depending on what planet you're standing on!

Estimating Mass -In class, we did an activity in which we estimated the mass of various objects and then determined their actual mass using a balance and place value blocks. This activity gives you plenty of practice with estimating mass in Grams and Kilograms.

Chemical and Physical Changes Lab -See if you can correctly identify which changes are chemical changes and which changes are physical changes.

Chemical & Physical Changes Quiz - In class, we discovered what the differences were between a chemical change and a physical change. See if you can correctly identify which changes are chemical changes and which changes are physical changes in this quiz. See if you can get a perfect score of 20! Click the "Start Now" button to begin your adventure!

Solids & Liquids -When we learned about physical changes in class, we learned that all solid matter can change into a liquid if you give it enough energy in the form of heat. In this activity, test various kinds of matter by heating and cooling them. Find out which materials have a higher melting point and which materials cool quickly. Having trouble loading the activity? Click here!

Solids & Liquids Quiz Game -When you have finished the solids and liquids virtual lab, why not try your hand at a quiz game that goes with the activity!

Characteristics of Materials -This activity lets you experiment on a wide variety of different materials. When you are finished, you will discover which materials are flexible (Can they bend?), which materials are transparent (Can you see clearly through it?), which materials are waterproof, and which materials are strong. Having trouble loading the activity? Click here!

Characteristics of Materials Quiz Game -When you have finished the characteristics of materials virtual lab, why not try your hand at a quiz game that goes with the activity!

Reversible & Irreversible Changes -When we explored the differences between chemical and physical changes in class, we discovered that physical changes could easily be "reversed" or changed back to their original form. In this activity, you will perform various tasks of dissolving, heating, and filtering to discover which materials undergo reversible & which materials undergo irreversible changes.

Ship Floating Experiment - Did you know that a ship will float in water at different levels depending on how warm or cold the water is? Did you also know that a ship will float at different levels depending on how much salt there is in the water? Click on this activity to learn more about how temperature and salt content affects the density of water.

Floating & Sinking - What would happen if we dropped a ball into a jar of honey? How long do you think it would take for the ball to sink to the bottom of the jar? What if we dropped that same ball into different kinds of liquids? Would the ball sink to the bottom at the same speed? In this activity you get to experiment with 4 different kinds of liquids doing just that! Once you have collected your data, create a bar graph using that data.

Exploring Density - This activity allows you to compare how different items float or sink in different liquids. Be sure to use the drop-down menu to change liquids. Just click and drag the different items into the liquid container. Based on your experimentation, which liquid is the MOST dense in this activity?? Be sure to click "Launch Gizmo" to begin your adventure!

Types of Forces -This website doe a great job of summarizing the types of forces that act on objects.

Forces in Action -In this activity, see how far the truck travels when you increase or decrease the slope. You can also see how placing different sized parachutes and different sized weights on the back of the truck affects the motion of the truck as well. Having trouble loading the activity?

Exploring Friction -In this activity, see how far the sleigh travels on different surfaces using either a small push force or a large push force. Which surface did the sleigh travel the furthest? Why do you think so? Which surface did the sleigh travel the smallest distance? Why do you think so?

Forces & Motion -This website does a great job of exploring the concepts of net force, motion, friction, and acceleration.

The Energy Resource Game -Which energy resources are non-renewable? Which energy sources are inexhaustible? Play the energy resource game to find out! First, identify the resources, then click and drag the item to one of the 3 black holes. If you identify the resource correctly, it will disappear!

The Great Balloon Race -Why do hot air balloons rise? It all has to do with density!! The more packed together something is, the more dense it is. As we have discovered in science lab, when matter is less dense, it tends to float. When matter is more dense it tends to sink. But how does this work with a hot air balloon? Well, when the air inside a balloon is heated, the air molecules move around faster and spread out, becoming less dense. That's why a hot air balloon rises! To lower the hot air balloon once again, we allow the air in the balloon to cool down. See how good your air balloon flying skills are in this activity. See if you can beat my personal best score of 2:00 minutes for the "easy" race!

