4th Grade Science Curriculum
In grade 4, students continue to build on their understanding of the natural world. They learn more about the different ecosystems on Earth and how they work. They also learn about the different types of rocks and minerals, how weather and climate can change Earth’s surface, and how the solar system formed.
Energy
- What is Energy?
- Potential and Kinetic Energy
- Gravitational Potential Energy
- Elastic Potential Energy – Building Catapults
- Energy Transfer – Can you save the sugar cube?
- Forms of Energy
- What is Energy Transfer/Transformation?
- Electrical Energy
- Energy Sources
- Fossil Fuels
- Renewable Energy Sources
Earth’s Systems
- Maps
- Earth’s Structure
- Earth’s Systems
- Tectonic Plates
- Volcanoes
- Natural Hazards
- Physical Weathering
- Chemical Weathering
- Erosion and Deposition
- Rocks and Minerals
- The Rock Cycle
- Fossils
Plants and Animals Structures
- Cells and Tissue
- Organ Systems
- Animal Structures
- Teeth
- Tails
- Beaks
- Plant Structures
- Plant Functions
- The Brain
- Animals Senses
- Sight
- Plant Tropisms
Waves
- Investigating Water Waves
- Types of Waves (mechanical, electromagnetic, transverse and
- longitudinal
- Anatomy of a wave
- Sound waves
- Pitch and Volume
- Sound and Matter
- How do we hear?
- Light waves
- Light and Matter
- Color of light
- Codes and Signals