grade four - science update - loudoun county public schools

R E P R O D U C I B L E 1

GRADE FOUR

SCIENCE UPDATE

LET’S BEGIN!

WELCOME TO AN EXCITING NEW YEAR The science program in fourth grade is packed with all sorts of wonderful and engaging topics.

WHAT ARE THE SCIENCE STANDARDS OF

LEARNING? Your child’s science curriculum is determined by

the Virginia Department of Education. Students in

fourth grade work on preparing for the state-wide

Science Standards of Learning Test. This test is

given at the end of fifth grade and covers all the

material learned in Grades 4 and 5.

A complete list of the science SOLs is available at:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/

standards_ docs/science/review.shtml

HOW CAN I HELP AT HOME? As each new topic is introduced, you will receive

an SOL Science Update. In this newsletter you will

see the Standard of Learning being taught in class,

along with the Essential Knowledge, Skills, and

Processes. These come directly from the written

documents provided by the State Department of

Education. In addition, at the end of each chapter,

you will receive a Chapter Review sheet that

summarizes the key concepts and vocabulary that

were explored.

You may wish to keep the newsletters and the

review sheets in a binder or folder so that you can

use them throughout this year and next year when

preparing for the cumulative SOL test at the end of

5th grade.

WHAT IS MY CHILD LEARNING THIS YEAR?

Here’s what we will be studying in fourth grade:

4.1 scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of

science

4.2 characteristics and interactions of moving

objects

4.3 characteristics of electricity

4.4 basic plant anatomy and life processes

4.5 plants, animals, and non-living components

interaction within an ecosystem

4.6 weather conditions and phenomena

4.7 organization of the solar system

4.8 relationships among Earth, the moon, and

the sun

4.9 important Virginia natural resources

LEARNING AT HOME You are a vital link to the success of your child! For

this reason, we invite you to become an active part of

your child's learning. The textbook your child is

using, Exploring Science: All Around Us, was

specifically designed to meet the Standards of

Learning.

Use it to help start discussions, review material

covered in class, and to preview future topics.

Science really IS all around you, so we hope you will

enjoy exploring these new topics with your child.

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/


GRADE FOUR

SCIENCE UPDATE

CHAPTER ONE

BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION We begin with basic science skills!

HOW CAN I HELP AT HOME?

The first chapter focuses on

building the sound scientific skills

that will be used throughout the

school year. At home, it would be

most helpful if you start to consider

parts of daily life in a scientific

manner.

Take every-day events such as:

• grocery shopping

• cooking dinner

• checking the weather

• making decisions

• watching the news

• reading the newspaper

• fixing something around the

house

Start thinking aloud about these

events, while using scientific

language. Help your child see that

science is indeed, all around us!

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF MY CHILD? In order to meet this standard, it is expected that students will

• differentiate among simple observations, conclusions, inferences, and

predictions, and correctly apply the terminology in oral and written work.

• analyze a set of 20 or fewer objects or pictures. Sort them into categories to

organize the data (qualitative or quantitative), and construct bar graphs and line

graphs depicting the distribution of those data based on characteristics or

properties.

• use millimeters, centimeters, meters, kilometers, grams, kilograms, milliliters,

liters, and degrees Celsius in measurement.

• choose the appropriate instruments, including centimeter rulers, meter sticks,

scales, balances, graduated cylinders, beakers, and Celsius thermometers, for

making basic metric measures.

• measure elapsed time using a stopwatch or a clock.

• make predictions, inferences, and draw conclusions using a variety of sources

such as picture graphs, bar graphs, and basic line graphs.

• analyze the variables in a simple experiment. Identify the independent

variable and the dependent variable. Decide which other variable(s) must be

held constant (not allowed to change) in order for the investigation to represent a

fair test.

• create a plausible hypothesis, stated in terms of cause (if) and effect (then),

from a set of basic observations that can be tested. Hypotheses can be stated in

terms such as: ―If the water temperature is increased, then the amount of sugar

that can be dissolved in it will increase.

• organize and analyze data from a simple experiment. Construct bar graphs

and line graphs depicting the data.

• judge which, if any, data in a simple set of results (generally 10 or fewer in

number) appear to be contradictory or unusual.

• present results of a simple experiment using graphs, pictures, statements, and

numbers.

• construct a physical model to clarify an explanation, demonstrate a

relationship, or solve a need.

GRADE FOUR

R E P R O D U C I B L E 1 2

SCIENCE UPDATE

CHAPTER TWO

FORCE, MOTION, AND ENERGY How and why we move!


