4th Grade

Module 1: Egg Racers

Module Phenomenon:

What happens to energy when objects collide?

Driving Questions:

  • What is energy and how is it transferred from one thing to another?

  • How can I increase my car's energy of motion?

  • How does the energy of a moving object change during a collision?

  • How can I make my car safer so my egg is not damaged?


Module 2: Sparks Energy, Inc.

Module Phenomenon:

How do people produce and transfer energy for their use?

Driving Questions:

  • How can people make practical use of energy transfers?

  • How can people use energy resources to generate electricity?

  • What are the main energy resources used in the United States?


Module 4: Earthquake Engineering

Module Phenomenon:

How can we reduce the damage caused by earthquakes?

Driving Questions:

  • How are waves involved in earthquakes?

  • How can patterns help us predict where earthquakes and volcanoes will occur?

  • How can building materials and shapes affect the severity of earthquake damage?

  • How can our understanding of earthquakes and materials help us build safer buildings?

  • What can we learn from engineers that will help us revise our designs?

  • How can we redesign our buildings to make them safer during earthquakes?

Module 3: Time Travelling Tour Guides

Module Phenomenon:

How have weathering and erosion sculpted some of Earth’s most interesting landscapes?

Driving Questions:

  • What makes landscapes change over time?

  • Why do we see different rock layers in the Grand Canyon?

  • How did the Colorado River sculpt the Grand Canyon?

  • What other amazing landscapes have been sculpted by weathering and erosion?

Module 4: Earthquake Engineering

Module Phenomenon:

How can we reduce the damage caused by earthquakes?

Driving Questions:

  • How are waves involved in earthquakes?

  • How can patterns help us predict where earthquakes and volcanoes will occur?

  • How can building materials and shapes affect the severity of earthquake damage?

  • How can our understanding of earthquakes and materials help us build safer buildings?

  • What can we learn from engineers that will help us revise our designs?

  • How can we redesign our buildings to make them safer during earthquakes?

Module 5: Super Survivors

Module Phenomenon:

How do the many parts of my body work together to help me live in the world? Communication involves transferring information through waves or signals.

Driving Questions:

  • How do internal and external structures work together to help plants and animals live and survive?

  • How do humans and other animals sense and respond to the environment?

  • How do humans and other animals take in visual information?

  • How does the brain make sense of and respond to information?

  • How do waves affect our ability to communicate?

  • How can we transfer information over long distances?