United States · Common Core State Standards
4th Grade Science
Students investigate the physical world through hands on inquiry into energy transfer, biological adaptations, and the shifting surface of the Earth. This curriculum emphasizes the use of evidence to explain natural phenomena and the design of solutions to engineering challenges.
Energy in Motion
Students explore how energy is transferred between objects and converted from one form to another through collisions and circuits.
Investigate the relationship between the speed of an object and the amount of energy it possesses.
Observe and explain how energy moves from one object to another during physical contact.
Construct circuits to demonstrate how electrical energy can be transformed into light, heat, or sound.
Waves and Information
An exploration of how light and sound waves move through space and how they are used to communicate information.
Analyze the patterns of amplitude and wavelength in water and sound waves.
Examine how light reflects off objects and enters the eye to allow humans to see.
Compare different ways that localized patterns can be used to send messages over distances.
Structure, Function, and Information Processing
Students investigate how internal and external structures of plants and animals support survival and how organisms process sensory information.
Identify specific structures in plants and animals that function to support growth, survival, and reproduction.
Model how animals receive different types of information through their senses and process it in their brain.
Earth's Changing Surface
Students study the effects of weathering and erosion and analyze patterns in Earth's features to understand its history.
Identify the effects of water, ice, wind, and vegetation on the rate of change to the landscape.
Analyze maps to identify patterns in the locations of mountain ranges, deep ocean trenches, and volcanoes.
Examine patterns in rock layers and fossil remains to explain how landscapes change over millions of years.
Energy, Natural Hazards, and the Environment
Students explore how humans use natural resources for energy and how we can mitigate the impact of natural Earth processes.
Evaluate the origins of different energy sources and their effects on the environment.
Design and test solutions to reduce the impact of natural Earth processes like earthquakes or floods.