Force, motion, and energy are

everywhere in a child’s life. Ask your

child to select several games, sports,

or toys he or she enjoys.

As you and your child play or

watch a sport, or sit down with a

favorite toy or game, have your child

identify how the key vocabulary for

this chapter applies to his or her

favorite pastimes. Help as needed,

but ask your child to do it first.

Look for: force, speed, mass,

friction, gravity, kinetic energy,

and potential energy.

If you need a refresher on the terms,

feel free to use the text book!

If your child enjoys soccer, look for

examples of force (kicking the ball),

speed (running down the field),

mass (a larger player bumping a

smaller player), gravity (the ball

rising in the air on a free throw, then

falling to the ground), friction (the

movement of a cleat against the ball),

kinetic energy (the moment the

kicker hits the ball), and potential

energy (the ball in the split-second

before the kicker strikes it).

SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION, REASONING AND LOGIC

4.2 The student will investigate and understand characteristics and interactions of moving objects. Key concepts include:

a) motion is described by an object’s direction and speed;

b) changes in motion are related to force and mass;

c) friction is a force that opposes motion; and

d) moving objects have kinetic energy.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF MY CHILD? In order to meet this standard, it is expected that students will:

• Describe the position of an object.

• Collect and display, in a table and line graph, time and position data for a

moving object.

• Explain that speed is a measure of motion

• Interpret data to determine if the speed of an object is increasing,

decreasing, or remaining the same.

• Identify the forces that cause an object’s motion.

• Describe the direction of an object’s motion: up, down, forward, backward.

• Infer that objects have kinetic energy.

• Design an investigation to test the following hypothesis: If the mass of an

object increases, then the force needed to move it will increase.

• Design an investigation to determine the effect of friction on moving

objects. Write a testable hypothesis and identify the dependent variable,

the independent variable, and the constants. Conduct a fair test, collect and

record the data, analyze the data, and report the results of the data.


FIN

ISH

STA

RT

DIs

tan

ce i

n m

eter

s

FORCE, MOTION, AND ENERGY STUDY GUIDE

Position can be described by locating an object relative to another object or the background.

• The hare is east of the tortoise. • The tortoise is behind the hare. • The tortoise is north of the large plant. Speed is a measure of motion.

• Interpret the line graph to see who won the 30 meter race. Who

made it to 30 meters first?

• The graph shows that “Slow and Steady” won the race. The

turtle’s speed was constant.

• You can interpret the following about the hare from this graph:

1. He began with a faster speed than the tortoise.

2. The hare decreased his speed after 15 meters.

3. The hare stopped to rest after 50 seconds and started to move

again 20 seconds later.

TORTOISE AND HARE RACE 30

24

18

12

6

0

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Time in seconds

A force is a push or a pull. The greater the mass of an object, the less effect a force will have on it.

Examples of forces are:

• Gravity is the attraction between objects. Gravity can only be felt when at least one of the objects is

massive, like Earth. Earth pulls you toward its center.

• Friction is the resistance to motion created by two objects moving against each other. Friction creates heat.

Rub your hands together to feel the heat caused by friction.

Forces can cause or change motion in the following directions: up, down, forward, and backward.

Forces can also increase or decrease speed.

Energy exists as potential or kinetic.

• Potential Energy is stored energy. If an object has potential energy, it

has the potential to move. Examples of objects with potential energy are a

roller coaster at the top of a hill and a ball about to be dropped.

• Kinetic Energy is the energy of motion. Moving objects have kinetic

energy. Examples of kinetic energy are a roller coaster speeding down a hill

and a ball falling to Earth.

Copyright 2012, Five Ponds Press. All Rights Reserved

th

R E P R O D U C I B L E 3 4 1 O F 3

ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM STUDY GUIDE

All matter is made of atoms. Atoms are made up of three small particles. Two of these particles have a

charge. Electrons have a negative charge (-) and protons have a positive charge (+). Electricity is the movement of

these charged particles—usually electrons.

STATIC ELECTRICITY

Static electricity occurs when there is a

difference in charge between two

objects. Most objects are neutral

because they have the same number of

protons and electrons. Sometimes

objects get charged.

A positive charge – – If an object loses an

electron, it has more +

protons, so it is – + positively + charged. + –

A negative charge –

If an object gains + – an electron, it has

more electrons, – + so it is – negatively + – charged.

