McGraw-Hill Science 2005

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Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Science Grade 3
Grade 3
e-Journal

Competition

Step 1. Questions

Which animals could live on the school grounds? If there are trees, maybe squirrels, robins, or even an owl could build nests. If there is grass, maybe grasshoppers or butterflies could find food. If there is a pond, maybe fish or ducks could find a home.

Yet in all these cases, only a certain number of animals could live on the school grounds. The reason is competition. Every animal needs food, water, and a place to live. They compete for these things with other animals.

For this e-Journal, you will report on competition among living things.
Here are questions to guide your research:
  • In what ways can two animals compete? Give examples.
  • What body parts or behaviors help animals compete?
  • What are some endangered animal species? Are they struggling to compete in their environments? If so, why?
  • How do plants compete in an environment?
  • What questions do you have about competition among living things?
Are you ready? Begin by visiting the Web sites listed in Step 2. Look for the answers to the questions listed above, and write down what you learn in the note-taking boxes.

You may choose to use search engines to research plants and animals of your choice. Or visit the library and look in books, journals, or encyclopedias. When you are ready, follow Steps 3 and 4 to write your report.


Step 2. Research

Research answers for the questions you were asked in Step 1. Visit these Web sites. Take notes about them on this page, too!

Ranger Rick’s “Go Wild!”
Ranger Rick is a magazine for kids that’s all about wild animals and wild places. Click any of the interesting articles from the home page.
Take Notes:



MGBNet: Biomes of the World
A biome is a large region of Earth that has similar kinds of living things. On this Web page, click any biome to learn what it’s like there. This great Web site comes from the Missouri Botanical Gardens.
Take Notes:



Kids Corner: Endangered Species
Why do animal species become endangered? Often, the answer is that they cannot compete well in a changing environment. Visit this Web site to learn more about endangered species. The site comes to you from the Fish and Wildlife Service
Take Notes:



Additional Sites

E-Nature
Visit this Web site to learn more about predators and their prey. Follow any useful link on the home page.
Take Notes:



Go to Step 3 or Save My Notes


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