Line Rider -See if you can carefully design a sledding track that will allow our sledder to make a successful run down the track. Be sure not to make your slope too steep! Have fun and good luck!

Simple Machines Around the House -This is one of the best activities that I've ever seen on simple machines. Be sure to check out all four rooms in the house to learn about simple machines. Also, be sure to check out the tool shed to learn about compound machines.

Build a Rube Goldberg Machine! -Who is Rube Goldberg? He was a cartoon writer who had a cartoon called "The Inventions of Professor Lucifer Gorgonzola Butts." In his cartoon, the professor would build these really crazy and complicated machines that would do simple tasks. Using levers, pulleys, and ramps build your own Rube Goldberg machine. See if you can adjust these simple machines to drop the burger onto the tray to send it rolling.

Tinker Ball! -This activity is also like designing a Rube Goldberg machine. See if you can get the ball to drop into the cup.

Simple Machines in a Lawnmower -It always amazes me just how many simple machines are around us at all times. See if you can find all SIX simple machines in this lawnmower!

Name That Rock! -This activity is one that I built and designed myself. Play this game to learn about some of the most common rocks in the world.

The 15 Most Wanted Quiz Game! -This activity is one that I designed for my sixth graders. It will also help you learn to identify some of the most common rocks found throughout the world.

Mohs' Drill & Castle of Doom! -Learn about Mohs Mineral Hardness Scale while escaping the Castle of Doom! The walls are closing in on you. To escape, you must drill through the walls. See if you can find the right drill to blast through the wall.

Rock Cycle Interactive -Begin your adventure by collecting and learning about various rocks. All of the rocks that you collect are ones that we are learning about and will be on our lab practical! Also, be sure to click on the Rock Cycle Diagram. There are a lot of good animations to click on to help you better understand all of the processes that happen in the rock cycle.

Drag & Drop Rock Cycle Chart -This activity will help you review all of the basic processes that happen throughout the course of the rock cycle. See if you can correctly place each label into this rock cycle chart.

Layers of the Earth -This site does a great job of quickly explaining the three basic layers of the Earth.

Shape it Up! -In science lab, we explored how the Grand Canyon was formed by the powerful eroding force of water. This activity explores how wind, water, volcanoes, and glaciers have an impact on the shape of our land over time. Be sure to play this game more than once! Although you might get the same landform with the same erosional force, it might be showing you a different length of time!

The Water Cycle Explained (Video) -Click on the various parts of this interactive to learn more about all of the processes that are involved in the water cycle.

Water Cycle Diagram -Click on the various parts of this interactive diagram to learn more about all of the processes that are involved in the water cycle.

Water Cycle Game -This activity is a great way to learn about and remember all of the important parts of the water cycle.

Exploring Life Cyles -Click on the animals to play the different life cycle games. Be sure to play the movie to get an overview about the life cycles of animals.

The Secrets of Survival Challenge -Penguins live in rugged terrain and face some of the harshest weather on the planet. In this activity, discover how these birds have adapted themselves to such a harsh environment!

Worlds Within the Sea -See if you can follow the clues until you have connected all of the creatures in each of the three ocean ecosystems: The Deep Sea, The Coral Reef, and The Continental Shelf.

Habitats of the Rainforest -This game is similar to the one above, except that it explores three different ecosystems found in the rainforests of the Central African Republic: The Forest, The Bai, and The River. Click on each of the three boxes to begin your adventure.

Life in the City -You might not think that the city would be a habitat that would support a great diversity of life. This activity takes you to a city park and gives you a closer look at the surprising world around us!

Fun with Food Webs -See if you can put all of the plants and animals in the correct spots for three different types of food webs- meadow, arctic, & pond habitats.

Build a Fish -See if you can design a fish with the right adaptations to survive. Try different combinations and see which ones work together.

Food Chain Reaction -A lot of people don't realize just how much the survival of each plant and animal affects the balance of a food web. Play this game to learn more.

Recycle City -Click on different parts of the map to learn more about Recycle City. Then play the Dumptown Game to learn more about the ways in which we can recycle, reduce, & reuse waste.


To Third Grade!!