Static electricity can cause objects

to attract (stick together). A negatively

charged object will attract a positively

charged object. A charged object can also

attract a neutral object.

Static electricity can cause objects

to repel (move away from each other).

Two negatively charged objects will

repel each other. Two positively charged

objects will also repel each other.

• Rub a balloon on your hair.

Electrons move from your hair to the balloon.

• The balloon now has a negative charge. Your hair now

has a positive charge.

• Your hair attracts the balloon because opposites attract.

• Each hair repels other hairs because like charges repel.

BEN FRANKLIN Franklin discovered that lightning

is really static electricity. The

electrons near the bottom of a cloud

jump to the positive part of a cloud,

or to a positively charged object on

the ground, to create lightning.

Franklin knew that lightning

could be dangerous, so he invented

the lightning rod. Lightning that is

about to strike a building is attracted

to the rod and then travels

rough a conductor to the

ground safely.

CURRENT ELECTRICITY

Current electricity – is different from

static electricity. In current electricity,

electrons flow along a pathway in a circuit.

Electrons must be able to travel through every

part of the circuit for it to be complete.

Batteries – are also called dry

cells. They get electrons moving

so they can flow through a circuit.

Batteries have a positive end and

a negative end.


t.

to

Electrical energy can be transformed into

light, motion, and heat.

• Lamps and computers transform energy from

electricity into light.

• Blenders, motors, and fans transform energy from

electricity into motion.

• Hair dryers and toasters produce heat from

electricity.

Conductors – Materials that allow electrons to

move through easily. Metals such as aluminum,

copper, and steel are conductors. Wires made from

these materials are good conductors.

THOMAS EDISON

Edison made hundreds of

inventions, including an

improved light bulb. He

experimented to find the best

material to use for the filamen

The material had

be a conductor that gave off light

but did not burn up when electrons

passed through.

Edison also created a lighting

Insulators – Materials that do NOT allow

electrons to move through easily. Cotton, glass,

paper, and plastic are insulators.

• Conductors like wires, are often coated with an

insulator, like plastic, to keep electrons flowing on the

circuit path and not to other places.

filament system so electricity could be made

in one building and sent out to other

buildings to use for lighting rooms.

CIRCUITS

OPEN CIRCUIT

Electrons do not flow through

CLOSED CIRCUIT Electrons do flow through

Switch – a device that opens or closes

a circuit. A switch must be a conductor.

SERIES CIRCUIT Electrons flow on only one path

PARALLEL CIRCUIT Electrons flow

on more than one path


MICHAEL FARADAY Faraday experimented with

electricity and magnetism. He

discovered that a moving magnetic

field could create an electric

current. His investigations led to the

invention of the generator and the

electric motor.

Iron Nail

Battery

ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM

Electricity and magnetism

can work together.

• Current flowing through a wire can

generate a magnetic field.

• Spinning a magnet near a coiled

wire can generate electricity.

Coiled

Copper Wire

SIMPLE ELECTROMAGN

Switch

Magnetic Field


GRADE FOUR

SCIENCE UPDATE

CHAPTER FOUR

THE SECRET WORLD OF PLANTS

From fruit to flowers, learn more about the way plants survive and thrive.

HELP YOUR CHILD TRY THESE ACTIVITIES

• Keep a food journal with the types of plant parts you eat for a week. Salad

may have lettuce (leaves), carrots (roots), cucumber (fruit), etc.

• Pick a tree in your yard or neighborhood that has leaves that fall in

autumn. Make observations and draw sketches of it throughout the year as

seasons change.

• Mark off a patch of grassy area that is 3’ x 3’ in your backyard or

neighborhood. Gather and graph data on the number of different plants you

find. Sketch and label the parts of each plant.

• During warm weather, observe a garden, flower bed, or weed patch for at

least 30 minutes to look for pollinators. Record your observations and

compare and contrast the different pollinators you see.

• Not all flowers look the same. Take your child on a nature walk around

your yard or neighborhood and, together, sketch the different flowers you see.

Try to identify petals, sepals, pistils, and stamens in the flowers you locate.

• Go on a seed and spore hunt in fall. You will be surprised at how many

different types of seeds and nuts you find. Look for spores on the underside

of fern fronds.

• Help your child cover a small area of grass with a bucket or bowl so no

light gets through. Prop one side of the bucket or bowl so air can still get to

the grass. Ask your child to make a hypothesis about what will happen. Wait

a week and then make observations.

