4th Grade exploring characteristics and growth of organisms

Scope and sequence

Suggested Time Frame: 4th Grade Science Curriculum Map

• 3rd Nine Weeks- Consult the 4th Grade Science Curriculum Map for specific details.

The 4th Grade Science Curriculum Map outlines the following information:

• 1. Recommended pacing, scope, and sequence for each unit.

  2. Alignment with standards, conceptual understandings, and performance indicators

  3. Links to Unit Concept Storyboard Maps, Content and SEP Support Documents, and Curriculum Guides

  4. Details for Evidence of Understanding, Essential Learning Experiences, and Suggested Learning Engagements

  5. Where appropriate, alignment with specific FOSS, DSM, GEMS, and STC kit Activities and Investigations

Learning goals, skills, and concepts

Learning Goals

• Students will gather information from various sources to develop models that can be used to classify plants and animals. Models can include:

  • Charts

  • Diagrams

  • Illustrations

• Students will gather, analyze, and interpret data from plants they grow in order to compare the stages of growth of different seed plants.

• Students will gather information from different sources, including observations, to develop models that illustrate and compare the stages of growth of different animals.

• Students will gather data to use as evidence to support claims about how some characteristics are inherited and some as influenced by the environment.

• Students will gather information from various sources to develop models that compare how animals (including humans) use their senses to detect and respond to signals in their environment.

• Students will gather data from observations and other sources to construct explanations for how different structural adaptations help plants survive.

• Students will gather data from observations and other sources to construct explanations for how different structural adaptations help animals survive.

Skills and Concepts

• Analyze and Interpret Data- SEP Support Document

• Develop and Use Models- SEP Support Document

• Obtain and Communicate Information- SEP Support Document

• Construct Explanations- SEP Support Document

• Construct Scientific Arguments- SEP Support Document

• Plant and Animal Classification- Essential Knowledge Support Document

• Plant Stages of Development- Essential Knowledge Support Document

• Animal Stages of Development- Essential Knowledge Support Document

• Inherited v. Environmental Characteristics- Essential Knowledge Support Document

• Sensory Organs- Essential Knowledge Support Document

• Plant Structural Adaptations- Essential Knowledge Support Document

• Animal Structural Adaptations- Essential Knowledge Support Document

Science Concept Storyboard

This link will take you to a print-friendly version of the science concept storyboard.

Lessons and activities

Organisms Unit Planning Support Doc

Potential Instructional Strategies/Lessons/Examples

• Animal Studies (STC Kit) All Investigations

• Oceans (DSM Kit) Investigations 10, 11, 12 (5th Grade Kit)

• Pearson SC Interactive Science Textbook:

  • Life Cycle Section

  • How do Lima Beans grow? Pg. 148

  • How many ways can you classify plants? Pg. 151

  • Compare the Life Cycles of Lima Beans and Radishes pg. 159 (follow up to How do Lima Beans grow)

  • What are some ways you can classify animals? Pg. 167 (see animal cards on pg. 195d of the TE)

  • Adaptations Section

  • How Temperature Can Affect Seed Growth pg. 198

  • How Can Some Fish Float? Pg. 201

  • Cactus-Stem Model pg. 206

  • Arctic Foxes Quick Lab pg. 214

  • Can you model how ears hear sound? Pg. 217

  • Migrating Animals Quick Lab pg. 223

  • Which bird beak can crush seed? Pg. 226 - goes along really well with the AIMS lesson on insect mouth parts

• AIMS Activities: 2005 SC Science AIMS 4th Grade Life Science

  • Assorted Sea Life

  • Animal Antics

  • Animals of a Sort

  • Bare Bones

  • Parental Control

  • Look Alikes

  • Tracking Down the Family

  • Behavior Management

  • Analyzing Attributes

  • Hot Foot, Cold Foot

  • Wondering About Worms

  • Biome Boxes

  • The Kapok Tree

  • Missing Moths (3rd Grade AIMS book)

• Now You See Me, Now You Don't (4.L.5B.3)

  • This is an activity in which students model how the structural adaptation of camouflage helps animals survive in their habitats in order to construct explanations for how such adaptations are essential for survival. This was adapted from a lesson adapted from The Pepper Moth Simulation by Jason Orbaugh.

Additional Resources

• Biome/Habitat Resource

  • This website is part of All About Nature and Enchanted Learning and has many links to resources about different habitats and biomes and the plants and animals within them. This may be useful for the 2005 carry-over indicator 4-2.2. As with any resource, be sure to preview any materials before incorporating them into the learning experience.

• Habitats (4.L.5B.3)

  • This link will take you to the Smithsonian Science Education Center's Habitats App. This short, interactive activity involves students making inferences about different animals and selecting one of four habitats to place them in. While the activity itself is fairly simple, once placed, there is a link that will take you to more information about the animal, including information about how it is adapted for its habitat, including images and video clips.

• Wild Finder

  • This World Wildlife Federation website lets you search for different ecosystems and different animals and see what regions they live in and what other animals live with them.

• Live Animals Cams

  • Explore Live Cams of Animals and Habitats: this site is home to several dozen live cams of many different animals and habitats.

    • http://explore.org/live-cams/player/alligator-spoonbill-swamp-cam

  • This is the link to the San Diego Zoo which has tons of animal links and Live cam experiences for the students to see. (Thanks Robert Carswell for the share!)

    • https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org

• Pearson SC Interactive Science Textbook:

  • Plant Structures pg. 153 - good for home to school connections

  • Animal Structures Quick Lab pg. 168 (includes research)

  • Classify Animals Quick Lab pg. 172 (students should be sharing models and discussing the differences and similarities between animals in each section of their graphic organizer)

  • Characteristics affected by the Environment pg. 209

  • STEM activity 3: Home sweet home pg. 9

• Mentor Texts:

  • What if you had Animal Hair? By Scholastic

  • What if you had Animal Teeth? By Scholastic

  • What if you had Animal Noses? By Scholastic

  • What do you do with a tail like that? By Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

  • Eye to Eye How Animals See the World by Steve Jenkins

• National Geographic Video Resource:

  • As with any video resource, teachers should carefully preview and vet any videos before showing them to students.