NZ Curriculum · Year 3 Biology · Primary

Year 3 Biology Lesson Plan & Curriculum Map

The Living World (biology) unit from our Year 3 New Zealand Curriculum science lesson plan: living and non-living things, and life cycles. Week-by-week lessons for 1, 2, 3 or 4 lessons a week, showing when each pace covers this unit; a dash means that pace is on a different science unit that week. For the full year, see the Year 3 Science lesson plan.

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Year 3 Biology learning map

Choose a term, then compare a lighter weekly plan with a more intensive schedule.

1 day/week · steady pace2–3 days/week · guided practice
February · Living and non-living things, and life cycles

Year 3 Biology — February Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · Living World
Week1 Day/Week2 Day/Week3 Day/Week4 Day/Week
February 1st week
(Biology)
What Makes Something Living? 1. Criteria for something to be classified as living (grows, uses energy, reproduces, responds to environment)What Makes Something Living? 1. Criteria for something to be classified as living (grows, uses energy, reproduces, responds to environment) 2. Practice: testing a set of familiar objects against these criteriaWhat Makes Something Living? 1. Criteria for something to be classified as living (grows, uses energy, reproduces, responds to environment) 2. Practice: testing a set of familiar objects against these criteria 3. Discussing why classification criteria matter in real scienceWhat Makes Something Living? 1. Criteria for something to be classified as living (grows, uses energy, reproduces, responds to environment) 2. Practice: testing a set of familiar objects against these criteria 3. Discussing why classification criteria matter in real science Living, Non-Living & Once-Living Things 1. What a non-living thing is
February 2nd week
(Biology)
What Makes Something Living? 1. Practice: testing a set of familiar objects against these criteriaWhat Makes Something Living? 1. Discussing why classification criteria matter in real science Living, Non-Living & Once-Living Things 1. What a non-living thing isLiving, Non-Living & Once-Living Things 1. What a non-living thing is 2. What a once-living thing is (was alive, now isn't, e.g. a dead leaf, an old bone) 3. Practice: sorting a set of objects into living, non-living and once-livingLiving, Non-Living & Once-Living Things 1. What a once-living thing is (was alive, now isn't, e.g. a dead leaf, an old bone) 2. Practice: sorting a set of objects into living, non-living and once-living Comparing Characteristics of Living Things 1. Comparing shared characteristics across different living things 2. Practice: identifying similarities between 2 very different living things (e.g. a tree and a dog)
February 3rd week
(Biology)
What Makes Something Living? 1. Discussing why classification criteria matter in real scienceLiving, Non-Living & Once-Living Things 1. What a once-living thing is (was alive, now isn't, e.g. a dead leaf, an old bone) 2. Practice: sorting a set of objects into living, non-living and once-livingComparing Characteristics of Living Things 1. Comparing shared characteristics across different living things 2. Practice: identifying similarities between 2 very different living things (e.g. a tree and a dog) 3. Comparing living things from genuinely different groups (e.g. plant, animal, fungus)Comparing Characteristics of Living Things 1. Comparing living things from genuinely different groups (e.g. plant, animal, fungus) What Is a Life Cycle? 1. What a life cycle represents (the stages an organism goes through) 2. Practice: sequencing the stages of a simple life cycle Animal Life Cycles 1. Life cycle of an animal with metamorphosis (e.g. a butterfly or frog)
February 4th week
(Biology)
Living, Non-Living & Once-Living Things 1. What a non-living thing isComparing Characteristics of Living Things 1. Comparing shared characteristics across different living things 2. Practice: identifying similarities between 2 very different living things (e.g. a tree and a dog)What Is a Life Cycle? 1. What a life cycle represents (the stages an organism goes through) 2. Practice: sequencing the stages of a simple life cycle Animal Life Cycles 1. Life cycle of an animal with metamorphosis (e.g. a butterfly or frog)Animal Life Cycles 1. Life cycle of an animal without metamorphosis (e.g. a mammal) 2. Practice: constructing a diagram of a chosen animal's life cycle Plant Life Cycles 1. Life cycle of a flowering plant (seed, germination, growth, flowering, seed production) 2. Practice: constructing a diagram of a plant's life cycle
March · Living and non-living things, and life cycles