• Keep a seed collection from fruits and vegetables that you eat. You might

never look at a green bean in the same way again.

• Make a leaf collection. Place collected leaves in between wax paper and

place books on top of the wax paper. Wait a few days until they dry out. Use

the following website to help you research for identification:

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/ Search for the publication, "Trees in Your

Backyard."

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF MY CHILD

In order to meet this standard, it is expected that students will

• analyze a common plant: identify the

roots, stems, leaves, and flowers, and

explain the function of each.

• create a model/diagram illustrating

the parts of a flower and its

reproductive processes. Explain the

model/diagram using the following

terminology: pollination, stamen,

stigma, pistil, sepal, embryo, spore,

seed.

• compare and contrast different ways

plants are pollinated.

• explain that ferns and mosses

reproduce with spores rather than

seeds.

• explain the process of photosynthesis,

using the following terminology:

sunlight, chlorophyll, water, carbon

dioxide, oxygen, and sugar.

• explain the role of adaptations of

common plants to include dormancy,

response to light, and response to

moisture.

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/


LIFE PROCESSES STUDY GUIDE

Leaves – make food for plant

Stem –

Allows water and nutrients to get from roots to leaves; provides support for plant

Photosynthesis – Plants take in water through the roots and absorb sunlight

and carbon dioxide using chlorophyll in their leaves. This process makes sugar called glucose. Oxygen is released.

Roots – absorb water

and nutrients and anchor plants in soil

REPRODUCTION WITH SEEDS

Pollen – transferred from the stamen to the stigma by wind, animals, or water. Pollen travels through the pistil to fertilize the ovary so a seed can form.

REPRODUCTION WITH SPORES

Ferns and Mosses – Ferns and mosses produce spores. Spores are released into the wind. An embryo, or baby plant,

Pistil – pollen

travels through the pistil to fertilize the ovary.

Sepal – protects the flower before it blooms

Stigma – the tip of the pistil; pollen lands here

Stamen – where pollen is made

Petal – attracts

pollinators

Ovary – When

fertilized, a seed is made. The seed contains the embryo or baby plant.

can grow from each spore.

Spores – grow in clusters on the underside of a fern frond. From here, they are released into the wind.

Adaptations – Plants survive using many

adaptations, such as thorns or waxy coatings. They can also become dormant in winter when temperatures drop and light is limited.

Dormancy – allows a plant to slow down

its life processes so it can conserve energy. Plants often lose their leaves during dormancy. Plants can also adapt when water is limited.



GRADE FOUR

SCIENCE UPDATE

CHAPTER FIVE

LIVING SYSTEMS Explore the amazing way animals adapt to

their environments!


Try these fun projects with your child:

• Pick a species of animal in your yard

or nearby natural area. Together, keep a

daily journal on this species for a week.

Make observations about behavior. Pay

special attention to how the species

interacts with the living (plants and

animals) and nonliving (water, soil,

rocks, air) components of its ecosystem.

• Pick an animal from a TV show or

book. Help your child write at least six

adaptations about this animal and how

these adaptations help it survive. Try to

include at least two behavioral

adaptations.

• Create a habitat with crayons or

colored pencils/markers. Add an

animal to this habitat that is perfectly

camouflaged.

• Have your child write down

everything you eat for dinner. Decide if

each food orginated from an animal or

plant. Are you a family of omnivores,

herbivores, or carnivores?

• Measure a square in your yard or

nearby natural area that is one yard by

one yard. Mark it with sticks. Visit this

area at least twice a day to make

observations about the insects you find

there.

SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION, REASONING, AND LOGIC

4.5 The student will investigate and understand how plants and animals, including humans, in an ecosystem interact with one another and with the

nonliving components in the ecosystem. Key concepts include:

a) plant and animal adaptations;

b) organization of populations, communities, and ecosystems and how

they interrelate;

c) flow of energy through food webs;

d) habitats and niches;

e) changes in an organism’s niche at various stages in its life cycle; and

f) influences of human activity on ecosystems.


• distinguish between structural (physical) and behavioral adaptations.

• investigate and infer the function of basic adaptations.

• understand that adaptations allow an organism to succeed in a given

environment.

• explain how different organisms use their unique adaptations to meet

their needs.

• describe why certain communities exist in given habitats.

• illustrate the food webs in a local area.

• compare and contrast the niches of several different organisms within

the community.

• compare and contrast the differing ways an organism interacts with its

surroundings at various stages of its life cycle. Specific examples include

a frog and a butterfly.

