4th Grade Lesson Resources
Inquiry:
Fourth graders start off the year with an exploration using mentos and soda. They have an opportunity to explore reactions between mentos and a variety of liquids to compare and contrast results. The scientific process is then introduced using an investigation involving Pop Rocks.
Life Science
Students take an in-depth look at needs of living things by dissecting flowers and learning about the parts of a plant. They also complete a study of the human body systems and use the Doodle Buddy app to show the parts of certain body system of choice. Mealworms are also studied to look at body parts and sensory reactions. Life Science is wrapped up with a cow eye dissection.
iPad Apps:
Doodle Buddy - show body systems
Show Me or Puppet Pals - They are also used to show how a body system works
Popplet - Cow Eye Dissection
3D Brain
Physical Science
Current electricity is a big part of the physical science study in 4th grade. Students create simple, series, and parallel circuits through explorations and investigations using CPO Circuit Boards. Fourth Graders also learn about the Laws of Motion using the CPO Energy Car. They use Lego We-Do Kits to create a Lego Rover and learn how to program it to move using Scratch, a coding language. Students take a look at sound as well. We hope to have students engineer a new instrument.
iPad Apps:
Garage Band
Simple Physics
Building Parallel Circuits
Earth and Space Science
Fourth graders focus on the layers of the Earth and landforms created through earth processes. Weathering and erosion are widely explored. Topography is a large part of this study and students create topography/landform maps out of salt-dough.
Engineering
- Bridges
- Topography maps
- Electric circuits
- Solar ovens
- Lego We-Do Kits - Use technology to move
Energy Unit
Fourth graders focus on the power of solar energy. They use the knowledge to design, construct, and test a solar oven cooker.