North Carolina Standard Course of Study 4th Grade Science Activities
Printable Fourth Grade Science Worksheets, Study Guides and Vocabulary Sets.
Earth's WatersDid you know that three quarters (3/4) of Earth is covered by water? Freshwater is water containing only a very little amount of salt. Oceans are made of salt water. Ninety-seven percent (97%) of the Earth’s water is saltwater. Throughout the water cycle, water can be solid, liquid, and a gas. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 2 Food webs/food chainsWe all need energy. Every living organism on Earth needs energy to live, including plants, animals and us! The main energy source for all living things on Earth is the Sun. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 3 Electricity and magnetismElectricity is the flow of electrical charge. Atoms are made of three different particles, of which some have a positive charge, some have a negative charge, and some have no charge at all. Static Electricity is the imbalance of positive or negative charges between objects. If two objects have opposite charges, they’ll pull toward each other. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 2 MatterMatter is ALL Around Us! Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. Matter is made up of atoms. Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter and
make up all objects. Matter change states from solid, liquid, or gas. Read more...iWorksheets: 4Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 2 Animal Growth and ReproductionA life cycle is the stages of development an organism goes through starting from an egg to growing into an adult. Living organisms each have their own unique way of reproducing, giving birth, growing, and developing. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 5 Cells- The building blocks of living thingsFreeCells are building blocks of life. All living things are made of cells. A unicellular organism is made up of only one cell while multicellular organisms are made up of only cells. Read more...iWorksheets: 6Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 3 Classifying organismsScientific classification is the process of grouping living organisms into certain categories based on their characteristics, traits, and appearance. The order of scientific classification is kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. Each time we move to a different classification category, the groups get
smaller and more specific. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 4 Invertebrates - Animals without BackbonesAnimals are classified into groups so that scientists around the world can study them easier. Scientists classify animals into two major groups, vertebrates and invertebrates. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 5 Organ systemsYour body is made up of many organs and systems that all work together to keep your body running properly: The Skeletal System, The Muscular System, The Circulatory System, The Respiratory System, The Digestive System, The Nervous System, The Excretory System. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 5 Plant growth and reproductionProcess of Reproduction. Fertilization, Seeds. Lesson Checkpoints: What is one reason a plant has nectar? What do mosses and ferns produce instead of seeds? What is the female organ of a flower called? Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 2 Plant Structure and functionPlants are living organisms made up of cells. Plants need sunlight and water to live and grow healthy. A plant has different parts that are all important in keeping the plant alive and healthy: Roots, Stem, Leaves. A plant’s roots collect water and minerals from soil for the rest of the plant. The main job of a plant’s stem is to carry water and minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 4 Vertebrates - Animals with BackbonesScientists classify animals into two categories depending on if the animal has a backbone or not. As you know, invertebrates are animals that do NOT have a backbone and vertebrates are animals that DO have a backbone. Vertebrates are divided by scientists into five classes: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 4 Did you Know... 4th gradeDid you know? There are over 600 named muscles in the human body. Your HEART is considered a muscle, a cardiac muscle. The largest bone in your body is your femur, which is your thigh bone. If you make a mark on the trunk of a tree, it will remain the same distance from the ground! Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1 Hands-on Lab Skills/Science InquiryWhen you conduct an investigation, you may make predictions, interpret your findings, draw conclusions, and justify your conclusions. When you conduct an experiment, you should collect data to help justify your conclusions. During an investigation, you may formulate and justify your predictions based on cause and effect relationships. A cause makes something else happen. An effect is what happens because of the cause. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1 Math in ScienceWhether you are measuring, calculating, creating graphs and charts, or using numbers in any way… that’s using your math skills. During many science investigations you may have to measure the length, width, height, or weight of different objects. You also may need to measure the temperature of the air or different liquids when completing a scientific investigation as well. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1 Science in our worldHave you ever seen a meteor shower? Meteors are small fragments of debris from space that enter the Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speed. They then turn into a vapor r leaving a streak of light that disappears quickly. You hear on the radio that a high air pressure system will be moving in tomorrow, which means there is a very good chance of clear skies. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 1 Weather and ClimateMany factors affect the weather such as the sun, atmosphere, temperature, water, and air pressure. When air moves from an area of high pressure to a place with low pressure, WIND is created. The movement and interaction of air masses cause most weather conditions. Climate: The word climate refers to the typical weather throughout the year in the same area. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 4 NC.4.P. Physical Science
Matter, Properties and Change
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).