• differentiate among positive and negative influences of human activity

on ecosystems.

Copyright 2012, Five Ponds Press. All Rights Reserve



LIVING SYSTEMS STUDY GUIDE

An organism is a living

thing.

One organism is part of a

population. A

population is the number

of one type of organism

living in one location.

Populations of plants and

animals living together

make up a community.

All the living and nonliving

parts of communities in the

same area make up an

ecosystem.

Surviving in an Ecosystem

Organisms have structural

and behavioral adaptations

to help them survive.

Energy Transfer in an

Ecosystem

Energy is transferred

through food webs. A food

web is a graphic picture of

how the living things in an

ecosystem are connected

through energy.

Structural adaptations are physical attributes that help organisms meet their life

needs. Examples: fins to swim, teeth to chew, claws to dig, color to camouflage, ears to

hear, tails for balance, spikes on seeds to catch a ride with animals

Behavioral adaptations are behaviors organisms perform to meet their life needs.

Examples: migrating in order to reproduce, finding food and water, or escaping poor

weather, digging in the soil to find food, hiding from predators, or regulating body

temperature, squirting ink to distract predators, dropping leaves to conserve energy

Human Impact Humans can have

an impact on ecosystems.

• Negative Impact: Clearing land

without replanting, using harmful

chemicals on lawns and trees,

overhunting and overfishing, and

polluting.

Niche A role an organism has in an ecosystem.

SEAGRASS NICHE:

• Makes its own food using the sun’s energy

• Food source for migrating birds, such as the Canada Goose

• Provides habitat for juvenile shrimp, crabs, and fish

• Once decayed, becomes a food source for many filter feeders such as

oysters and clams

• Roots keep soil in place

• Leaves trap sedimen, keep water clear

• Positive Impact: Managing land

responsibly, adhering to fishing & hunting

laws, reducing pollution & waste

HOW CAN I HELP AT HOME? Be your child’s weather-buddy!

Weather is all around us. Help your

child become more aware of how

the weather affects your family life.

• Have some fun by keeping a

journal of cloud observations. Make

weather predictions based on those

observations.

• Make a rain gauge and chart the

precipitation data for your

neighborhood.

• If the forecast is for stormy

weather, help your child make

observations of the conditions

leading up to the storm. Any or all

of these will tie life at home directly

into the science classroom.


4.6 The student will investigate and understand how weather conditions and phenomena occur and can be predicted. Key concepts include:

a) weather phenomena;

b) weather measurements and meteorological tools; and

c) use of weather measurements and weather phenomena to make weather

predictions.


• design an investigation in which a thermometer is used to compare air

temperatures over a period of time.

• analyze the changes in air pressure occurring over time, using a barometer,

and predict what the changes mean in terms of changing weather patterns.

• illustrate and label high and low pressures on a map

• differentiate between the types of weather associated with high and low

pressure air masses. Illustrate and label high and low pressure air masses and

warm and cold fronts.

• differentiate between cloud types (i.e., cirrus, stratus, cumulus, and cumulo-

nimbus clouds) and the associated weather.

• compare and contrast the formation of different types of precipitation (e.g.,

rain, snow, sleet, and hail).

• recognize a variety of storm types, describe the weather conditions

associated with each, and explain when they occur (e.g., thunderstorms,

hurricanes, and tornadoes).

• analyze and report information about temperature and precipitation on

weather maps.

• measure wind speed using an anemometer.

• measure precipitation with a rain gauge.

• design an investigation in which weather data are gathered using

meteorological tools and charted to make weather predictions.



GRADE FOUR

SCIENCE UPDATE

CHAPTER SIX

WILD WEATHER From sunny skies to snowy days and

everything in between.

R E P R O D U C I B L E 88 1 O F 2


WILD WEATHER STUDY GUIDE

Meteorologists use weather data to forecast weather. The instruments below are some of the tools

meteorologists use to collect data.

Thermometer

Measures the amount of heat energy in the air.

Baromometer

Measures the amount of air pressure

Rain Gauge

Measures the amount of precipitation

Anemometer

Measures wind speed

AIR PRESSURE

Air pressure is the force created by

the weight of air molecules. It is

constantly changing due to

temperature and wind. Air

pressure can help forecast weather.

HIGH PRESSURE Areas of high pressure often

indicate fair weather. On a

weather map, high pressure

areas are shown with a large

blue capital

H

LOW PRESSURE Areas of low pressure often

indicate rainy or stormy weather.

