Unit 1: Using Energy Transformations
Students will identify and describe the different forms of energy, including sound, light, heat, and electric current.
Students will explain the relationship between an object's speed and the amount of energy it possesses.
Students will predict how energy is transferred during a collision and the resulting effects (changes in motion, sound, or heat).
Students will model how a simple electric current transfers energy from one point to another.
Students will describe how stored energy (like chemical energy in a battery or fuel) is converted into other useful forms of energy (motion, light, etc.)
Students will classify natural resources used for energy and fuel as either renewable or nonrenewable.
How does energy move from one place to another?
How is energy transferred when objects collide with one another?
How is the speed of a moving object related to the energy it has to transfer to another object?
How is stored energy used?
Can you point out three different forms of energy you see or feel in this room right now?
When you turn on the flashlight, what kind of energy is stored in the battery, and what kind of energy does it turn into?
If you roll a toy car slowly and then very fast, and it hits a block, which one transfers more energy? How can you tell?
When two balls hit each other (collide), what happens to their energy? Does the energy disappear, or just move to a different place or form?
What kind of fuel did the bus or car use to get you to school today? Is that fuel renewable or nonrenewable, and what does that mean?
Energy (Science A-Z series) by Darlene R. Stille. This book offers an excellent overview of energy forms and transfer for young readers.
A Look at Energy by Barbara B. Crostini. A simple book covering kinetic and potential energy with clear, accessible examples.
All About Electric Circuits by William B. Rice. This book provides a focused look at electric currents, how they work, and how they transfer energy.
Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy (My Science Library) by Julie K. Lundgren. This text clearly introduces the difference between resource types like solar and wind versus fossil fuels.
The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip by Joanna Cole & Bruce Degen. An engaging, fictional story that explores the principles of electricity and circuits.
Unit 2: Communicating Using Wave Energy
Students will describe light and sound as waves that travel in regular patterns of motion.
Students will compare and contrast waves based on their amplitude (height) and wavelength (distance between waves).
Students will explain how voice or text information is converted into a digitized form to travel long distances before being converted back
What system using light or sound to communicate could reach people over a distance?
How do light and sound work and travel as waves?
What is a unique pattern that will transmit a signal to others effectively?
What type of technology could be used to transmit light or sound?
What's an example of a wave pattern you see or hear every day?
Look at yourself in the mirror. Explain how the light from the lamp is allowing you to see your reflection. (Hint: What is the light doing?)
If you are trying to talk to someone far away, do you increase the amplitude or the wavelength of your voice? What is the difference?
When you send a picture to a friend on a different continent, how does that information change from the picture you took to the digital signal that travels so far?
Sound: Waves and Communication by Mary Lindeen. This book clearly explains how sound is created by vibrations and travels through waves to our ears.
Light: Waves and Communication by Darlene R. Stille. An accessible text that focuses on light waves, how they travel, and the concepts of reflection and absorption.
Light Waves (Science Fundamentals) by Rebecca Kraft Rector. This book is great for exploring specific properties of light, including reflection, refraction, and how light interacts with matter.
Sending Messages (Way to Go!) by Sarah E. Hughes. A title that introduces the history and science behind various communication technologies, including digital transmission.
The Magic School Bus and the Science of Sound by Joanna Cole & Bruce Degen. An engaging, fictional story that explores how sound waves work through the adventures of Ms. Frizzle's class.
Unit 3: Changes Over Time to Earth's Surface and Resources
Students will locate and map features like mountain ranges, ocean trenches, volcanoes, and earthquakes relative to Earth's tectonic plate boundaries.
Students will analyze patterns in rock layers and fossil evidence to infer how Earth's surface has changed over vast periods of time.
Students will describe how forces such as wind, water, and ice cause both slow and rapid changes to the shape of Earth’s surface.
Students will differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable resources and explain how the use of these resources impacts the environment.
Students will identify natural hazards (like earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions) and propose solutions to reduce their impact on humans and communities.
What types of changes to Earth’s surface have occurred over time and why?
What can you do to protect Earth’s natural resources?
How can we try to minimize the risks associated with extracting Earth’s resources?
What are some examples of Earth changing very slowly (like a mountain wearing down) versus changing very quickly (like an earthquake)? Can you find an example of each near our house or neighborhood?
Can you list three things we use every day that come from Earth? Are they renewable or nonrenewable?
If you found a seashell fossil far from the ocean, what would that tell you about how the land changed over time?
What steps does our family take to stay safe if there is a natural hazard, like a severe storm or earthquake, in our area?
A Look at Plate Tectonics by Rebecca Kraft Rector. An easy-to-understand introduction to Earth's moving plates, explaining how they cause earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains.
How Does the Earth Change? by Gail Gibbons. A classic, clearly illustrated book covering various forces that shape the Earth, including weathering, erosion, and plate movement.
The Rock Cycle by Marysa Storm. A book focused on the different types of rock formations and what they reveal about the history of the land.
A Kid's Guide to Protecting the Planet: How to Take Action! by Pamela S. Turner. This title connects the use of resources with environmental protection, offering actionable steps for kids.
Volcanoes and Earthquakes (A True Book) by Rebecca Kraft Rector. Provides detailed information on these natural hazards and explains why they occur at plate boundaries.
Unit 4: Organism Structures
Students will identify and describe external structures of animals and explain how these structures aid in survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Students will identify and describe external structures of plants (roots, stems, leaves, flowers) and explain their specific functions for survival and growth.
Students will compare and contrast how different animals use specialized internal or external structures (e.g., bones, shells, camouflage) to protect themselves from predators.
Students will explain how specific plant structures (e.g., needles, thorns, bright flowers) help the plant survive, attract pollinators, and reproduce.
How do structures help animals and plants survive?
What are animal structures that support survival, growth, and reproduction?
What are plant structures that support survival, growth, and reproduction?
Let's look at our pet, or maybe a bird or squirrel outside. Which part of its body (like its claws, beak, or teeth) is perfectly designed to help it get the food it needs?
If we water the houseplant, how does the water get from the soil all the way up to the leaves? What part of the plant acts like a 'super straw'?
We use clothes to protect our bodies. How does a dog's fur, a cat's sharp nails, or even the thick skin of an apple compare to our clothes? How do those structures keep them safe?
Let's choose two different plants outside, like a rosebush and a patch of grass. What is the biggest difference you notice in their outside structure, and how does that difference help each plant survive right where it is?
What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. This book uses vivid cut-paper collage illustrations to ask questions about animal parts and their functions.
The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown-Ups by Gina Ingoglia. Offers an engaging look at the external and internal structures of trees (a type of plant) and how they grow.
How Animals Talk by Etta Kaner. While focused on communication, this book illustrates how external structures (like feathers, antennae, or color) are used for specific behaviors.
The Magic School Bus Gets Planted: A Book About Photosynthesis by Joanna Cole & Bruce Degen. This provides an exciting, detailed look at the internal structures of plants and how they function.