Science

4th Grade

Curriculum

Course Title: Science

Department: Science

Primary Resources:

· FOSS / EiE Kits

Units of Study:

· Topic 1: Using water to investigate matter and its interactions with the environment

· Topic 2: Patterns of Sun, Moon and Stars

· Topic 3: Electricity and Magnetism

· Topic 4: Engineering Design Experience – Maglev Trains

· Topic 5: Changing climates

Curriculum-Based Assessments: Science notebook and teacher observation

Standardized Assessments: PSSA’s

Description of Course: In Unit One- Students examine the properties of water as solid, liquid, and gas. They discover what happens to water as it is heated, cooled, frozen, evaporated, and allowed to interact with other materials. Students then investigate waters interactions with various environments in Pennsylvania (ex. wetlands, watersheds). In Unit Two, students observe patterns of daily changes of shadows, day and night, and seasonal appearances of stars to predict future motion. They also construct an explanation for the relationship between the observable brightness of a star and its distance from earth. Unit Three focuses on the forces of electricity and magnetism. The students learn about conductors, insulators, magnetic poles, various circuits, and electrical hazards. By the end of the unit, the students will be able to build a series/parallel circuit and identify its components. Unit Four, students apply their understanding of electricity and magnetism to design a levitating train to use as transportation.