Plants, animals, and senses
Students start the year looking at living things up close. They explain how parts of a plant or animal help it survive, and how eyes, ears, and the brain work together to react to the world around them.
What does a student learn in
This is the year science gets mechanical. Students start tracing how energy moves through the world, from a rolling ball that speeds up to sound, light, and heat traveling from one place to another. They look closely at how plants and animals are built to survive, and how wind and water slowly reshape the land. By spring, students can explain how a faster object carries more energy and design a simple device that turns one kind of energy into another.
- Energy
- Waves and light
- Plant and animal parts
- Weathering and erosion
- Fossils and landscapes
- Natural resources
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
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- 2
Energy and collisions
Students explore what makes a fast ball hit harder than a slow one. They watch energy move through sound, light, heat, and wires, and predict what happens when objects crash into each other.
- 3
Light, waves, and signals
Students model how waves move up and down and how light bounces off objects into the eye. They also compare ways people send messages using patterns, from flashing lights to codes.
- 4
Building an energy device
Students put earlier ideas to work by designing something that turns one kind of energy into another, like motion into sound. They test it, see what fails, and make it better.
- 5
Earth's changing surface
Students read the story rocks and fossils tell about a landscape long ago. They measure how water, wind, and ice wear things down, and use maps to spot patterns in mountains, rivers, and coastlines.
- 6
Natural resources and hazards
Students finish the year looking at where fuel and energy come from and what their use does to the land, air, and water. They also compare ways people protect homes and towns from earthquakes, floods, and storms.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 4.
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Energy
4-PS3Students explore how energy moves and changes, from a swinging pendulum to a warm pan on a stove. They learn that energy can be stored, transferred, and converted from one form to another.
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Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
4-PS4Students study how waves move energy, from sound waves you can hear to light waves you can see. They also explore how waves carry information in everyday technologies like radios and cameras.
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From Molecules to Organisms
4-LS1Students learn how living things are built and how their bodies work. They study the parts of plants and animals, from tiny cells up to whole organs, and how those parts help the organism survive.
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Earth's Place in the Universe
4-ESS1Students learn why the Earth has seasons, why the sun appears to move across the sky each day, and how fossils tell us what the land and climate looked like long ago.
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Earth's Systems
4-ESS2Students study how Earth's land, water, and weather work together as connected systems. They observe how wind, rain, and rivers shape the ground beneath them over time.
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Earth and Human Activity
4-ESS3Students learn how people use Earth's resources and how those choices can change the land, water, and air around us.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Students explore how energy moves and changes, from a swinging pendulum to a warm pan on a stove. They learn that energy can be stored, transferred, and converted from one form to another. | 4-PS3 |
| Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer | Students study how waves move energy, from sound waves you can hear to light waves you can see. They also explore how waves carry information in everyday technologies like radios and cameras. | 4-PS4 |
| From Molecules to Organisms | Students learn how living things are built and how their bodies work. They study the parts of plants and animals, from tiny cells up to whole organs, and how those parts help the organism survive. | 4-LS1 |
| Earth's Place in the Universe | Students learn why the Earth has seasons, why the sun appears to move across the sky each day, and how fossils tell us what the land and climate looked like long ago. | 4-ESS1 |
| Earth's Systems | Students study how Earth's land, water, and weather work together as connected systems. They observe how wind, rain, and rivers shape the ground beneath them over time. | 4-ESS2 |
| Earth and Human Activity | Students learn how people use Earth's resources and how those choices can change the land, water, and air around us. | 4-ESS3 |
Energy
Energy
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Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the…
4-PS3-1Students gather data on moving objects and explain how a faster-moving object carries more energy than a slower one. Speed and energy rise and fall together.
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Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place…
4-PS3-2Students watch and record what happens when a drum vibrates, a lamp glows, a hot pan warms the air, or a battery powers a bulb. The observations show that energy moves from one place to another.
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Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when…
4-PS3-3Students predict what will happen to moving objects when they crash into each other, such as a rolling ball hitting a block. The focus is on where the energy goes when things collide.
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Apply scientific ideas to design, test
4-PS3-4Students design and test a device that changes energy from one form to another, like turning movement into sound or light. They revise their design based on what they observe.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the… | Students gather data on moving objects and explain how a faster-moving object carries more energy than a slower one. Speed and energy rise and fall together. | 4-PS3-1 |
| Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place… | Students watch and record what happens when a drum vibrates, a lamp glows, a hot pan warms the air, or a battery powers a bulb. The observations show that energy moves from one place to another. | 4-PS3-2 |
| Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when… | Students predict what will happen to moving objects when they crash into each other, such as a rolling ball hitting a block. The focus is on where the energy goes when things collide. | 4-PS3-3 |
| Apply scientific ideas to design, test | Students design and test a device that changes energy from one form to another, like turning movement into sound or light. They revise their design based on what they observe. | 4-PS3-4 |
Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
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Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and…
4-PS4-1Waves carry energy and can push or pull objects in their path. Students build a model showing how waves differ by height (amplitude) and length (wavelength), and explain how those patterns cause objects to move.
