Science Report Card Comments, Grades 3-5
Science covers asking questions, observing carefully, planning simple investigations and fair tests, recording results in a science notebook, explaining ideas with evidence and science words, key life, earth and physical science ideas, and designing and testing solutions.
Below are 13 sample sentences for Grades 3-5: two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Exceeds the standard / Meets the standard / Approaching the standard / Beginning), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 161 science sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.
Jump to: Exceeds the standard · Meets the standard · Approaching the standard · Beginning · Writing tips
Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Exceeds the standard E
Strengths
- Graphing investigation data comes easily to [Name], who builds accurate bar graphs and line plots and describes the trends they show.
- Curious about how the world works, [Name] often brings questions, books or objects from home that extend what we are studying in science.
Next step
- [Name] is ready to compare data from two investigations in [his/her/their] science notebook and write a conclusion that weighs both sets of results.
Meets the standard M
Strengths
- Reading a bar graph or data table from an investigation, [Name] can answer questions about what the results show.
- Using drawings, words and simple charts, [Name] records what happens in science activities in a clear and accurate way.
Next step
- [Name] could deepen [his/her/their] understanding of ecosystems by drawing a food web and explaining what might happen if one animal disappeared.
Approaching the standard A
Strengths
- Reading bar graphs from investigations is a growing skill for [Name], who can find the tallest bar and is working on explaining what it means.
- When prompted, [Name] can compare two objects or living things and name one way they are alike and one way they are different.
Next step
- Using a claim-evidence-reasoning organizer when writing science explanations will help [Name] connect each claim to data.
Beginning B
Strengths
- With objects to handle and sort, [Name] is beginning to tell solids from liquids in our lessons on matter.
- Hands-on science materials help [Name] take first steps toward explaining what happened during an activity.
Next step
- Learning a few key science words at a time with a vocabulary journal will help [Name] explain ideas about ecosystems and matter.
Support at home
- Building towers or bridges from cups, paper or recycled boxes at home lets your child test ideas and try again when something tips over.
How to write science comments for Grades 3-5
- Name the investigation skill: identifying the variable, keeping a test fair or recording repeated trials in the science notebook. These process skills carry across every unit, so they make lasting comments.
- Look for explanations that use evidence and science vocabulary, such as how energy moves through a food web or why shadows change length. Note whether claims link back to the data collected.
- Separate the reading and writing load from science thinking. A child may reason well in a hands-on investigation but write short notebook entries; describe both so families know where the real gap is.
Watch out: Writing a science comment in a report period when science was not taught or marked. Where science and social studies run in rotation, leave the subject out and comment when the unit comes around.
At the top of the scale, describe accurate, independent work and how the child extends it, such as choosing harder books or explaining a strategy to a partner. For Meets, use steady words like usually or as taught in class; for Approaching, say what happens with reminders or a model; for Beginning, name what is emerging and the support in place. Describe the skill in action, not the mark.
What Science covers
In these comments, science covers these behaviours:
- asks questions and makes careful observations
- plans and carries out simple investigations and records data
- explains ideas using evidence and science vocabulary
- understands key ideas in life, earth and physical science units
- designs, builds and tests solutions to simple problems
More US standards-based K-5 comments
- Reading: Foundational Skills, Grades 3-5
- Reading: Comprehension, Grades 3-5
- Writing, Grades 3-5
- Speaking and Listening, Grades 3-5
- Math: Number and Operations, Grades 3-5
- Math: Measurement and Geometry, Grades 3-5
- Science, Grades K-2
- Social Studies, Grades 3-5
- Opening and closing sentences
- All US standards-based K-5 skills and grade bands
- Build a comment with the comment picker
How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.