4th Grade Science
Year at a Glance
In 4th Grade, instructional time should focus on three critical areas: The Birth of Rocks, Human Machine, Energizing Everything & Waves of Sound. These concepts can be explored at anytime during the school year and are recommended to be used when appropriate as enhancements to your ReadyGen literacy resources. We hope these science connections help bring those standards to life.
Throughout 4th Grade Students Should:
Using evidence to construct an explanation relating to the speed of an object, and ask questions about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.
Making observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place.
Developing models to describe the properties of waves or to describe how we see objects.
Constructing an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Using models to describe that animals receive and process information through their senses.
Analyzing and interpreting data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features.
Identifying evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.
Obtaining and combining information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources, and their uses affect the environment
Earth Science - The Birth of Rocks
Expectations for 4th Grade Students:
Understand how Earth has changed over time, and how energy and fuels that humans use are derived from natural sources and their uses affect the environment in multiple ways.
ReadyGen Connections
Unit 3: Earthquakes Quake! Earthshaker’s Bad Day The Monster Beneath the Sea Anatomy of a Volcanic Eruption Escape from Pompeii Sleuth: “Crater Lake”; “The Layering Effect”; “Rocking It” (4-ESS1-1: Evidence from Rock Layers)
Life Science - Human Machine
Expectations for 4th Grade Students:
Recognize that organisms have both internal and external structures that serve various functions, and describe how animals receive and process information through their senses.
ReadyGen Connections
Unit 1: Science Squad: Porpoises in Peril “Fragile Frogs” from The Frog Scientist Skeletons Inside and Out King of the Parking Lot Movers and Shapers Sleuth: “Nosing Around”; ”A ‘Coat’ of Many Colors”; “What Did You Say?”; “Adapting to Survive” (4-LS1-1: Internal and External Structures)
Mystery Science 4th Grade Student Notebook
Physical Science - Energizing Everything / Waves of Sound
Expectations for 4th Grade Students:
Recognize that energy comes in many forms such as light, heat, sound, magnetic, chemical, and electrical and can move from place to place; understand collisions between objects can impact motion; recognize that waves have regular patterns of motion, and that patterns can be used to encode, send, receive, and decode information, explain how an object can be seen.
ReadyGen Connections
Unit 4: The Boy Who Invented TV (4-PS4-1: Wave Model)
Mystery Science 4th Grade Student Notebook
Science Vocabulary - 4th Grade
All vocabulary for Mystery Science can be located in the "Extend the Lesson" section in each Unit. Vocabulary is presented in both English and Spanish and as both a slide show and teacher print out.
Multilingual Learner Language Expectations - 4th Grade
From the moment you ask where, why, and how? You are a scientist!
It is always a good reminder for both students and teachers, that we are all scientist! Below are some resources to share with your students about what a scientist looks like, what a scientist does and the importance of contributing to the world's collective science knowledge. The world needs science, and science needs YOU!
The Stories & Science of Real World Scientist
An interactive for inclusive Science and STEM education, this project aims to give young students real-life STEM role models.
Science & STEM Careers Portal - Explore Hundreds of STEM Fields
Encourage students to prepare for their future career success with Career Profile videos and student activations focusing on the STEM skills, knowledge, and interests needed to pursue exciting careers in the STEM industry. It’s never too early for students to plan their career path--help inspire the future workforce today. Explore More
Science Buddies - Career Discovery Tool
Browse career profiles to discover what scientists really do on the job and what it takes to prepare for these careers.
IF/THEN STEM Initiative
The IF/THEN Initiative is committed to showing young girls exactly what a scientist looks like. IF/THEN seeks to further advance women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers. Explore More
DoDSTEM
Scientists and engineers work across a wide range of career pathways throughout the STEM fields including biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, robotics, computer science and more. Explore the different types of STEM careers here and see what kind of opportunities might ignite your curiosity! Select a Topic to learn about STEM careers