Year 3 Biology — March Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · Living World
Week1 Day/Week2 Day/Week3 Day/Week4 Day/Week
March 1st week
(Biology)
Living, Non-Living & Once-Living Things 1. What a once-living thing is (was alive, now isn't, e.g. a dead leaf, an old bone)Comparing Characteristics of Living Things 1. Comparing living things from genuinely different groups (e.g. plant, animal, fungus) What Is a Life Cycle? 1. What a life cycle represents (the stages an organism goes through)Animal Life Cycles 1. Life cycle of an animal without metamorphosis (e.g. a mammal) 2. Practice: constructing a diagram of a chosen animal's life cycle Plant Life Cycles 1. Life cycle of a flowering plant (seed, germination, growth, flowering, seed production)Comparing Life Cycles 1. Comparing the life cycle of a plant and an animal directly 2. Comparing 2 different animals' life cycles directly 3. Practice: identifying similarities and differences across 3 different life cycles Investigating Living & Non-Living Things 1. Developing an investigable question about living/non-living things or life cycles
March 2nd week
(Biology)
Living, Non-Living & Once-Living Things 1. Practice: sorting a set of objects into living, non-living and once-livingWhat Is a Life Cycle? 1. Practice: sequencing the stages of a simple life cycle Animal Life Cycles 1. Life cycle of an animal with metamorphosis (e.g. a butterfly or frog)Plant Life Cycles 1. Practice: constructing a diagram of a plant's life cycle Comparing Life Cycles 1. Comparing the life cycle of a plant and an animal directly 2. Comparing 2 different animals' life cycles directlyInvestigating Living & Non-Living Things 1. Planning the investigation using a provided scaffold, including fair-test elements and safety 2. Using familiar classroom instruments to make measurements/observations Analysing & Communicating Findings 1. Organising data using a provided scaffold (table, simple graph or model) 2. Identifying patterns and relationships
March 3rd week
(Biology)
Comparing Characteristics of Living Things 1. Comparing shared characteristics across different living thingsAnimal Life Cycles 1. Life cycle of an animal without metamorphosis (e.g. a mammal) 2. Practice: constructing a diagram of a chosen animal's life cycleComparing Life Cycles 1. Practice: identifying similarities and differences across 3 different life cycles Investigating Living & Non-Living Things 1. Developing an investigable question about living/non-living things or life cycles 2. Planning the investigation using a provided scaffold, including fair-test elements and safetyAnalysing & Communicating Findings 1. Comparing findings with others and drawing a conclusion Term 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Revision workshop — living, non-living and once-living things 2. Revision workshop — plant and animal life cycles 3. Term 1 assessment: living things and life cycles topic test
March 4th week
(Biology)
Comparing Characteristics of Living Things 1. Practice: identifying similarities between 2 very different living things (e.g. a tree and a dog)Plant Life Cycles 1. Life cycle of a flowering plant (seed, germination, growth, flowering, seed production) 2. Practice: constructing a diagram of a plant's life cycleInvestigating Living & Non-Living Things 1. Using familiar classroom instruments to make measurements/observations Analysing & Communicating Findings 1. Organising data using a provided scaffold (table, simple graph or model) 2. Identifying patterns and relationshipsTerm 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Feedback session
April · Living and non-living things, and life cycles

Year 3 Biology — April Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · Living World
Week1 Day/Week2 Day/Week3 Day/Week4 Day/Week
April 1st week
(Biology)
Comparing Characteristics of Living Things 1. Comparing living things from genuinely different groups (e.g. plant, animal, fungus)Comparing Life Cycles 1. Comparing the life cycle of a plant and an animal directly 2. Comparing 2 different animals' life cycles directlyAnalysing & Communicating Findings 1. Comparing findings with others and drawing a conclusion Term 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Revision workshop — living, non-living and once-living things 2. Revision workshop — plant and animal life cycles—
April 2nd week
(Biology)
What Is a Life Cycle? 1. What a life cycle represents (the stages an organism goes through)Comparing Life Cycles 1. Practice: identifying similarities and differences across 3 different life cycles Investigating Living & Non-Living Things 1. Developing an investigable question about living/non-living things or life cyclesTerm 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Term 1 assessment: living things and life cycles topic test 2. Feedback session—
The learning framework

Anatomy of a focused lesson

Each session moves from a clear focus to guided practice and a quick check for understanding.

10 minutes

Wonder and question

Start with an everyday question about the week’s topic that links to what your child already knows.

25 minutes

Explore and investigate

Explain the idea with pictures and simple models, then observe, test or record a small investigation together.

10 minutes

Check for mastery

Finish with a short quiz or explain-it-back task that shows what is secure and what to revisit.

Student learning toolkit

Resources for Year 3 Biology

Concept lessons

Clear, visual lessons on each New Zealand Curriculum biology topic.

Practice activities

Short questions and checks matched to each week’s focus.

Science inquiry

Investigation, observation and recording skills built into each unit.

Progress notes

A clear record of what your child has mastered and what comes next.

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