On a weather map, low pressure

areas are shown with a large red

capital

L

FRONTS

COLD FRONT A mass of cooler air is approaching

a mass of warmer air. Cold fronts

are shown on a map as a line of

blue triangles. The blue triangles

point in the direction the mass is

moving. Cold fronts bring cooler

temperatures.

WARM FRONT A mass of warmer air is

approaching a mass of cooler air.

Warm fronts are shown on a map

as a line of red semicircles. The

side of the line that the semicircles

are on is the direction the mass is

moving. Warm fronts bring

warmer temperatures.

Fronts describe the boundaries between

different masses of air.

Find the following on this weather map:

• A high pressure area • A low pressure area

• A cold front • A warm front


R E P R O D U C I B L E 89 2 O F 2

CLOUDS

Clouds can help forecast the weather.

Cumulus

• Fluffy white clouds

with flat bottoms

• Usually indicate fair

weather

Stratus

• Smooth, gray clouds

that block sunlight and

cover the sky

• Often indicate light

rain or drizzle

Cumulo-nimbus

• Cumulus

clouds that

grow in

height and

darken on the

bottom

• Usually

indicate

thunderstorms

Cirrus

• Feathery, wispy clouds

• Indicate fair weather

now but often mean that

rain or snow will fall

within several hours

PRECIPITATION

Rain

Rain happens

when liquid

droplets or ice crystals

become larger and fall

from the clouds. The

air beneath the cloud

must be above

freezing for rain to

fall.

Snow Snow

happens when ice

crystals fall from

clouds. The air

beneath the clouds

must be below

freezing for snow to

fall.

Sleet As ice crystals fall

from clouds they pass

through a layer of air

that is above freezing,

which causes them to

melt. Then they pass

through a layer of air

below freezing, which

causes them to freeze

again and land as sleet.

Hail When

ice crystal are

tossed up and down

within a cloud they

collect liquid droplets

which freeze in layers

around the ice crystal.

The ice crystals grow

bigger until they fall

from the cloud as

balls of ice.

SEVERE WEATHER

Weather Conditions

When They Happen Most

Often in Virginia

Thunderstorms

Moist air, wind, and warm temperatures

cause air to rise

spring

and summer

Hurricanes

Low pressure, very moist air from warm

ocean water, and winds blowing in one

direction

summer

and fall

Tornadoes

Rotating thunderstorms that form when

warm, moist air meets cold, dry air can

produce funnels of air that can turn into

vertical tornadoes

spring

and summer

GRADE FOUR

SCIENCE UPDATE

CHAPTER SEVEN

EARTH PATTERNS, CYCLES, AND CHANGE

Blast off into outer space to learn more about our planet and our solar system


HELP YOUR CHILD TRY THESE ACTIVITIES

With space right outside our doors, families have many

opportunities to further explore what we are doing in class.

Try some of these ideas:

• When it comes to space, you can actually see more than

you think with good binoculars. Spend some night time

outside with your child and a telescope or binoculars. Have

your child draw a sketch of what he or she sees and/or

compare what is seen over a few days or weeks.

• Make a family outing of visiting a nearby planetarium. Try

the Arlington Planetarium in Arlington, Pittsylvania County

Schools Planetarium in Chatham, Chesapeake Planetarium

in Chesapeake, Falls Church High School Planetarium in

Falls Church, J. Calder Wicker Planetarium in Fork Union,

John C. Wells Planetarium in Harrisonburg, Abbitt

Planetarium at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport

News, Mary D. Pretlow Planetarium or Norfolk State

University Planetarium in Norfolk, Radford University

Planetarium in Radford, Science Museum of Western

Virginia in Roanoke, and the Virginia Beach City Public

Schools Planetarium in Virginia Beach.

• Discover when the International Space Station will be

viewable from Virginia by using NASA’s Sightings by City.

http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/

• Build some models. Choose to either make a model of the

solar system or make a model of one planet with accurate

colors and surface conditions. Use any materials you see fit.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF MY CHILD In order to meet this standard, it is expected that students will:

• name the eight planets and describe whether they are a

terrestrial planet or a gas giant.

• sequence the eight planets in the solar system based

on their position from the sun. (Mercury is the first from

the sun, Venus is the second, etc.)

• sequence the eight planets in the solar system based

on size (Jupiter is the largest, Saturn is next, etc.)

• construct a simple model of the sun and the planets in

our solar system.

