What science will students learn this year?

Students study energy, waves, light, and sound. They learn how plants and animals use their body parts to survive, how animals sense and react to the world, and how rocks, fossils, and weather change the land over time. They also look at where fuels come from and how people can protect the land from floods, wind, and other natural events.

How can families support science at home?

Talk about what students notice outside. Why does a creek bend the way it does? What happens when a fast scooter hits a slow one? Building a simple ramp for toy cars, shining a flashlight in a dark room, or planting seeds in a cup all count as real science practice.

What does mastery look like by the end of the year?

By spring, students can explain that faster objects carry more energy, describe how light bounces off objects so eyes can see them, and use fossils or rock layers as evidence that a place once looked different. They can also design a simple device and improve it after testing.

How should the year be sequenced?

Many teachers start with energy and waves because students can run quick hands-on tests with balls, springs, and flashlights. Life science fits well in the middle, when students can observe plants and animals outside. Earth science often anchors the spring, with erosion experiments and map work leading into the human impact unit.

What if a student struggles with the engineering tasks?

Engineering is new for many students, and the first design rarely works. Encourage students to draw the plan first, build a small version, and write down what failed. The point is the redesign, not a perfect first try. At home, repairing a broken toy or improving a paper airplane builds the same habit.

Which topics usually need the most reteaching?

Energy transfer and waves tend to need a second pass. Students often mix up sound, heat, and light as separate ideas instead of seeing them all as energy moving from one place to another. Short demos revisited across the year help more than one long unit.

My child says science is just memorizing facts. Is that right?

Not this year. Most of fourth grade science is about building an explanation from what students observe. Asking questions like how do you know that or what evidence supports that pushes students to back up their thinking with what they saw, measured, or read.

How do I know a student is ready for fifth grade science?

A ready student can run a simple test, record what happened, and use that evidence to explain why. They can read a basic map or diagram, compare two designs, and describe how living things and the land change over time. Strong writing about observations matters as much as the science content.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year science gets hands-on and starts asking students to explain why things happen. Students study energy in motion, watching how a faster ball hits harder and how heat, light, and sound move from one place to another. They look at how plants and animals are built to survive, and read clues in rock layers and worn-down hillsides to figure out how the land has changed. By spring, they can build a small device that turns one kind of energy into another and explain how it works.

Energy and motion
Light and sound
Plant and animal parts
Rocks and fossils
Weathering and erosion
Natural resources

Source: Idaho Idaho Content Standards

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.

1
Energy in motion
Students explore how fast-moving objects carry more energy than slow ones. They watch what happens when things collide, like marbles or toy cars, and explain why a harder hit makes a bigger change.
2
Heat, light, sound, and circuits
Students watch energy travel as warmth, noise, light, and electricity. They build a small device that turns one kind of energy into another, like a flashlight circuit or a simple buzzer.
3
Waves and how we see
Students make models of waves in water or rope and notice the height and spacing of each wave. They also figure out why a room has to have light for eyes to see anything at all.
4
Plant and animal bodies
Students look at the parts of plants and animals that help them stay alive, grow, and raise young. They also trace how an animal senses something, thinks about it, and reacts.
5
Reading the land
Students study rock layers and fossils for clues about what a place used to look like. They measure how water, ice, wind, and roots wear land down, and read maps to spot mountains, rivers, and coastlines.
6
Natural resources and hazards
Students trace where fuel and energy come from and how using them changes the land, air, and water. They compare ways people can protect homes and towns from floods, earthquakes, and storms.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 4.

