Grade 3 Science · Living Systems and Processes
Virginia SOL 3.4
Virginia SOL 3.4 is part of the Living Systems and Processes strand in Grade 3 Science (Science). Under this Standards of Learning objective, students investigate and understand how adaptations allow organisms to satisfy life needs and respond to the environment. Below is what 3.4 covers in plain language, the specific skills it is assessed on, the key concepts to review, and how to practice 3.4 for the Virginia SOL test.
What SOL 3.4 means
Investigate and understand how adaptations allow organisms to satisfy life needs and respond to the environment.
Practice Grade 3 Science SOL questions
Free Grade 3 Science questions from official Virginia Department of Education released SOL tests — good practice while you work on 3.4 and the rest of the course. Pick an answer to check it instantly, or open “Show answer” to review.
1. Martina only washes her sweater after she has worn it several times. Martina is helping the environment by —
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Answer: D — conserving water
2. When the Earth is seen from outer space, it looks mainly blue. This is because most of the Earth is covered with —
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Answer: C — oceans
3. Magnets will stick to refrigerator doors because the doors are —
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Answer: G — made of metal
4. Which of these would probably cause a forest habitat to become a desert?
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Answer: A — No rain
Skills you’ll practice for 3.4
- Investigate how adaptations allow organisms to satisfy life needs and respond to the environment.
- Recognize that populations may adapt over time.
- Recognize that adaptations may be behavioral or physical.
- Recognize that fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long ago as well as the nature of their environments.
Key concepts covered by 3.4
- adaptations
- life needs
- environmental response
- organism survival
- population adaptation
- evolution
- natural selection
- behavioral adaptation
- physical adaptation
- camouflage
- migration
- fossils
- paleontology
- historical evidence
- environmental reconstruction
How to study and practice SOL 3.4
Start with a quick diagnostic to see whether 3.4 is already solid, then work each skill above with guided notes, flashcards, and SOL-style practice questions. For official released items, see our Virginia SOL practice tests guide and how to study for the SOL test.
Related Grade 3 Science standards in Living Systems and Processes
- 3.5 — Investigate and understand how aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems support a diversity of organisms.
Frequently asked questions about SOL 3.4
What is Virginia SOL 3.4?
SOL 3.4 is a Grade 3 Science Standard of Learning in the Living Systems and Processes strand. It expects students to investigate and understand how adaptations allow organisms to satisfy life needs and respond to the environment.
What skills does SOL 3.4 cover?
SOL 3.4 is assessed on 4 skills: investigate how adaptations allow organisms to satisfy life needs and respond to the environment; recognize that populations may adapt over time; recognize that adaptations may be behavioral or physical; recognize that fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long ago as well as the nature of their environments.
What strand of Grade 3 Science is SOL 3.4 in?
SOL 3.4 belongs to the Living Systems and Processes reporting strand of the Grade 3 Science Virginia Standards of Learning.
How do I study and practice for SOL 3.4?
Start with a diagnostic to see whether 3.4 is already solid, then work the 4 skills above with guided notes, flashcards, and SOL-style practice questions. For official released items, see the Virginia SOL practice tests guide.