• differentiate between rotation and revolution

• describe how Earth’s axial tilt causes the seasons.

• model the formation of the eight moon phases,

sequence the phases in order, and describe how the phases

occur.

• describe the major characteristics of the sun, including

its approximate size, color, age, and overall composition.

• create and describe a model of the Earth-moon-sun

system with approximate scale distances and sizes.

• compare and contrast the surface conditions of Earth,

the moon, and the sun.

• compare and contrast an Earth-centered to the sun-

centered model of the solar system.

• analyze the differences in what Aristotle, Ptolemy,

Copernicus, and Galileo observed and what influenced

their conclusions.

• describe a contribution of the NASA Apollo missions

to our understanding of the moon.

http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/


EARTH PATTERNS, CYCLES, AND CHANGE STUDY GUIDE

EARTH, MOON,

SUN EARTH MOON SUN

Position and Movements

• Earth rotates (spins) on

its axis once every 24 hours.

This gives us day and night.

• Earth revolves around

the sun once every 365¼

days (one year).

• The moon revolves

around Earth once every 28

days (about one month).

• The sun is the center of

our solar system. Earth and

the other planets revolve

around it.

Surface

Conditions

• Large amount of water • Diversity of organisms • Oxygen-rich atmosphere

• Rocky with craters • Temperature extremes • No atmosphere or life • Very little water

• Extremely hot gaseous plasma • 5500 °C • Mostly made of hydrogen and helium

Other Facts

• About four moons could fit across the diameter of Earth

• Average-sized yellow star • 110 times the diameter of Earth • About 4.6 billion years old

SEASONS

Earth is tilted on an imaginary

June

Virginia

May

April

March

axis as it revolves around the sun.

This is called axial tilt. It is the

reason for the seasons.

August

July Northern Spring

Southern Autumn

Northern Winter

Southern Summer

Virginia

When the sun’s rays hit one

hemisphere of Earth more directly,

that hemisphere has summer and

Virginia Northern Summer

Southern Winter

SUN

Northern Autumn

February

January

December

the other hemisphere has winter.

In spring and autumn, the sun’s

rays aren’t hitting either

hemisphere directly, so

temperatures are milder for us.

September

October

Southern Spring

November

axial tilt

Virginia

R E P R O D U C I B L E 1 0 9

PHASES OF THE MOON

As the moon revolves around Earth, sunlight reflects off of it. The phases of the

moon are the parts of the moon we see that reflect sunlight at different positions as

the moon orbits Earth.

New

Waxing

Crescent

First

Quarter

Waxing

Gibbous

Full

Waning

Gibbous

Third

Quarter

Waning

Crescent

New

MOON EXPLORATION

NASA astronauts explored the moon during the Apollo missions and made the

following discoveries:

• No living organisms live on the moon.

• The moon is made of igneous rocks.

• No evidence of water has been found on the moon.

• The moon has layers.

• The surface of the moon is covered with a powdery substance.

• Evidence was found to date the moon to be about 4.6 million years old.

OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

HISTORICAL

CONTRIBUTIONS

Aristotle and Ptolemy believed that all of the planets and the sun

revolved around Earth.

Copernicus challenged that idea and argued that all of the planets,

including Earth, revolve around the sun.

Galileo, the first scientist to use a telescope to study space. He used the

telescope to observe that planets revolved around the sun.

THE PLANETS: SEQUENCE AND SIZE

The first four planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth,

and Mars) are called terrestrial planets

because they are rocky planets.

The last four planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and

Neptune) are called gas giants because they are made of

mostly gases. They are also the four largest planets.

The planets in order from biggest to smallest are: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury.

R E P R O D U C I B L E 1 1 1

LEARNING AT HOME

With Virginia all around us, no matter where you live, it is great

fun to enhance this standard at home. There are examples to be

found in almost every part of our state.

• While you are driving across town or to the next town, keep

your eye out for natural and human-made resources, such as

rivers, lakes, bays, coal, limestone, granite, sand, gravel, lumber,

and forests. Point them out to your child.

• Take a walk with your child. Note to each other all the natural

and human-made resources you see, hear, or smell.

• Have your child collect some natural resources (sticks, rocks,

leaves, etc.) and make a new human-made resource from them

(bowl, spoon, scoop, axe, etc.).

• Talk to your child about the body of water nearest to your

home. Discuss if it is a river, lake, or bay and how it is fed. Go

visit it and notice tributaries to it. Then discuss its mouth and

where it travels to next.