Physical Science

Energy

4-PS-1

Students learn where energy comes from, how it moves from place to place, and what it can do, like heating objects, making sounds, or getting things to move.
Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the…

4-PS-1.1

Students compare a slow-moving ball to a fast-moving one and explain why the faster object has more energy. Speed and energy go together: the faster something moves, the harder it hits.
Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred by heat…

4-PS-1.2

Students observe and record how energy moves from one place to another, whether through heat, sound, light, or electricity. They collect real evidence, like a warm surface or a lit bulb, to show that energy can travel and change things.
Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when…

4-PS-1.3

Students watch objects collide and predict what will happen to the energy when they hit. They practice asking questions like: will a faster ball make a bigger dent, or will a heavier one roll farther after impact?
Apply scientific ideas to design, test

4-PS-1.4

Students design and test a device that changes energy from one form to another, such as a pinwheel that turns wind into motion, then improve it based on what they observe.
Waves

4-PS-2

Students learn how waves move energy from place to place. They explore how water waves, sound waves, and light waves behave, including how waves can be reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through different materials.
Develop a model of a simple mechanical wave to describe patterns of amplitude…

4-PS-2.1

Students draw or build a model of a wave, like a water ripple, to show how tall the wave is and how far apart the peaks are. They also show how a wave can push or move an object in its path.
Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the…

4-PS-2.2

Students learn why we can see things: light bounces off an object and travels into the eye. They draw or diagram that process to show how vision actually works.
Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer…

4-PS-2.3

Students design and test different ways to send a message using a repeating pattern, like sound pulses or light flashes, then compare which method works best.

Standard	Definition	Code
Energy	Students learn where energy comes from, how it moves from place to place, and what it can do, like heating objects, making sounds, or getting things to move.	4-PS-1
Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the…	Students compare a slow-moving ball to a fast-moving one and explain why the faster object has more energy. Speed and energy go together: the faster something moves, the harder it hits.	4-PS-1.1
Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred by heat…	Students observe and record how energy moves from one place to another, whether through heat, sound, light, or electricity. They collect real evidence, like a warm surface or a lit bulb, to show that energy can travel and change things.	4-PS-1.2
Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when…	Students watch objects collide and predict what will happen to the energy when they hit. They practice asking questions like: will a faster ball make a bigger dent, or will a heavier one roll farther after impact?	4-PS-1.3
Apply scientific ideas to design, test	Students design and test a device that changes energy from one form to another, such as a pinwheel that turns wind into motion, then improve it based on what they observe.	4-PS-1.4
Waves	Students learn how waves move energy from place to place. They explore how water waves, sound waves, and light waves behave, including how waves can be reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through different materials.	4-PS-2
Develop a model of a simple mechanical wave to describe patterns of amplitude…	Students draw or build a model of a wave, like a water ripple, to show how tall the wave is and how far apart the peaks are. They also show how a wave can push or move an object in its path.	4-PS-2.1
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 process to show how vision actually works.	4-PS-2.2
Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer…	Students design and test different ways to send a message using a repeating pattern, like sound pulses or light flashes, then compare which method works best.	4-PS-2.3

Physical Science

Energy

4-PS-1

Students learn where energy comes from, how it moves from place to place, and what it can do, like heating objects, making sounds, or getting things to move.
Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the…

4-PS-1.1

Students compare a slow-moving ball to a fast-moving one and explain why the faster object has more energy. Speed and energy go together: the faster something moves, the harder it hits.
Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred by heat…

4-PS-1.2

Students observe and record how energy moves from one place to another, whether through heat, sound, light, or electricity. They collect real evidence, like a warm surface or a lit bulb, to show that energy can travel and change things.
Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when…

4-PS-1.3

Students watch objects collide and predict what will happen to the energy when they hit. They practice asking questions like: will a faster ball make a bigger dent, or will a heavier one roll farther after impact?
Apply scientific ideas to design, test

4-PS-1.4

Students design and test a device that changes energy from one form to another, such as a pinwheel that turns wind into motion, then improve it based on what they observe.
Waves

4-PS-2

Students learn how waves move energy from place to place. They explore how water waves, sound waves, and light waves behave, including how waves can be reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through different materials.
Develop a model of a simple mechanical wave to describe patterns of amplitude…

4-PS-2.1

Students draw or build a model of a wave, like a water ripple, to show how tall the wave is and how far apart the peaks are. They also show how a wave can push or move an object in its path.
Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the…

4-PS-2.2

Students learn why we can see things: light bounces off an object and travels into the eye. They draw or diagram that process to show how vision actually works.
Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer…

4-PS-2.3

Students design and test different ways to send a message using a repeating pattern, like sound pulses or light flashes, then compare which method works best.

