Cycle 2

grade 4

SWLSB

Cycle 2

Grade 4

Material World

Forces and Motion

feeling the force

Essential Question:

how can forces cause objects to move, stop, and change direction?

WHAT DOES THE STUDENT NEED TO KNOW?(POL)

1. Electrostatic

a. Describes the effect of electrostatic attraction (e.g.

paper attracted by a charged object)

5. Characteristics of motion

a. Describes the characteristics of motion (e.g. direction,

speed)

6. Effects of a force on the direction of an object

b. Identifies examples of a force (e.g. pulling, pushing,

throwing, squeezing, stretching)

c. Describes the effects of a force on an object (e.g.

Sets it in motion, changes its motion, stops it)

d. Describes the effects of a force on a material or

structure

ed-tech resources:

Discovery:

  • ‘How Things Move’

OnBoard:

  • ‘Ways an Object Will Move’,

  • ‘Forces and Motion’

Gizmos:

Videoconferences:

Special Needs:

HOW WILL IT BE TAUGHT?

Suggested approach;

  • Class discussion on how things can move, and that it is FORCES which cause things to move

  • categorise forces as PUSH, PULL TWIST also examples and DEMO with soccer ball (throwing squeezing and stretching),

  • effects of a force on an object (i.e.. sets it in motion, changes its motion, stops its movement, changes objects ‘shape or size)

  • Use EiE module to look at forces & structures in terms of bridges

  • Carry out Paper Sandals and Pennies on a Bridge investigations

  • Explore electrostatic attraction through experimentation - moving tap water, balloon and paper, etc… and to understand attraction & repulsion

Inquiry opportunities:

  • SMARTER SCIENCE; Pennies on a Bridge

  • S.T.I.C; ‘Making paper sandals’ (highly recommended)

Lessons from the community:

Sample lesson plan

Feeling the Force

Notes

Copy of 1. Forces & Motion

SWLSB

Cycle 2

Grade 4

Material World

Systems and Interactions

Machines in motion

Essential Questions:

how do humans use machines to make their lives easier?

how do simple machines work?

WHAT DOES THE STUDENT NEED TO KNOW?(POL)

2. Simple machines

a. Recognizes simple machines (lever, inclined plane, screw, pulley, winch, wheel) used in an

object (e.g. lever in seesaw, inclined plane for an access ramp)

b. Describes the uses of certain simple machines (to adjust the force required)

4. How manufactured objects work

a. Identifies the mechanical parts (e.g. gears, cams, springs, simple machines, connecting rods)

b. Recognizes two types of motion (rotation and translation)

c. Describes a simple sequence of mechanical parts in motion

6. Transportation technology (e.g. car, airplane, boat)

a. Recognizes the influence and impact of

transportation technology on people’s way of life and surroundings

7. Electron technology

a. Recognizes the influence and the impact of electric appliances on people’s way of life and surroundings (e.g. telephone, radio, television, computer)

ed-tech resources:

HOW WILL IT BE TAUGHT?

Suggested approach

  • Brainstorm what is meant by ‘machine’ to evolve definition then use class discussion to develop the idea of machines being useful as they reduce the effort required to perform a task.

  • Introduce main types of simple machines lever, inclined plane, screw, pulley, winch, wheel (with practical demo of each if possible)

  • Great video on pulleys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2w3NZzPwOM

  • Demonstrate ROTATION 7 TRANSLATION as motion types and relate to machines/mechanisms

  • Identify mechanical parts in mechanism (e.g. gears, cams, springs, connecting rods) in familiar object

  • Use the EiE unit ‘Marvelous Machines’ and STIC demos (see below) to reinforce concepts.

  • NOTE – this area of the curriculum is usually weak at the high school level so it’s important to establish a firm grasp of these concepts at the elementary level

Inquiry opportunities: STIC; My Animated object, STIC Mechanical bug (both V. GOOD!)

Other experiments/demos:

special needs resources:

Notes

Machines grade 3

borrow me

This kit contains 3 sets of wooden gears showing the different kinds of gear trains. Use this kit to show a simple sequence of mechanical parts in motion as well as transmission of mechanical energy

SWLSB

Cycle 2

Grade 4

Earth and Space

Forces and Motion

night & day

Essential Question:

why do we experience night and day?

WHAT DOES THE STUDENT NEED TO KNOW?(POL)

1. Rotation of the Earth

a. Associates the cycle of day and night with the

rotation of the Earth

ed-tech resources:

special needs resources:

Notes

Day & Night grade 3

HOW WILL IT BE TAUGHT?

Suggested approach

  • Brainstorm what the students know about how the Earth moves

  • Review the ideas that the Earth rotates ‘orbits’ the sun and that this takes 365 days and that the Earth rotates on it’s axis and that this takes 24 hours

  • Use Onboard Academics ‘Day & Night’

  • Investigate why some days and nights are longer or shorter than in other places around the world.

  • Compare days (rotational period) of other planets

  • Complete EiE module

Inquiry opportunities:

Other experiments/demos:

  • DEMO; Use flashlight and globe in darkened room

  • Mark your school’s location on Google Earth and show it spinning into day and night

  • Students create a sundial to observe the earth’s rotation for a school day

  • WOWLab - Human Sundial

Sample lesson plan

Night and Day

SWLSB

Cycle 2

Grade 4

Earth and Space

Systems and interactions

look to the skies

Essential Question:

how do observable objects in the sky affect our lives?

