Embedded Files
We started the school year with a few fun activities to strengthen team-building skills. The students were amazing!! They worked extremely well - took turns, helped out, and shared ideas. It was a great start to science!! On Thursday, we built paper chairs for Mini Leo and Friday, we tried out the Pringles Challenge!!
The students enjoy Mystery Science experiments!!
The students enjoy Mystery Science experiments!!
There are six areas of science fourth graders will explore within the Mystery Science curriculum.
Earth's Features & Processes - The Birth of Rocks Unit
Animal & Plant Adaptations Unit
Human Body, Vision, & the Brain - Human Machine Unit
Energy & Energy Transfer - Energizing Everything Unit
Sound, Waves, & Communication - Waves of Sound Unit
Electricity, Light, & Heat Unit
If your child is ever absent, I have created links to all the lessons for your child to watch at home. Your child will not have to complete the activity, but the lesson will be helpful to watch to complete any schoolwork and review for the unit assessments.
Please know that we may not get to all the lessons in each unit.
After we complete a chapter in our textbook, we review as a class before a chapter assessment. Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that allows students to review any area of learning. The students absolutely love it!! Below are the review games for you to review at home as well. Just click on the link.
Mystery Science - The Birth of Rocks Kahoot! review game
https://kahoot.it/challenge/03081620?challenge-id=6d5c3df7-a87f-4105-ba21-429de59e6bf3_1790822122847
Mystery Science - Human Machine Unit Kahoot! review game
Mystery Science - Animal & Plant Adaptations Unit Kahoot! review game
Mystery Science - Energizing Everything Unit Kahoot! review game
Mystery Science - Waves of Sound Unit Kahoot! review game
https://create.kahoot.it/creator/bc3fce56-f7ab-4417-ad19-68d5ef0372d7
Mystery Science - Electricity, Light, & Heat Unit Kahoot! review game
https://create.kahoot.it/creator/11e5bb5b-a200-4aa2-9802-363455e69612
The Birth of Rocks Unit
The Birth of Rocks Activity #1 - Could a volcano pop up where you live?
Fourth graders mapped out all of the volcanoes throughout the world, determined where the Ring of Fire is, and learn that a volcano will most likely not pop up near Mendota.
The Birth of Rocks Activity #2 - Why do some volcanoes explode?
Fourth graders had a blast with "lava" in the classroom. They will investigate both a thick and thin texture to decide which lava belonged to which type of volcano.
The Birth of Rocks Activity #3 - Will a mountain last forever?
Weathering and erosion will be explored in the lesson. The students shook sugar cubes in a container and investigated what happened throughout the process. The class discussed how the sugar cubes are much like rocks that fall from a mountain.
The Birth of Rocks Activity #4 - What did your town look like 100 million years ago?
Fourth graders explored what can be found underneath our soil. The students will discuss how dinosaurs and other fossils were buried, and why they were discovered where they were.
The Birth of Rocks Activity #5 - How Can I Survive an Earthquake?
Fourth graders constructed a building to withstand the "shake test" using only toothpicks and marshmallows.
Human Machine Unit
Human Machine #1 - Why do your biceps bulge?
This is definitely the most popular activity in Mystery Science. Fourth graders discovered why bones move. They recreated a finger, pulling (muscle) the string (tendon) to move the finger.
Human Machine #2 - What do blind people see?
Fourth graders identified the parts of an eye with a cool experiment using a magnifying sheet and the outdoor view.
Human Machine #3 - How can some animals see in the dark?
The students will explore the reason why nocturnal animals' eyes see better at night than nonnoctural animals. The students did an amazing job with nocturnal animal reports.
Human Machine #4 - How does your brain control your body?
Each student will test just how quickly he/she reacts to the message from the brain to grab onto the ruler that is falling. It's always a lot of fun!!
Waves of Sound Unit
Waves of Sound #1 - How do you send a secret code?
Fourth graders will create sound and visual codes to share with the class to determine what snack they are choosing from the snack code form.
Waves of Sound #2 - How far can a whisper travel?
Fourth graders will explore the effectiveness of communication with string telephones. They investigated how sound travels from the cup, through the string, and to the other cup.
Waves of Sound #3 - What would happen if you screamed in outer space?
Fourth graders will explore how sound travels in order for us to hear it. The students below acted out the process.
Waves of Sound #4 - Why are there high sounds and low sounds?
Fourth graders will explore why sounds are different and how they look when measured.
Plant & Animal Adapt Unit
Plant & Animal Adaptations #1 - Why do some sea creatures look so strange?
Fourth graders will make observations of an underwater animal, a frogfish, in order to collect evidence that its external structures serve specific functions.
Plant & Animal Adaptations #2 - Why would a sea turtle eat a plastic bag?
Fourth graders will explore how animals receive information through their senses and process that information in their brain, using instincts and memories to guide their behaviors. They will use models to understand how an animal’s senses, brain, and memories all work together as a system to influence their behavior and support their survival.
Plant & Animal Adaptations #3 - Why don't the same trees grow everywhere?
Fourth graders will make observations of external and internal parts of trees in order to collect evidence that these structures work together as a system to help plants survive in a particular environment. They will use models of roots and branches (sticks and pipe cleaners) to explore their functions and then construct an argument about how these structures must work together in order to support the survival of trees in the unique environment of the frozen taiga.
Electricity, Light, & Heat Unit
Electricity, Light, & Heat #1 - What's the best way to light up a city?
Fourth graders will determine what type of natural resource would best suit the city of Boulderville, Colorado. All of them will determine that out of sun energy, water energy, and wind energy, Boulderville would work best with water energy since a large river runs through it and contains ample land for a man-made lake.
Electricity, Light, & Heat #2 - What if there were no electricity?
Fourth graders will discuss how things were without electricity, and how much they appreciate it. We will talk about how dreadful it is when the electricity goes out in a storm. Students will then create light by using a LED light bulb and a battery. They will understand that energy doesn't happen without a "path" for the energy to transfer.
Electricity, Light, & Heat #3 - How long did it take to travel across the country before cars and planes?
Fourth graders will discuss how things were without electricity, and how much they appreciate it. We will talk about how dreadful it is when the electricity goes out in a storm. Students will then create light by using a LED light bulb and a battery. They will understand that energy doesn't happen without a "path" for the energy to transfer.
Energizing Everything Unit
Energizing Everything #1 - How is your body similar to a car?
Fourth graders will create roller coaster rides and spun them using rubber bands. We will discuss how using our energy to turn the bands allows the ride to spin. We will learn that the more energy we release, the more action we receive.
Energizing Everything #2 - What makes roller coasters go so fast?
Fourth graders will explore different ideas as to how to build a roller coaster that would be fun, yet the riders wouldn't get eaten by an alligator at the end of it. We will figure a way to give it speed and allow it to slow down.
Energizing Everything #3 - How can marbles save the world?
Fourth graders will investigate how energy transfers when objects collide. In the activity, Bumper Jumper, students ask questions and make predictions about how far a marble will launch over a jump after colliding with other objects.
Energizing Everything #4 - Could you knock down a building using only dominoes?
Students will work together to build a chain reaction ramp. We will identify the importance of energy's transfer as the marble moved.
Energizing Everything #5 - Can you build a chain reaction machine?
Fourth graders will work together to build a chain reaction ramp. We will identify the importance of energy's transfer as the marble moves.
SIMPLE MACHINE VOCABULARY
SIMPLE MACHINE VOCABULARY
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