Standard	Definition	Code
Energy	Students learn where energy comes from, how it moves from place to place, and what it can do, like heating objects, making sounds, or getting things to move.	4-PS-1
Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the…	Students compare a slow-moving ball to a fast-moving one and explain why the faster object has more energy. Speed and energy go together: the faster something moves, the harder it hits.	4-PS-1.1
Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred by heat…	Students observe and record how energy moves from one place to another, whether through heat, sound, light, or electricity. They collect real evidence, like a warm surface or a lit bulb, to show that energy can travel and change things.	4-PS-1.2
Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when…	Students watch objects collide and predict what will happen to the energy when they hit. They practice asking questions like: will a faster ball make a bigger dent, or will a heavier one roll farther after impact?	4-PS-1.3
Apply scientific ideas to design, test	Students design and test a device that changes energy from one form to another, such as a pinwheel that turns wind into motion, then improve it based on what they observe.	4-PS-1.4
Waves	Students learn how waves move energy from place to place. They explore how water waves, sound waves, and light waves behave, including how waves can be reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through different materials.	4-PS-2
Develop a model of a simple mechanical wave to describe patterns of amplitude…	Students draw or build a model of a wave, like a water ripple, to show how tall the wave is and how far apart the peaks are. They also show how a wave can push or move an object in its path.	4-PS-2.1
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 process to show how vision actually works.	4-PS-2.2
Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer…	Students design and test different ways to send a message using a repeating pattern, like sound pulses or light flashes, then compare which method works best.	4-PS-2.3

Life Science

From Molecules to Organisms

4-LS-1

Students learn how living things are built and how they work. They study the parts of plants and animals, from large structures like leaves and lungs down to the tiny building blocks that make those parts function.
Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external…

4-LS-1.1

Plants and animals have body parts inside and out that keep them alive and help them grow. Students study how those structures work, then build an argument explaining why each one matters for survival or reproduction.
Use a model to describe how animals receive different types of information…

4-LS-1.2

Animals take in information through their senses, such as sight or touch, and the brain decides what to do next. Students use a model to show how that loop works, from sensing something to responding to it.

Standard	Definition	Code
From Molecules to Organisms	Students learn how living things are built and how they work. They study the parts of plants and animals, from large structures like leaves and lungs down to the tiny building blocks that make those parts function.	4-LS-1
Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external…	Plants and animals have body parts inside and out that keep them alive and help them grow. Students study how those structures work, then build an argument explaining why each one matters for survival or reproduction.	4-LS-1.1
Use a model to describe how animals receive different types of information…	Animals take in information through their senses, such as sight or touch, and the brain decides what to do next. Students use a model to show how that loop works, from sensing something to responding to it.	4-LS-1.2

Life Science

From Molecules to Organisms

4-LS-1

Students learn how living things are built and how they work. They study the parts of plants and animals, from large structures like leaves and lungs down to the tiny building blocks that make those parts function.
Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external…

4-LS-1.1

Plants and animals have body parts inside and out that keep them alive and help them grow. Students study how those structures work, then build an argument explaining why each one matters for survival or reproduction.
Use a model to describe how animals receive different types of information…

4-LS-1.2

Animals take in information through their senses, such as sight or touch, and the brain decides what to do next. Students use a model to show how that loop works, from sensing something to responding to it.

