Grade 4
Introducing Models to Elementary School Students
Students learn what a model is by comparing a model of the tongue to their own tongue. They practice asking themselves, "How is this model like the thing it represents, and how is it different?" This format of questioning can be used when using any model in science and can be used to check students' understanding and misconceptions.
View this entire lesson planIntroducing the Process of Investigative Science Using Worms
Students are introduced to the process of investigative science through a guided inquiry activity. Given a testable question and materials, students as a class make predictions, and design an investigation with guidance from the teacher. Then in pairs, students do the investigation, collect data, draw conclusions, and discuss ways to improve on the investigative design. After this activity, students will be able to develop independent investigations in this and other subject areas.
Students learn that a living thing can sense and respond to its environment.
View this entire lesson planDraw an Alien in its Natural Habitat
This is an extension and assessment activity for the Unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Changes in its Environment?"
View this entire lesson planStudent Designed Investigations Part 4 - Poster Presentations/Science Fair
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
In this particular lesson, students create Poster presentations explaining their investigations. They use the posters to help them present their investigations to an audience of adults and children at a science fair.
View this entire lesson planStudent Designed Investigations Part 3 – Collecting Data and Drawing Conclusions
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
In this particular lesson, students work in pairs to carry out their investgations, collect data, and make inferences based on their data.
View this entire lesson planStudent Designed Investigations Part 2 – Testable Questions, Predictions, Materials and Procedures
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
In this particular lesson, students work in pairs to decide on a testable question, make predictions, choose materials, and plan a procedure.
View this entire lesson planStudent Designed Investigations Part 1 – Observations
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?", that is designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a method for doing their own science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation and findings for a grade level science fair.
In Part 1 of this particular lesson, students work in pairs to observe a living organism and to brainstorm changes in the living thing's environment that would be important for the living organism to sense. They think about what structures their organism can use to sense and respond to its environment.
View this entire lesson planIntroducing Cells
Students learn that all living things are made of cells. They use a microscope to look for evidence of plant cells(from onion) and animal cells(from human cheek).
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to supplement the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
View this entire lesson planLiving or Non-living?
Students will investigate different objects and discuss whether they are alive or not alive. Students are challenged to provide evidence for their decision and defend their opinion.
This is the second lesson of a unit (What are Living Things and How does a Living thing Respond to Its Environment?) that was designed to precedes teaching the adopted FOSS unit on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a method for doing their own science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation and findings for a grade level science fair.
View this entire lesson planWhat Do Living Things Have In Common?
Students work in teams to discuss the question "What do all living things have in common?" They record their ideas and share their background knowledge. Then the groups come together and try to reach consensus about the characteristics that all living things share by asking each other questions and defending their ideas.
This is the first lesson from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to supplement the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
View this entire lesson planWhat is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment? - Unit Overview
"What is a Living Thing and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" is a unit designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
UNIT: What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?
Lessons:
1) What Do Living Things Have in Common?
2) Living or Non-living?
3) Introducing Cells
4) Introducing the Process of Investigative Science
5) Student Designed Investigations Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4- A Living Thing Responds to Its Environment
Part 1 - Observation
Part 2 - Testable Questions, Predictions, Materials, and Procedures
Part 3 - Collection Data and Drawing Conclusions
Part 4 - Poster Presentations/Science Fair
6) Extension Activity - Draw an Alien in Its Natural Habitat
View this entire lesson planSkulls- Herbivores, Omnivores, and Carnivores
Students familiarize themselves with different types of animal skulls and teeth. From observation they learn to tell which skulls are those of herbivores, omnivores and carnivores.
View this entire lesson planWhat is matter?
This activity is based on a lesson from the Living by Chemistry curriculum developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science (see citation).
During this activity students explore in depth their own understanding of what constitutes "matter" and work together as a group to create a definition for matter.
Students work in pairs to debate how to sort "items" printed on cards into three categories: "matter", "non-matter" and "unsure" and then try to determine what properties all items in each category have in common. A whole class discussion about "tricky" items follows during which students ultimately agree on a definition of matter.
You can choose which cards you would like to use depending on your students' age, abilities, and experiences. As an example, for elementary grades, you might choose not to use the entire set.
View this entire lesson planMeasuring Calories in Food
The lesson introduces the concept of calories and provides examples of high calorie and low calorie foods. Students learn a number of ways to determine how many calories a food item has and discuss how calories influence body weight. Students learn how to measure calories by constructing and using a calorimeter.
View this entire lesson planInvestigating the types of energy in different objects (lesson one of eight)
Class discussion on what energy is and different examples of energy. Instructors write words associated with each type of energy. Students pick an object and classify what energy it has. Students now take turns describing their object and defining what sort of energy it has.
View this entire lesson planConversion of energy into different forms (lesson two of eight)
Students investigate flash paper, rubber bands, a mechanical crank, and a radiometer to determine the energy conversion occurring in each.
View this entire lesson planEnergy Conversion in Electricity – Resistors and Circuits (lesson three of eight)
Students are introduced to the concept of a resistor and reminded about electrical energy from the previous lesson. They are then challenged to build a GIANT circuit to determine whether the size of a circuit affects whether it lights a bulb. They build as a class a giant series and giant parallel circuit. Then, in pairs, they build their own circuits with different resistors.
View this entire lesson planMaking a battery
This is an inquiry-based activity in which students are given materials to make a battery. Students work in pairs and results are shared with the class. Content is discussed after the hands-on session.
View this entire lesson planElectromagnets (lesson four of eight)
Introduce the scientific method, control and variable. Reiterate that electricity can be used to create magnetic energy and discuss the different properties of an electromagnet (number of batteries, number or wires turns, or material of wire). Students then take time to think of experiments varying these properties and then test their hypotheses by actually performing the experiment they thought of.
View this entire lesson planStates of Matter (lesson five of eight)
Students investigate the difference between ice and dry ice, and review the concept of control and variable. The scientists demonstrate condensation, sublimation, and freezing with a series of object lessons.
View this entire lesson planUnderstanding Germs (Bacteria, Viruses and Fungi)
This lesson focuses on understanding "germs" (specifically bacteria, viruses, and fungi), how they cause illness, how they can help us, and some lessons about personal hygiene (protecting ourselves from germs). Students learn about the different classes of germs via a book and discussion, assign germ names, symptoms and modes of contraction to microbe stuffed animals, and finally try to wash "Glo Germ" off their hands to emphasize the importance of personal hygine.
View this entire lesson planThe energy of life in zebrafish (lesson six of eight)
We introduce the concept that life needs energy to grow. We explain a little about microscopy and then the students observe different stages of zebrafish development (except we do not tell them that it is a zebrafish). Then student predict what animal they are observing leading up to a big reveal.
View this entire lesson planIntroducing Models to Elementary School Students
Students learn what a model is by comparing a model of the tongue to their own tongue. They practice asking themselves, "How is this model like the thing it represents, and how is it different?" This format of questioning can be used when using any model in science and can be used to check students' understanding and misconceptions.
View this entire lesson planConducting Controlled Investigations: Example Using Sound
The teacher conducts an investigation to compare the sound produced by two different sized pipes (higher pitch, lower pitch, louder, softer). The teacher conducts the experiment multiple times, each time changing different variables. The students are "directors" and are asked to "cut" the scene when they observe something wrong with the experiment.
View this entire lesson planAlternative Energy Part II (lesson eight of eight)
Student take their cars outside to a "time track" and a "distance track". They measure how fast their car goes 10 feet on the "time track" and how far their car goes in 30 seconds on the "distance track". They perform multiple trials, interpret their data, and predict which region in the world the car would be most suitable for.
View this entire lesson plan