Plants, animals, and senses
Students look at how the parts of a plant or animal help it stay alive, find food, and grow. They also trace how eyes, ears, and other senses send signals to the brain so an animal can react.
What does a student learn in
This is the year science gets explained, not just observed. Students build arguments and models for how things work, from why a faster ball hits harder to how light bounces into our eyes so we can see. They study how rocks, fossils, and rivers tell the story of a changing landscape, and how plants and animals are built to survive. By spring, students can use evidence to explain something they noticed, like how erosion changed a hillside.
- Energy and motion
- Light and waves
- Rocks and fossils
- Weathering and erosion
- Plant and animal parts
- Natural resources
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
- 2
Energy, motion, and collisions
Students learn that a faster object carries more energy. They roll, drop, and crash objects to see what happens when things collide, and they watch energy move from one form to another, like motion turning into heat or sound.
- 3
Light, sound, and waves
Students study waves by watching ripples in water and listening to sounds at different pitches. They figure out why we can see an object only when light bounces off it, and they try out simple ways to send a message using patterns.
- 4
Earth's changing surface
Students read rock layers and fossils like pages in a book to see how a place changed long ago. They test how water, wind, and ice wear down the land, and they use maps to spot patterns in mountains, rivers, and coastlines.
- 5
Natural resources and hazards
Students trace where fuel and electricity come from and how using them changes the land, air, and water. They also design and compare ways to protect homes and people from floods, earthquakes, and storms.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 4.
Earth and Space Sciences
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Rock layers and what they tell us | Rock layers act like a timeline. Students read clues in stacked stone and fossils to explain how a landscape, like a canyon or hillside, changed over millions of years. | 4-ESS1-1 |
| Weathering and erosion change the land | Students observe rocks, soil, and land to gather evidence of how wind, water, ice, or plant roots slowly break down and move Earth's surface. They may measure how fast erosion happens under different conditions. | 4-ESS2-1 |
| Reading maps to find Earth's patterns | Students read maps showing mountains, valleys, oceans, and fault lines to find patterns in where those features appear on Earth. | 4-ESS2-2 |
| Energy from nature, costs to Earth | Students learn where energy and fuel come from, such as wind, sunlight, coal, and oil, and what happens to the land, water, or air when people use them. | 4-ESS3-1 |
| Protecting people from natural disasters | Students think up and compare different ways to protect people from floods, earthquakes, or other natural events. They weigh the options and decide which solution works best. | 4-ESS3-2 |
Life Science
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| How body parts help living things survive | Plants and animals have body parts inside and outside that help them survive and grow. Students look at structures like roots, lungs, or eyes and explain what job each one does. | 4-LS1-1 |
| How animals sense and respond to the world | Animals take in information through their senses, send it to the brain, and react. Students use a model to show how that loop works, like how a dog hears a sound, processes it, and decides to run or stay. | 4-LS1-2 |
Physical Science
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Faster objects carry more energy | Students explain why a faster-moving object has more energy than a slower one. They back that claim with evidence, like comparing a rolling marble to a rolling bowling ball, or a slow kick to a hard kick. | 4-PS3-1 |
| Energy changing form stays the same amount | Students track what happens when energy moves or changes form, like when a ball rolls downhill or a light bulb gets warm, and show that the total amount of energy stays the same. | 4-PS3-2 |
| Collisions and energy changes | When two objects crash into each other, energy changes hands. Students ask questions and predict what will happen before the collision, then check whether a faster ball, a heavier block, or a softer surface changes the result. | 4-PS3-3 |
| Building a device that converts energy | Students design and test a device that changes one kind of energy into another, like turning sunlight into electricity or motion into sound. They use test results to improve the design. | 4-PS3-4 |
| Wave patterns and how waves move objects | Waves carry energy and can push or pull objects. Students build a model showing how waves differ by height (amplitude) and length (wavelength), then explain how those patterns cause objects to move. | 4-PS4-1 |
| How we see objects with light | Students explain why we can see things: light bounces off an object and travels into the eye. They draw or diagram this path to show how seeing actually works. | 4-PS4-2 |
| Sending information using patterns | Students design and compare ways to send information using patterns, like sound codes or light signals. The goal is to find which method works best for passing a message from one place to another. | 4-PS4-3 |
Assessments
The state tests students at this grade and subject take.
NYSAA (New York State Alternate Assessment)
The alternate state test for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. NYSAA replaces the Grade 3-8 tests and Regents exams in ELA, math, and science for the small group of students whose IEP teams qualify them.
- When given:
- Spring window each year
- Frequency:
- Annual
Common Questions
What does science look like this year?
Students study three big areas: Earth (rocks, fossils, maps, weather, and natural resources), life science (how plants and animals are built to survive, and how senses and the brain work together), and physical science (energy, speed, collisions, waves, and light). Most learning happens through hands-on experiments and building simple models.
How can a parent help with science at home?
Go outside and notice things together. Look at how rain wears down dirt on a hill, watch a squirrel use its tail for balance, or talk about why a ball rolls farther when pushed harder. Five minutes of wondering out loud counts as science practice.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students should be able to use evidence to explain how a landscape changed, describe how plants and animals are built to survive, and explain how energy moves when objects collide or when light hits an eye. They should also sketch simple models and read basic maps and data tables.
How should the year be sequenced?
A common path starts with energy and motion in the fall (concrete, hands-on, easy to measure), moves into waves and light, then plant and animal structures, and finishes with Earth systems and human impact. Saving Earth science for spring lets students apply earlier ideas about energy and patterns.
My child does not have a science textbook. Is that normal?
Yes. Fourth grade science is mostly investigations, not reading chapters. Students collect evidence, build small models, and write or talk about what they noticed. Ask what experiment was done this week and what the class figured out from it.
Which topics usually need the most reteaching?
Energy conservation and waves trip students up the most, because the ideas are invisible. Plan extra time for collision experiments, ramp tests, and water or rope wave demos. Fossils and rock layers also need careful work, since students often guess instead of using evidence from the layers themselves.
How can a parent help with the energy and motion unit?
Roll toy cars or marbles down a ramp at home. Ask what happens when the ramp is steeper, or what happens when two cars crash. Predict first, then test. That simple pattern (predict, test, explain) is exactly what students do in class.
How do I know students are ready for next year?
By June, students should be able to read a simple data table or map, write a short explanation that uses evidence, and propose a solution to a real problem like erosion near a building. If a student can explain why an answer is right, not just give it, they are ready.
How can a parent support reading and writing in science?
After a science lesson, ask the student to explain it in two or three sentences and draw a quick picture. Labels matter more than art. Writing and sketching about what they learned helps the ideas stick and builds the explanation skills used on science tasks.