Science — Grade 4

Yahooligans owl information

The topic of this lesson is great horned owls. The students will read information about the description of the owls and their eating habits. The students will also be able to listen to the sounds that a great horned owl makes. The student will be expected to use computer skills as well as reading skills to look up information in the website for the worksheet.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Science)

By Nicole Davenport.

Trees of North Carolina

Students complete activities including tree and leaf identification, species comparison, online research, measurement, and creative writing in conjunction with monthly visits to the "Iredell County Outdoor Education Site"

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts and Science)

By Amy Luna and Kathy Beck.

Polar bears: Keeping warm at the Arctic

Students will learn about the polar bear's body coverings and how they help it to survive in the Arctic climate. The activities include a trip to the North Carolina Zoological park and a hands-on experiment to facilitate this goal, followed by reflection on and communication of what they have learned using a variety of media including art and literature.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Science)

By Sandy Hardin.

Operation beach teach

This lesson is the introduction to an integrated marine science unit which culminates in an early fall trip to Hammocks Beach State Park. (See attachment: Pre-Activity). The unit is designed to hook students into science and provide joyful learning experiences across the curriculum.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Visual Arts Education, English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies)

By Melissa Tukey.

Habitat photo album

Students will use digital cameras and explore the outdoors searching ecosystems for opportunities to take pictures of different habitats and the components that go into them.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Science)

By Colleen Buchauer and Lesley Brooks.

The big, bad, red wolf: Fact and fantasy

This lesson will explore the myths and legends surrounding wolves. We will also investigate factual information about the endangered red wolf.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts and Science)

By steven sather.

Archaeobotany

In Intrigue of the Past, page 2.6

Students will use pictures of seeds, an activity sheet, and a graph to identify seven seeds and the conditions in which they grow. They will also infer ancient plant use by interpreting archaeobotanical samples and determine changing plant use by Native North Carolinians by interpreting a graph of seed frequency over time.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 and 8 Science and Social Studies)

Animal slide shows!

This project is a culmination of a science unit on animals which integrates computer skills, language arts and art. After a study of animals which includes classification, basic needs of animals, animal adaptations, and animal behaviors, the students will use the computer to complete a slide show of one animal they have studied at length.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Computer/Technology Skills and Science)

By Margie Bartolomucci.

Animal research: A multimedia approach

Students will be working with a partner to research a favorite animal. They will be required to use a wide variety of resources which include multimedia software packages, the Internet, and various books. The students will be looking up general information about their animal, such as its habitat, place on the food chain, size, etc. Ultimately the students will be responsible for presenting the information they have gathered in some form of multimedia presentation. This activity is primarily student-oriented rather than teacher-oriented in that the students will be selecting what animals they want to research and what materials they want to use in creating their report. The teacher will give some basic requirements and guidelines to ensure that students are on task.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Information Skills and Science)

By Amy Edwards.

Animal report

After studying the various animal groups, students write a report about an animal of their choosing using well-formed paragraphs.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Science)

By Kay Sims.

Animal environments: Day one

Students will group animals using common characteristics. Students will develop an understanding of animal adaptations. This lesson was designed to be used with the lesson "Diamante Poetry Using Environments: Day two."

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Science)

By Cheri Cole.

Animal adaptation

This lesson focuses on the adaptations, body structures, and behavior of animals. The students will explore animal growth and adaptations of animals. This lesson is designed to be taught during the reading of Stone Fox.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Development and Science)

By Jennifer Fessler and Karen Wright.

Resources on the web

Why study nurse shark mating?

In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore basic information about nurse sharks and read articles describing recent studies in the Florida Keys. They also read about shark conservation programs and discuss how nurse shark mating studies might assist shark... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Science)

Provided by: Xpeditions

Which turtle for the tiger shark?

In this Xpeditions lesson, students consider the reasons for the significant difference in vulnerability between the turtle species in Western Australia's Shark Bay. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Science)

Provided by: National Geographic

What's so key about a keystone species?

In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students learn about tiger sharks through Web sites such as National Geographic's "Filming Tiger Sharks" site. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Science)

Provided by: National Geographic

What's happening to the emperor penguins?

In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students learn about emperor penguins' habitat and behaviors through Web sites such as National Geographic's "Creature Feature." (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Science)

Provided by: National Geographic

What do we know about nurse shark mating?

In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students use National Geographic articles to learn some basic information about nurse sharks and see photographs of scientists conducting nurse shark studies. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Science)

Provided by: National Geographic

Webcams in the classroom: Animal inquiry and observation

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students observe animal habits and habitats using one of the many webcams broadcasting from zoos and aquariums around the United States and the world. Based on the observation of webcams, this lesson plan engages students... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts and Science)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

We're in hot water now: Hydrothermal vents

In this Xpeditions lesson, students learn about the process that drives geysers, which are hydrothermal vents, by using the National Geographic “Fantastic Journeys: Yellowstone”. Activities in this lesson engage... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Science)

Provided by: National Geographic

Social trade-offs

The purpose of this lesson, from Science NetLinks, is to make and evaluate decisions by weighing the benefits and drawbacks of each alternative. In the lesson, students practice the skill of decision-making through role-playing. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science