Science - 4th Grade

In our combination 4^th and 5^th grade class, students use notebooks to record and organize their learning. We teach inquiry and use the scientific method to conduct experiments and investigations. We also use a variety of resources, especially from the California Academy of Sciences, where our team has been trained through the Teacher Institute of Science and Sustainability program. Curriculum is on a two-year rotation of alternating units.

Units of Study

• Crime Lab Chemistry – Mystery Festival
• Carbon Cycle, Greenhouse Gases, and Climate Change
• Geology
• Energy Forms and Energy Transfer – PEAK and Hot Wheels
• Electricity and Electrical Circuits – PEAK and Kilowatt
• Bridges - interdisciplinary unit
• Botany – photosynthesis, plant classification
• Food and Farming
• Wetlands
• Sound
• Acids/Bases – Cabbages and Chemistry
• Human Body Systems
• Nutrition
• Natural Resources
• Metric Olympics

Approaches to Learning

• Using scientific method
• Designing and carrying out investigations
• Graphing
• Presenting claims and evidence
• Building models
• Science Fair individual projects