WHAT DOES THE STUDENT NEED TO KNOW?(POL)

2. System involving the sun, the Earth and the moon

b. Describes the rotational and revolutionary motion of the Earth and the moon

c. Illustrates the phases of the lunar cycle (full moon, new moon, first and last quarters)

d. Illustrates the formation of eclipses (lunar, solar)

5. Stars and galaxies

a. Recognizes the stars and the constellations on a map of the stars

6. Meteorological systems and climates

a. Makes connections between weather conditions and the types of clouds in the sky

7. Technology related to the Earth, the atmosphere and outer space

a. Recognizes the influence and the impact of technologies related to the Earth, the atmosphere and outer space on people’s way of life and surroundings (e.g. prospecting equipment, meteorological instruments, seismograph, telescope, satellite, space station)

ed-tech resources:

Discovery ‘Our Home in Space’ (huge amount of other good videos are also available if you just search solar system!).

OnBoard ‘The Sun-Earth-Moon System’ (slides 1-7), ‘Solar System’, ‘Patterns in the Night Sky’, ‘Earthquakes’

Gizmos

Videoconferences:

websites:

Stellarium (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) – this is a program you can download and, with a

  • projector, you can turn your classroom into a planetarium

  • ‘Special Space Unit’ from Science.gc.ca is also valuable

  • Celestia

HOW WILL IT BE TAUGHT?

Engineering is Elementary

N/A

Suggested approach

  • Assess pre-existing knowledge by trying to construct your school’s interstellar address

  • Use this activity to define and categorize the differences between stars, planets and natural satellites (moons).

  • Use Celestia software to explore notions about the solar system and the orbits of both the Earth and Moon.

  • Explore the reasons for the lunar cycle and both lunar 7 solar eclipses

  • Explore the idea of phases of the moon with a daytime moon and ping pong ball

  • Use Stellarium to turn your class into a virtual planetarium and introduce the idea of constellations

  • Explore the idea of ‘sensing’ the Earth space photographer (remote sensing) and by equipment on the ground such as seismometers.


special needs resources:

Have students model the orbit of the Moon and its phases by completing the starter project below: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/307251047/

Notes

look to skys grade 3

SWLSB

Cycle 2

Grade 4

Living World

Forces and Motion

on the move

Essential Question:

how do animals move?

WHAT DOES THE STUDENT NEED TO KNOW?(POL)

ed-tech resources:

Discovery:

eduMedia Science: Volume 01 – ‘Animal Motion’ segment

OnBoard -

Gizmos -

Videoconferences:


Arundel Nature and Science Centre (ANSC):1.a, b Animal Tracking Spring and Fall -or- Animal Tracking Winter - Field Trip to ANSC for field experience in discovering animal tracks up close. Make your own tracks!1. a, b Mysteries of the Water World: Pond and Stream Studies discover how different animals move in various environments.1. a,b How Many Legs? - Entomology - discover how different animals move in various environments due to their adaptations.

sam's lessons:

Animals on the move guided inquiry and collaborative lesson:

  • students use the essential question to anchor the lesson

  • predictions about the essential question can be made

  • students work in teams of 4 to sketch and explain (on a large poster paper) how and why the animals are moving the way they do

  • students use the experiences they've had to make a claim about the essential question - making an justifying scientific claims (AST format)

  • students try to reason with evidence ("what do I know that makes me think this...")

HOW WILL IT BE TAUGHT?

Suggested approach

  • Consolidate the idea that there are some characteristics common to ALL living things and that one of these is LOCOMOTION – ‘moving’

  • Brainstorm the many types of ways in which animals can move and try to make lists/categories of examples of each. The video segment ‘Animal Motion’ could be helpful here.

  • Direct observation of animals in class (e.g caterpillar, ant etc) will help develop observational skills

  • The EiE knee brace module is a great way to wrap the module

Inquiry opportunities: SmarterScience Inquiry Card Footprint puzzle

Other experiments/demos:

special needs resources:

Notes

Locomotion grade 3

SWLSB

Cycle 2

Grade 4

Living World

Systems and Interactions

healthy habitats

Essential Questions:

how do organisms depend upon one another?

how do animals survive in their habitats?

how do humans impact the environment?

WHAT DOES THE STUDENT NEED TO KNOW?(POL)

1. Interactions between living organisms and their environment

c. Identifies habitats and the animal and plant populations found in them

d. Describes how animals meet their basic needs within their habitat

e. Describes relationships between living things (parasitism, predation)

f. Explains how animals and plants adapt to increase their chances of survival (e.g. mimicry, camouflage)

3. Interaction between humans and their environment

a. Describes the impact of human activity on the environment (e.g. use of resources, pollution, waste management, land use, urbanization, agriculture)

5. Environmental technology

a. Explains the scientific and technological concepts associated with recycling and composting (e.g. properties of matter, phase changes, physical changes, chemical changes, food chain, energy)

ed-tech resources:

HOW WILL IT BE TAUGHT?

Suggested approach

  • Explore concepts of ‘species’ ‘population’ and ‘habitat’ and demonstrate this by reference to different examples e.g. population of camels in Sahara or population of arctic foxes in Canada

  • use examples to demonstrate what the habitat is providing for the animal

  • use examples to demonstrate the idea of ADAPTATION

  • Onboard Academic presentations can be used to help illustrate all of the above concepts

  • GET OUTSIDE and study the habitat of the school yard and the adaptation and populations of the animals that live there

  • Discuss the impact of us humans on the environment and look at ways that we can reduce this impact e.g. recycling

Inquiry opportunities:

Other experiments/demos: ‘create your own superbug!’ – great site for teaching adaptation

Special needs resources:

Notes

Habitats grade 4