Grade Level: 4
Unit Title: Forces and Motion/Matter, Properties and Change / Timeframe Needed for Completion:12 Weeks
Grading Period:2rd Nine Weeks
Big Idea/Theme: Magnets, Electricity, Matter, and Fossils
Understand how various forces affect the motion of an object.
Understand the composition and properties of matter before and after they undergo a change or interaction.
Understand the use of fossils and changes in the surface of the earth as evidence of the history of Earth and its changing life forms.
Essential Questions:
How does matter behave?
How does the study of rocks give us clues about the composition of the Earth?
What is matter?
Why is it essential to all things?
What is a fossil?
How does erosion and weathering affect the surface of the Earth?
Are all rocks the same?
How do rocks tell the story of the earth?
Weekly Written Responses:
What is a metamorphic rock? (Igneous, Sedimentary)
Compare and contrast a mineral versus a rock.
Pretend you are a rock take us through your cycle as a rock.
Are rocks and minerals useful in your everyday life? / 4.P.2 Understand the composition and properties of matter before and after they undergo a change or interaction.
4.P.2.1 Compare the physical properties of samples of matter (strength, hardness, flexibility, ability to conduct heat, ability to conduct electricity, ability to be attracted by magnets, reactions to water and fire).
4.P.2.2 Explain how minerals are identified using tests for the physical properties of hardness, color, luster, cleavage, and streak.
4.P.2.3 Classify rocks as metamorphic, sedimentary, or igneous based on their composition, how they are formed and the processes that create them.
4.E.2 Understand the use of fossils and changes in the surface of the earth as evidence of the history of the Earth and its changing life forms.
4.E.2.1 Compare fossils (including molds, casts, and preserved parts of plants and animals) to one another and to living organisms.
4.E.2.2 Infer ideas about Earth’s early environments from fossils of plants and animals that lived long ago.
4.E.2.3 Give examples of how the surface of the earth changes due to slow processes such as erosion and weathering, and rapid processes such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.
Essential Skills/Vocabulary:
Soil Landslide
Metaphoric Volcanic eruption
Igneous Earthquake
Sedimentary Organisms
Conglomerate Magma
Core Lava
Sediment Weathering Decayers: dead plants
Pressure animals
Heat erosion
chemicals
Cementing
Fossil
Imprint
Granite
Industry
Archeologist
Skills:
- Describe the properties of minerals
- Recognize the structures of physical properties unique to individual rocks/minerals
- Inventory minerals used in everyday living (i.e. talc- paper making, plastic, paint and coatings, rubber, food, electric cable, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, ceramics etc.)
- Demonstrate knowledge of rock cycle
- Identify rock classifications
- How fossils are preserved/extracted
- Daily 5: Informational Books, text features, read to self/read with someone, research, work on word work, and work on writing
- Identify rock samples by testing properties
- Pet Rock Activity
- Traveling Rock Buddies/Rock Journal (Write about the adventures of the pet over the course of an evening with you and your family. Be prepared to share upon returning to school.)
- Missing Poster for personal Pet Rock (use properties to describe)
- Geo-cashing to find missing Pet Rocks
- Summarize the rock cycle
- Illustrate the rock cycle
- Pretend you are a rock going through the rock cycle. Describe your journey and changes that you experienced along the way.
- Write a business letter requesting space at the AlbemarleMuseum to display a recent fossil discovery.
- Create fossil imprints of shells etc. using casting materials
- Create fossil imprints using a rubber fish and paint on t-shirts
- Identify types of rocks from photographs
- Teacher-made quizzes and tests
- Formative assessments
Materials Suggestions:
Share resources by posting to the shared RW drive 4th grade science
Community Workers-Power Company, Phone Company, Fire Dept. etc.)
Magic School Bus “The Magic School Bus Gets Charged”
(rubber fish activity)