In 4th grade, science is a state-tested subject, and you will feel the weight of that throughout the school year as we focus on it more in class. Compared to your child’s prior science experiences, this year will require a deeper level of understanding and responsibility.
Science isn’t just about memorizing facts—your child must understand the concepts well enough to apply them to higher-level, critical thinking questions, including ones that connect to real-world situations.
Your child’s science notebook is an important tool that we use every day in class for notes, activities, and reviewing concepts. Students are allowed to take their notebook home to study, but it must be returned to school each day so they can use it during instruction. Please encourage your child to keep it organized and use it regularly when preparing for quizzes and tests.
Study guides will be provided for each test. These will not be collected, so students should keep them to use as study resources. An electronic copy of each study guide, along with the answer key, will be posted in Google Classroom. Students should know how to access our Science Google Classroom independently.
Each science unit will also be organized in Google Classroom so students can easily review lessons, assignments, and study materials. While we do not use IXL for science, I will provide a few fun, interactive resources to help reinforce learning. While these activities may help with review, science is not just about memorizing facts—it is about understanding concepts and applying knowledge.
Science Study Tips & Assessment Explanations.pdf