Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards 4th Grade Science Activities

MD.1.0. Skills and Processes: Students will demonstrate the thinking and acting inherent in the practice of science.

1.A.1. Constructing Knowledge: Gather and question data from many different forms of scientific investigations which include reviewing appropriate print resources, observing what things are like or what is happening somewhere, collecting specimens for analysis, and doing experiments.

1.A.1.b. Select and use appropriate tools hand lens or microscope (magnifiers), centimeter ruler (length), spring scale (weight), balance (mass), Celsius thermometer (temperature), graduated cylinder (liquid volume), and stopwatch (elapsed time) to augment observations of objects, events, and processes.

1.A.1.c. Explain that comparisons of data might not be fair because some conditions are not kept the same.

1.B.1. Applying Evidence and Reasoning: Seek better reasons for believing something than 'Everybody knows that...' or 'I just know' and discount such reasons when given by others.

1.B.1.a. Develop explanations using knowledge possessed and evidence from observations, reliable print resources, and investigations.

1.C.1. Communicating Scientific Information: Recognize that clear communication is an essential part of doing science because it enables scientists to inform others about their work, expose their ideas to criticism by other scientists, and stay informed about scientific discoveries around the world.

1.C.1.a. Make use of and analyze models, such as tables and graphs to summarize and interpret data.

1.C.1.d. Construct and share reasonable explanations for questions asked.

1.D.3. Technology: Examine and modify models and discuss their limitations.

1.D.3.a. Explain that a model is a simplified imitation of something and that a model's value lies in suggesting how the thing modeled works.

1.D.3.b. Investigate and describe that seeing how a model works after changes are made to it may suggest how the real thing would work if the same were done to it.

1.D.3.c. Explain that models, such as geometric figures, number sequences, graphs, diagrams, sketches, number lines, maps, and stories can be used to represent objects, events, and processes in the real world, although such representations can never be exact in every detail.

1.D.3.d. Realize that one way to make sense of something is to think how it is like something more familiar.

MD.2.0. Earth/Space Science: Students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the chemical and physical interactions (i.e., natural forces and cycles, transfer of energy) of the environment, Earth, and the universe that occur over time.

2.A.2. Materials and Processes That Shape A Planet: Recognize and explain how physical weathering and erosion cause changes to the earth's surface.

2.A.2.a. Investigate and describe how weathering wears down Earth's surface: Water; Ice; Wind.

2.A.2.b. Cite evidence to show that erosion shapes and reshapes the earth's surface as it moves from one location to another: Water; Ice; Wind.

2.B.2. Earth History: Recognize and explain that fossils provide evidence about the plants and animals that lived long ago and about the nature of the environment at that time.

2.B.2.a. Recognize and explain that the remains or imprints of plants or animals can become fossils.

2.B.2.b. Describe the physical structures of an animal or plant based on its fossil remains.

2.D.1. Astronomy: Identify and describe the variety of objects in the universe through first-hand observations using the unaided eye, binoculars or telescopes or videos and/or pictures from reliable sources.

2.D.1.b. Identify the sun as the Earth's closest star.

2.D.1.c. Recognize that stars are like the sun, some are smaller and some larger.

2.E.2. Interactions of Hydrosphere and Atmosphere: Recognize and describe that each season has different weather conditions

2.E.2.a. Describe different seasonal weather conditions using data collected from weather instruments, models or drawings.

2.E.2.c. Compare average daily wind speed and direction during different seasons.

2.E.2.d. Compare average daily precipitation during different seasons: Amount; Type.

MD.3.0. Life Science: The students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the dynamic nature of living things, their interactions, and the results from the interactions that occur over time.

3.A.1. Diversity of Life: Explain how animals and plants can be grouped according to observable features.

3.A.1.a. Observe and compile a list of a variety of animals or plants in both familiar and unfamiliar environments.

3.A.1.b. Classify a variety of animals and plants according to their observable features and provide reasons for placing them into different groups.

3.A.1.c. Given a list of additional animals or plants, decide whether or not they could be placed within the established groups or does a new group have to be added.