Standard	Definition	Code
From Molecules to Organisms	Students learn how living things are built and how they work. They study the parts of plants and animals, from large structures like leaves and lungs down to the tiny building blocks that make those parts function.	4-LS-1
Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external…	Plants and animals have body parts inside and out that keep them alive and help them grow. Students study how those structures work, then build an argument explaining why each one matters for survival or reproduction.	4-LS-1.1
Use a model to describe how animals receive different types of information…	Animals take in information through their senses, such as sight or touch, and the brain decides what to do next. Students use a model to show how that loop works, from sensing something to responding to it.	4-LS-1.2

Earth and Space Science

Earth's Place in the Universe

4-ESS-1

Students learn where Earth sits in space, from its place in the solar system out to its position in the larger universe. They study how the sun, moon, and stars relate to Earth and to each other.
Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers…

4-ESS-1.1

Rock layers act like a timeline. Students read patterns in stacked rocks and fossils to figure out how a landscape changed over millions of years.
Earth's Systems

4-ESS-2

Students study how water, land, and air work together as part of one connected system. They look at how oceans, rocks, weather, and living things shape each other over time.
Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of…

4-ESS-2.1

Students observe rocks, soil, and land to gather evidence of how water, ice, wind, or plant roots slowly break down and move earth's materials. The focus is on noticing how fast or slow that change happens.
Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features

4-ESS-2.2

Students read maps to find patterns in where mountains, valleys, oceans, and other landforms show up across Earth. The goal is to notice that these features are not random.
Earth and Human Activity

4-ESS-3

Students study how people use Earth's natural resources, like water, soil, and rocks, and explore how those choices affect the land and environment around them.
Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived…

4-ESS-3.1

Students learn where energy and fuel come from, such as coal, wind, or sunlight, and look at how using those resources changes the land, water, or air around us.
Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth…

4-ESS-3.2

Students look at problems caused by floods, earthquakes, or erosion and compare different ways to protect people from them. The goal is to weigh the options and explain which solution works best.

Standard	Definition	Code
Earth's Place in the Universe	Students learn where Earth sits in space, from its place in the solar system out to its position in the larger universe. They study how the sun, moon, and stars relate to Earth and to each other.	4-ESS-1
Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers…	Rock layers act like a timeline. Students read patterns in stacked rocks and fossils to figure out how a landscape changed over millions of years.	4-ESS-1.1
Earth's Systems	Students study how water, land, and air work together as part of one connected system. They look at how oceans, rocks, weather, and living things shape each other over time.	4-ESS-2
Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of…	Students observe rocks, soil, and land to gather evidence of how water, ice, wind, or plant roots slowly break down and move earth's materials. The focus is on noticing how fast or slow that change happens.	4-ESS-2.1
Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features	Students read maps to find patterns in where mountains, valleys, oceans, and other landforms show up across Earth. The goal is to notice that these features are not random.	4-ESS-2.2
Earth and Human Activity	Students study how people use Earth's natural resources, like water, soil, and rocks, and explore how those choices affect the land and environment around them.	4-ESS-3
Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived…	Students learn where energy and fuel come from, such as coal, wind, or sunlight, and look at how using those resources changes the land, water, or air around us.	4-ESS-3.1
Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth…	Students look at problems caused by floods, earthquakes, or erosion and compare different ways to protect people from them. The goal is to weigh the options and explain which solution works best.	4-ESS-3.2

Earth and Space Science

Earth's Place in the Universe

4-ESS-1

Students learn where Earth sits in space, from its place in the solar system out to its position in the larger universe. They study how the sun, moon, and stars relate to Earth and to each other.
Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers…

4-ESS-1.1

Rock layers act like a timeline. Students read patterns in stacked rocks and fossils to figure out how a landscape changed over millions of years.
Earth's Systems

4-ESS-2

Students study how water, land, and air work together as part of one connected system. They look at how oceans, rocks, weather, and living things shape each other over time.
Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of…

4-ESS-2.1

Students observe rocks, soil, and land to gather evidence of how water, ice, wind, or plant roots slowly break down and move earth's materials. The focus is on noticing how fast or slow that change happens.
Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features

4-ESS-2.2

Students read maps to find patterns in where mountains, valleys, oceans, and other landforms show up across Earth. The goal is to notice that these features are not random.
Earth and Human Activity

4-ESS-3

Students study how people use Earth's natural resources, like water, soil, and rocks, and explore how those choices affect the land and environment around them.
Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived…

4-ESS-3.1

Students learn where energy and fuel come from, such as coal, wind, or sunlight, and look at how using those resources changes the land, water, or air around us.
Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth…

4-ESS-3.2

Students look at problems caused by floods, earthquakes, or erosion and compare different ways to protect people from them. The goal is to weigh the options and explain which solution works best.