Matter and its propertiesEverything around us is made out matter. Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. All matter is made up of many different kinds of particles that are combined together in different ways. A property of matter is a feature, trait, or characteristic. Read more...iWorksheets :5Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Rocks and mineralsFreeWhat is in a Rock? Rocks are made up of many tiny pieces of minerals. What are Minerals? Minerals are natural, nonliving crystals. They come in many sizes, shapes, and colors. Types of Rocks: Sedimentary Rocks, Igneous Rocks, Metamorphic Rocks. The Rock Cycle. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 Properties of matter and EnergyWhat is matter? Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. Kinetic energy is energy that is happening now; it is energy in motion. Potential energy is energy that is waiting to happen; it is stored energy. How does heat get transferred: By conduction, by convection and by radiation. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Science worksheets: Solids, liquids and gases.Solid, liquid, and gas are all states of matter. The molecules in solids are tightly packed together. The molecules in liquids are not as close as those in solids; they have a little more room to move around. The molecules in gases are far apart. Gases can fill any size room or any size container. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Science Worksheets: Chemical and physical changes of matterA chemical change is a change in which one kind of substance is changed into a different kind of substance. Chemical changes produce substances that were not there when you started. You can’t reverse or undo a chemical change. The substance or object involved in physical change is the same before and after the change (unlike a chemical change). The change is not permanent and can be undone. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 4.P.2.2. Explain how minerals are identified using tests for the physical properties of hardness, color, luster, cleavage and streak.
Minerals of Earth's crustMinerals are solid elements formed naturally in the Earth’s surface. Every mineral has a unique chemical composition – a mix of the chemicals that formed it. Rocks are made up of minerals, sometimes more than one kind of mineral! Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 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.
Rocks, Minerals, and soilRocks are solid material found in nature made up of minerals. A mineral is a natural material usually found in the ground. A rock has physical properties like color and composition, or what exact minerals make up the rock. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Rocks and mineralsFreeWhat is in a Rock? Rocks are made up of many tiny pieces of minerals. What are Minerals? Minerals are natural, nonliving crystals. They come in many sizes, shapes, and colors. Types of Rocks: Sedimentary Rocks, Igneous Rocks, Metamorphic Rocks. The Rock Cycle. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 Landforms, Rocks and soilLandsforms are features that make up the Earth's surface. They include mountains, plateaus, canyons, deltas, hills, valleys, and more... The Rock cycle, Volcanoes. How do Earthquakes happen? Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 Minerals of Earth's crustMinerals are solid elements formed naturally in the Earth’s surface. Every mineral has a unique chemical composition – a mix of the chemicals that formed it. Rocks are made up of minerals, sometimes more than one kind of mineral! Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Energy: Conservation and Transfer
4.P.3. Recognize that energy takes various forms that may be grouped based on their interaction with matter.
4.P.3.1. Recognize the basic forms of energy (light, sound, heat, electrical, and magnetic) as the ability to cause motion or create change.
Force, motion and energyMotion is the process of an object changing place or position. A force is a push or pull upon an object. Speed refers to the rate an object changes position. To accelerate means to go faster; decelerate means to slow down. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :3 Properties of matter and EnergyWhat is matter? Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. Kinetic energy is energy that is happening now; it is energy in motion. Potential energy is energy that is waiting to happen; it is stored energy. How does heat get transferred: By conduction, by convection and by radiation. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 All About EnergyEnergy is the ability to do work. There are two types of energy. One type of energy is energy that is waiting to happen but has not happened yet. This is called potential energy. Another type of energy is called kinetic energy. This type of energy is energy that is happening now. Read more...iWorksheets :6Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 4.P.3.2. Recognize that light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object or travels from one medium to another, and that light can be reflected, refracted, and absorbed.