3.A.1.d. Describe what classifying tells us about the relatedness among the animals or plants placed within any group.

3.C.1. Genetics: Explain that in order for offspring to resemble their parents, there must be a reliable way to transfer information from one generation to the next.

3.C.1.b. Explain that some likenesses between parents and offspring are inherited (such as eye color in humans, nest building in birds, or flower color in plants) and other likenesses are learned (such as language in humans or songs in birds).

3.D.1. Evolution: Explain that individuals of the same kind differ in their characteristics, and sometimes the differences give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing.

3.D.1.a. Describe ways in which organisms in one habitat differ from those in another habitat and consider how these differences help them survive and reproduce.

3.D.1.b. Explain that the characteristics of an organism affect its ability to survive and reproduce.

3.E.1. Flow of Matter and Energy: Recognize food as the source of materials that all living things need to grow and survive.

3.E.1.b. Describe what happens to food in plants and animals: Contributes to growth; Supports repair; Provides energy; Is stored for future use; Is eliminated.

3.E.1.c. Identify the things that are essential for plants to grow and survive.

3.F.1. Ecology: Explain ways that individuals and groups of organisms interact with each other and their environment.

3.F.1.a. Identify and describe the interactions of organisms present in a habitat: Competition for space, food, and water; Beneficial interactions: nesting, pollination, seed dispersal, oysters filtering as in the Chesapeake Bay, etc.; Roles within food chains and webs: scavengers, decomposers, producers, consumers.

3.F.1.b. Explain that changes in an organism's habitat are sometimes beneficial to it and sometimes harmful.

MD.4.0. Chemistry: Students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the composition, structure, and interactions of matter in order to support the predictability of structure and energy transformations.

4.A.1. Structure of Matter: Provide evidence to support the fact that matter has observable and measurable properties

4.A.1.a. Identify examples of matter.

4.A.1.b. Describe and 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.

4.A.1.d. Cite evidence that supports the statement, 'All matter takes up space and contains a certain amount of material.'

MD.5.0. Physics: Students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the interactions of matter and energy and the energy transformations that occur

5.B.1. Thermodynamics: Provide evidence that heat can be transferred in different ways.

5.B.1.a. Recognize and explain that heat can be transferred either by direct contact between objects at different temperatures or without direct contact: A spoon in hot water; Heat from a flame.

5.B.1.b. Observe, describe, and compare materials that readily conduct heat and those that do not conduct heat very well.

5.B.1.c. Classify materials as conductors or insulators based on how easily heat flows through them.

5.C.2. Electricity and Magnetism: Investigate and provide evidence that electricity requires a closed loop in order to produce measurable effects.

5.C.2.b. Investigate and describe (orally or with diagrams) how to light a light bulb or sound a buzzer given a battery, wires, and light bulb or buzzer.

5.C.2.c. Describe and compare the path of electricity (circuit) within this system that caused the light to light or the buzzer to sound to those that do not affect the light or buzzer.

5.C.2.e. Provide evidence from observations and investigations that electrical circuits require a complete loop through which electricity can pass.

5.C.3. Electricity and Magnetism: Cite evidence supporting that forces can act on objects without touching them.

5.C.3.b. Based on observations, describe the effect of a magnet on a variety of objects including those that are metallic or non-metallic; those made with iron or made with other metals; and on other magnets.

5.C.3.c. Compare a compass to a magnet based on observations of the effect a variety of objects (metallic or non-metallic; those made with iron or other metals; and magnets) have on a compass.

5.C.3.e. Investigate and describe how electricity in a wire affects the needle of a compass.

5.C.3.f. Describe how to make a simple electromagnet with a battery, a nail, and wire.

MD.6.0. Environmental Science: Students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the interactions of environmental factors (living and non-living) and analyze their impact from a local to a global perspective.

6.B.1. Environmental Issues: Recognize and describe that people in Maryland depend on, change, and are affected by the environment.

6.B.1.a. Identify and describe that human activities in a community or region are affected by environmental factors: Presence and quality of water; Soil type; Temperature; Precipitation.