Standard	Definition	Code
Earth's Place in the Universe	Students learn where Earth sits in space, from its place in the solar system out to its position in the larger universe. They study how the sun, moon, and stars relate to Earth and to each other.	4-ESS-1
Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers…	Rock layers act like a timeline. Students read patterns in stacked rocks and fossils to figure out how a landscape changed over millions of years.	4-ESS-1.1
Earth's Systems	Students study how water, land, and air work together as part of one connected system. They look at how oceans, rocks, weather, and living things shape each other over time.	4-ESS-2
Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of…	Students observe rocks, soil, and land to gather evidence of how water, ice, wind, or plant roots slowly break down and move earth's materials. The focus is on noticing how fast or slow that change happens.	4-ESS-2.1
Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features	Students read maps to find patterns in where mountains, valleys, oceans, and other landforms show up across Earth. The goal is to notice that these features are not random.	4-ESS-2.2
Earth and Human Activity	Students study how people use Earth's natural resources, like water, soil, and rocks, and explore how those choices affect the land and environment around them.	4-ESS-3
Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived…	Students learn where energy and fuel come from, such as coal, wind, or sunlight, and look at how using those resources changes the land, water, or air around us.	4-ESS-3.1
Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth…	Students look at problems caused by floods, earthquakes, or erosion and compare different ways to protect people from them. The goal is to weigh the options and explain which solution works best.	4-ESS-3.2

Common Questions

What science will students learn this year?
Students study energy, waves, light, and sound. They learn how plants and animals use their body parts to survive, how animals sense and react to the world, and how rocks, fossils, and weather change the land over time. They also look at where fuels come from and how people can protect the land from floods, wind, and other natural events.
How can families support science at home?
Talk about what students notice outside. Why does a creek bend the way it does? What happens when a fast scooter hits a slow one? Building a simple ramp for toy cars, shining a flashlight in a dark room, or planting seeds in a cup all count as real science practice.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
By spring, students can explain that faster objects carry more energy, describe how light bounces off objects so eyes can see them, and use fossils or rock layers as evidence that a place once looked different. They can also design a simple device and improve it after testing.
How should the year be sequenced?
Many teachers start with energy and waves because students can run quick hands-on tests with balls, springs, and flashlights. Life science fits well in the middle, when students can observe plants and animals outside. Earth science often anchors the spring, with erosion experiments and map work leading into the human impact unit.
What if a student struggles with the engineering tasks?
Engineering is new for many students, and the first design rarely works. Encourage students to draw the plan first, build a small version, and write down what failed. The point is the redesign, not a perfect first try. At home, repairing a broken toy or improving a paper airplane builds the same habit.
Which topics usually need the most reteaching?
Energy transfer and waves tend to need a second pass. Students often mix up sound, heat, and light as separate ideas instead of seeing them all as energy moving from one place to another. Short demos revisited across the year help more than one long unit.
My child says science is just memorizing facts. Is that right?
Not this year. Most of fourth grade science is about building an explanation from what students observe. Asking questions like how do you know that or what evidence supports that pushes students to back up their thinking with what they saw, measured, or read.
How do I know a student is ready for fifth grade science?
A ready student can run a simple test, record what happened, and use that evidence to explain why. They can read a basic map or diagram, compare two designs, and describe how living things and the land change over time. Strong writing about observations matters as much as the science content.