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Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the…
4-PS4-2Students learn why we can see things: light bounces off an object and travels into the eye. They draw or diagram that path to show how seeing actually works.
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Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer…
4-PS4-3Students design and test different ways to send a message using a pattern, like a series of flashes or beeps, then compare how well each method works.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and… | Waves carry energy and can push or pull objects in their path. Students build a model showing how waves differ by height (amplitude) and length (wavelength), and explain how those patterns cause objects to move. | 4-PS4-1 |
| Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the… | Students learn why we can see things: light bounces off an object and travels into the eye. They draw or diagram that path to show how seeing actually works. | 4-PS4-2 |
| Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer… | Students design and test different ways to send a message using a pattern, like a series of flashes or beeps, then compare how well each method works. | 4-PS4-3 |
From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
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Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external…
4-LS1-1Students study the body parts plants and animals use to survive, grow, and reproduce. They practice building an argument that explains what each structure does and why it matters.
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Use a model to describe that animals' receive different types of information…
4-LS1-2Students show how an animal takes in information through its senses, processes it in the brain, and reacts. For example, a dog hears a sound, the brain figures out what it is, and the dog turns toward it.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external… | Students study the body parts plants and animals use to survive, grow, and reproduce. They practice building an argument that explains what each structure does and why it matters. | 4-LS1-1 |
| Use a model to describe that animals' receive different types of information… | Students show how an animal takes in information through its senses, processes it in the brain, and reacts. For example, a dog hears a sound, the brain figures out what it is, and the dog turns toward it. | 4-LS1-2 |
Earth's Place in the Universe
Earth's Place in the Universe
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Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers…
4-ESS1-1Students read rock layers like pages in a book, using fossils and patterns in the stone to figure out how a landscape changed over millions of years.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers… | Students read rock layers like pages in a book, using fossils and patterns in the stone to figure out how a landscape changed over millions of years. | 4-ESS1-1 |
Earth's Systems
Earth's Systems
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Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of…
4-ESS2-1Students observe rocks, soil, and land to gather evidence of how water, wind, ice, or plant roots slowly break down and move earth materials over time.
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Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features
4-ESS2-2Students read maps showing mountains, valleys, oceans, and fault lines to spot patterns in where Earth's features show up. A mountain range that runs along a coast, for example, is the kind of pattern they look for and explain.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of… | Students observe rocks, soil, and land to gather evidence of how water, wind, ice, or plant roots slowly break down and move earth materials over time. | 4-ESS2-1 |
| Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features | Students read maps showing mountains, valleys, oceans, and fault lines to spot patterns in where Earth's features show up. A mountain range that runs along a coast, for example, is the kind of pattern they look for and explain. | 4-ESS2-2 |
Earth and Human Activity
Earth and Human Activity
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Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived…
4-ESS3-1Students learn where energy sources like coal, oil, and sunlight come from in nature, and what happens to the environment when people use them.
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Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth…
4-ESS3-2Students think up more than one way to protect people from floods, earthquakes, or wildfires, then weigh which solution works best.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived… | Students learn where energy sources like coal, oil, and sunlight come from in nature, and what happens to the environment when people use them. | 4-ESS3-1 |
| Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth… | Students think up more than one way to protect people from floods, earthquakes, or wildfires, then weigh which solution works best. | 4-ESS3-2 |
Common Questions
What does science look like this year?
Students study energy, waves, light, plants and animals, and how the Earth changes over time. They spend a lot of time making observations, building simple models, and explaining what they notice with evidence. Expect more hands-on testing than memorising facts.
How can I help with science at home?
Talk through everyday science when it shows up. Why does a ball roll farther when kicked harder? Why can we see a spoon in a glass of water? Ten minutes of curious questions at dinner does more than a worksheet.
What should students know about energy by the end of the year?
Students should be able to explain that a faster object has more energy, and that energy moves around through sound, light, heat, and electricity. They should also be able to predict what happens when two things crash into each other.
How do I sequence the units across the year?
Many teachers start with energy and collisions, then move into waves and light since the ideas build on each other. Plant and animal structures often anchor the middle of the year, with Earth processes and human impact in the spring. Saving the design challenges for later lets students apply earlier ideas.
My child says science is just doing experiments. Is that right?
Hands-on work matters, but the real goal is explaining why something happened using evidence. Ask students to tell the story of what they saw and what it means. That habit of explaining is the heart of science this year.
Which topics usually need the most reteaching?
Waves trip up a lot of students, especially the difference between amplitude and wavelength. The idea that we see objects because light bounces off them and into our eyes also takes time to stick. Plan to revisit both with fresh models.
What can students build or try at home?
Roll toy cars down a ramp at different heights and talk about speed and energy. Shine a flashlight on a mirror to see reflection. Look at rocks on a walk and ask how water or wind might have shaped them.
How do I know students are ready for next year?
They should be able to make a claim, point to evidence, and build a simple model to explain a science idea. They should also handle a basic design task: try something, see what failed, and improve it. Comfort with that cycle matters more than any single topic.