Light and SoundLight is a form of energy that travels in waves. A reflection occurs when light rays bounce off a surface, such as when you see your reflection in a mirror. Absorption is when an object takes in light wave. Refraction is when light bends moving from one medium to another. Sound is a type of energy that travels in waves that is caused by vibrations. Vibrations are movements made rapidly back and forth. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :3 Sound and light energySound is a type of energy that travels in waves which are caused by vibrations. Characteristics of Sound. Vibrations: movements made rapidly back and forth. Sound Waves: an invisible transfer of sound energy as it travels away from the energy source. Wavelength: the distance between a point on one sound wave and a similar point on another sound wave. Frequency: The number of vibrations in a period of time is called the frequency of a vibration. Volume: The loudness or quietness of a sound is its volume. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 NC.4.E. Earth Science
Earth in the Universe
4.E.1. Explain the causes of day and night and phases of the moon.
4.E.1.1. Explain the cause of day and night based on the rotation of Earth on its axis.
Our Solar system and beyondWhat Can Be Found in the Solar System? A planet is a large body that revolves around the Sun. Asteroids, comets and meteors are made of pieces of rock and ice. Asteroids are small pieces of rock which orbit around the Sun. Comets are made of ice and rock. The “tail” of a comet is made of vaporized gases and dust that flow behind them as they fly through space at a VERY fast pace! Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :3 Earth's freshwater and atmospherePlanet Earth (the planet on which we happen to live) spins on an imaginary line called an axis. One spin around on its axis is called a revolution. As the earth rotates, the areas facing the Sun slowly change, and that means the time of day and the temperatures change.The sun is the main energy supply for the water cycle. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 4.E.1.2. Explain the monthly changes in the appearance of the moon, based on the moon's orbit around the Earth.
Earth in spaceFreeThe Sun, which is a star, is Earth's source of heat and light. The earth travels in circles around the Sun. The Earth’s rotation every 24 hours results in day and night on Earth. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Our Solar system and beyondWhat Can Be Found in the Solar System? A planet is a large body that revolves around the Sun. Asteroids, comets and meteors are made of pieces of rock and ice. Asteroids are small pieces of rock which orbit around the Sun. Comets are made of ice and rock. The “tail” of a comet is made of vaporized gases and dust that flow behind them as they fly through space at a VERY fast pace! Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :3 Earth History
4.E.2. 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.
4.E.2.1. Compare fossils (including molds, casts, and preserved parts of plants and animals) to one another and to living organisms.
Fossils and extinct animalsMany animals have become extinct over millions of years. Extinct means no longer living on Earth. Animas that are extinct include dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers, and dodo birds. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 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.
Changes on earthA glacier is a slow moving large body of ice. A volcano is an opening in the Earth’s crust from which hot, melted rock forcefully comes out when pressure is built up inside the Earth. An earthquake is a sudden shift in the Earth’s crust that causes the ground to shake and vibrate violently. Weathering is the process of rocks being changed over time by conditions such as rain, snow, ice, pressure.Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :3 Earth - Inside and OutLet's look at the Earth from the inside out...
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The Earth is made up three main layers called crust, mantle, and core. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :9 Landforms, Rocks and soilLandsforms are features that make up the Earth's surface. They include mountains, plateaus, canyons, deltas, hills, valleys, and more... The Rock cycle, Volcanoes. How do Earthquakes happen? Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 Minerals of Earth's crustMinerals are solid elements formed naturally in the Earth’s surface. Every mineral has a unique chemical composition – a mix of the chemicals that formed it. Rocks are made up of minerals, sometimes more than one kind of mineral! Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 NC.4.L. Life Science
Ecosystems
4.L.1. Understand the effects of environmental changes, adaptations and behaviors that enable animals (including humans) to survive in changing habitats.
4.L.1.1. Give examples of changes in an organism's environment that are beneficial to it and some that are harmful.
Ecosystems and changes in ecosystemsWhat is an ecosystem? An ecosystem is the living and nonliving components of an environment and the way they interact with each other and their environment. There are several different ecosystems on the Earth. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :3 4.L.1.2. Explain how animals meet their needs by using behaviors in response to information received from the environment.
Introduction to animalsAnimals have particular body parts and structures to help them survive in their Earth environment. For instance, animals have certain body parts such as legs or wings that help them move, and mouths or trunks or beaks that help them drink water. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :4 Animal Diversity and AdaptationsFreeHere are some examples of the systems that animals and humans have in common: Integumentary system, Muscular system, Endocrine system, Nervous system, Circulatory system, Respiratory system, Digestive system, Excretory System, Reproductive system, Immune system, Skeletal System. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :5 Standards
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