• If you live near the Chesapeake Bay, or a major river that feeds

into the Chesapeake Bay, there are parks and museums near you

that would be fun to visit and will help the whole family learn

more about the watershed.

• As a family, make a list of the things you do to help protect

Virginia’s natural resources. Then make a second list of some

other ideas you’d like to try.

• Point out mineral sources in your neighborhood and home.

• With 22 Virginia State Forests, hopefully there is one near you.

Find out at:

http://www.dof.virginia.gov/stforest/index.htm and

visit or take a day trip to the George Washington and Jefferson

National Forests. See http://www.fs.usda.gov/gwj/

• Search for the nearest mining museum to you and/or point

out coal cars passing on train tracks.

GRADE FOUR

SCIENCE UPDATE

CHAPTER EIGHT

OUR GREAT STATE

Take a closer look at Virginia’s natural

resources. They are all around you!


4.7 The student will investigate and understand important Virginia natural resources. Key concepts include:

a) watersheds and water resources;

b) animals and plants;

c) minerals, rocks, ores, and energy sources; and

d) forests, soil, and land.

WHAT IS EXPECTED

OF MY CHILD In order to meet this standard, it is expected that

students will:

• compare and contrast natural and human-made

resources.

• distinguish among rivers, lakes, and bays;

describe characteristics of each; and name an

example of each in Virginia.

• create and interpret a model of a watershed.

Evaluate the statement: ―We all live downstream.

• identify watershed addresses.

• recognize the importance of Virginia’s mineral

resources, including coal, limestone, granite, and

sand and gravel.

• appraise the importance of natural and cultivated

forests in Virginia.

• describe a variety of soil and land uses important

in Virginia.

Copyright 2012, Five Ponds Press. All

http://www.dof.virginia.gov/stforest/index.htm

http://www.fs.usda.gov/gwj/


RESOURCES

NATURAL RESOURCE HUMAN-MADE RESOURCE

Definition

A material humans use that comes

from nature

A material humans use that is made by

humans

Examples

Trees, water, soil, coal, sand, gravel,

granite, air, animals, plants

plastic, concrete, steel, glass

Virginia’s water sources are important natural resources in Virginia.

• Water resources provide us with drinking water.

• Rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater are main sources of water for Virginians.

• Bodies of water are habitats for a variety of plants and animals.

• Bodies of water allow us to swim, fish, sail, boat, and enjoy other recreational activities.

• Water resources help our economy. Virginians sell seafood such as fish, crabs, and oysters to others.

WATER SOURCES

DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE

River Long, ribbon-like waterways that flow toward the ocean

Potomac River, York River, Rappahannock River, James River

Lake Large, inland bodies of water Smith Mountain Lake Lake Drummond

Bay Bodies of water surrounded by land on three sides and connected to a larger body of water

Chesapeake Bay

Reservoir Bodies of water that are made by humans to store water

Kerr Lake Reservoir

Groundwater Water stored or carried underground Wells, aquifers

• A watershed is an area over which surface water flows to a single

collection place.

• The Chesapeake Bay watershed is the largest watershed in Virginia.

Parts of Virginia are also located in the Gulf of Mexico and North Carolina

Sounds watersheds.

• “We all live downstream” means that materials that enter a

watershed upstream will eventually make their way downstream. For this

reason, it is especially important that we don’t pollute.



FORESTS

Forests are an important resource in Virginia. • Forests provide a home for diverse animals and plants. • They offer a place for humans to hike, bike, hunt, and enjoy other

recreational activities. • Forests serve as a buffer to prevent erosion along riverbanks and filter

pollutants before they enter rivers. • A great economic resource—timbering (cutting and selling trees)

brings in money for the state of Virginia.

NATURAL FOREST CULTIVATED FOREST

A forest that grows naturally, without humans

planting trees

A forest that has been planted by humans

MINERAL RESOURCES

COAL LIMESTONE GRANITE SAND GRAVEL

• Important fossil

fuel used for

energy

• A hard rock

made of ancient

pressed plant

material that burns

easily

• Crushed, it is

used to build

roads.

• Ground up, it is

used to make

cement.

• Hard, strong,

and long-lasting

• Used for

buildings, floors,

monuments and

counter tops

• When melted at

high heat, it turns

into a liquid that

can be used to make

glass, ceramics.

• Used in

construction

• An assortment of different rocks that has been broken down to very small pieces • Used in driveway and road construction


grade four - science update - loudoun county public schools

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