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Grade 4 Science

Grade 4 Science

What your child will learn and do in Grade 4 Science

In grade four, students use their sense of wonder and curiosity about the natural and designed world (human-made) and apply their thinking to scientific investigations and engineering design problems.  As students build on their science learning from K-3, students form deeper connections between concepts. They build deeper connections through more independently using their science and engineering skills. Students are able to investigate and ask questions about their world, and are now able to begin analyzing their data using math and reasoning. Students construct explanations and arguments, using evidence (data) to explain phenomena. These experiences provide access for all students to develop scientific literacy and awareness as young citizens. Activities in these areas include:

  • Making observations and asking questions about the environment
  • Making predictions based on observed patterns such as in rock formations and landscape changes
  • Designing and conducting simple investigations, by using standard tools to collect and organize data
  • Investigating the effects of weathering and erosion on earth’s surface (how things like wind and water change earth’s surface)
  • Designing and conducting experiments to determine how energy is transferred  from one object to another
  • Researching and investigating how humans mimic nature  
  • Understanding how living organisms  receive and process information through their senses 
  • Presenting evidence to support a scientific claim about the wave patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move
  • Investigating multiple solutions to reduce the impact of natural Earth processes (such as, volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis) on humans 

 

Helping your child learn outside of school:    

Look for everyday opportunities to have your child explore scientific concepts.

  • Visit our local waterways (e.g. Connecticut River, Long Island Sound, ponds or streams in your neighborhood) to observe what the water does to the land.
  • Notice the movement of simple machines and objects that move. Discuss how and why they move the way they do. Ask how different factors (such as gravity and friction) create different types of motion that can be observed on objects.
  • Ask your child what they are figuring out and learning about in science. 
  • Ask your students what evidence, or reasons, they have for their ideas. “What makes you think that?” “How could we be sure?” 
  • Share and discuss how you solve problems and use measurement in your everyday life, such as while cooking, building, gardening, or caring for a family pet.
  • Watch special science related TV (e.g. Discovery Channel, NASA TV) and video programs together.
  • Visit your local library regularly to check out books on science topics that interest your child.
  • Visit local nature centers, museums, and science centers.  Check out your local library for free museum passes. (ex. Museum and Attraction Passes | Hartford Public Library)
  • Take a walk in a local state park during all times of the year to observe the habitats of the local plants and animals.
  • Provide opportunities to use various tools when you are putting something together or building or fixing things around the home.
  • Encourage friends and family to give books or magazine subscriptions to your child as gifts.

 

Websites

For more information, please contact the Supervisor of Science, Julie Christianson, at jchristianson@crec.org

 

  • Grade 4