| (a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 4, investigations are used to learn about
the natural world. Students should understand that certain types of
questions can be answered by investigations and that methods, models,
and conclusions built from these investigations change as new observations
are made. Models of objects and events are tools for understanding
the natural world and can show how systems work. They have limitations
and, based on new discoveries, are constantly being modified to more
closely reflect the natural world.
(A) Within the physical environment, students know
about the physical properties of matter including mass, volume, states
of matter, temperature, magnetism, and the ability to sink or float.
Students will differentiate among forms of energy including mechanical,
light, sound, and thermal energy. Students will explore electrical
circuits and design descriptive investigations to explore the effect
of force on objects.
(B) Within the natural environment, students know that
earth materials have properties that are constantly changing due to
Earth's forces. The students learn that the natural world consists
of resources, including renewable and nonrenewable, and their responsibility
to conserve our natural resources for future generations. They will
also explore Sun, Earth, and Moon relationships. The students will
recognize that our major source of energy is the Sun.
(C) Within the living environment, students know and
understand that living organisms within an ecosystem interact with
one another and with their environment. The students will recognize
that plants and animals have basic needs, and they are met through
a flow of energy known as food webs. Students will explore how all
living organisms go through a life cycle and have structures that
enable organisms to survive in their ecosystem.
(2) Science, as defined by the National Academy of
Sciences, is the "use of evidence to construct testable explanations
and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the knowledge generated
through this process."
(3) Recurring themes are pervasive in sciences, mathematics,
and technology. These ideas transcend disciplinary boundaries and
include patterns, cycles, systems, models, and change and constancy.
(4) The study of elementary science includes planning
and safely implementing classroom and outdoor investigations using
scientific processes, including inquiry methods, analyzing information,
making informed decisions, and using tools to collect and record information,
while addressing the major concepts and vocabulary, in the context
of physical, earth, and life sciences. Districts are encouraged to
facilitate classroom and outdoor investigations for at least 50% of
instructional time.
(5) Statements containing the word "including" reference
content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such
as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student
conducts classroom and outdoor investigations, following home and
school safety procedures and environmentally appropriate and ethical
practices. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices and the use of safety
equipment as described in Texas Education Agency-approved safety standards
during classroom and outdoor investigations using safety equipment,
including safety goggles or chemical splash goggles, as appropriate,
and gloves, as appropriate; and
(B) make informed choices in the use and conservation
of natural resources and reusing and recycling of materials such as
paper, aluminum, glass, cans, and plastic.
(2) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student
uses scientific practices during laboratory and outdoor investigations.
The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement descriptive investigations,
including asking well defined questions, making inferences, and selecting
and using appropriate equipment or technology to answer his/her questions;
(B) collect and record data by observing and measuring,
using the metric system, and using descriptive words and numerals
such as labeled drawings, writing, and concept maps;
(C) construct simple tables, charts, bar graphs, and
maps using tools and current technology to organize, examine, and
evaluate data;
(D) analyze data and interpret patterns to construct
reasonable explanations from data that can be observed and measured;
(E) perform repeated investigations to increase the
reliability of results; and
(F) communicate valid oral and written results supported
by data.
(3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student
uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed
decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations
by using evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational
testing;
(B) represent the natural world using models such as
the water cycle and stream tables and identify their limitations,
including accuracy and size; and
(C) connect grade-level appropriate science concepts
with the history of science, science careers, and contributions of
scientists.
(4) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student
knows how to use a variety of tools, materials, equipment, and models
to conduct science inquiry. The student is expected to
collect, record, and analyze information using tools, including
calculators, microscopes, cameras, computers, hand lenses, metric
rulers, Celsius thermometers, mirrors, spring scales, balances, graduated
cylinders, beakers, hot plates, meter sticks, magnets, collecting
nets, and notebooks; timing devices; and materials to support observation
of habitats of organisms such as terrariums and aquariums.
(5) Matter and energy. The student knows that matter
has measurable physical properties and those properties determine
how matter is classified, changed, and used. The student is expected
to:
(A) measure, compare, and contrast physical properties
of matter, including mass, volume, states (solid, liquid, gas), temperature,
magnetism, and the ability to sink or float; and
(B) compare and contrast a variety of mixtures, including
solutions.
(6) Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that
energy exists in many forms and can be observed in cycles, patterns,
and systems. The student is expected to:
(A) differentiate among forms of energy, including
mechanical, sound, electrical, light, and thermal;
(B) differentiate between conductors and insulators
of thermal and electrical energy;
(C) demonstrate that electricity travels in a closed
path, creating an electrical circuit; and
(D) design a descriptive investigation to explore the
effect of force on an object such as a push or a pull, gravity, friction,
or magnetism.
(7) Earth and space. The students know that Earth consists
of useful resources and its surface is constantly changing. The student
is expected to:
(A) examine properties of soils, including color and
texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support the growth
of plants;
(B) observe and identify slow changes to Earth's surface
caused by weathering, erosion, and deposition from water, wind, and
ice; and
(C) identify and classify Earth's renewable resources,
including air, plants, water, and animals, and nonrenewable resources,
including coal, oil, and natural gas, and the importance of conservation.
(8) Earth and space. The student knows that there are
recognizable patterns in the natural world and among the Sun, Earth,
and Moon system. The student is expected to:
(A) measure, record, and predict changes in weather;
(B) describe and illustrate the continuous movement
of water above and on the surface of Earth through the water cycle
and explain the role of the Sun as a major source of energy in this
process; and
(C) collect and analyze data to identify sequences
and predict patterns of change in shadows, seasons, and the observable
appearance of the Moon over time.
(9) Organisms and environments. The student knows and
understands that living organisms within an ecosystem interact with
one another and with their environment. The student is expected to:
(A) investigate that most producers need sunlight,
water, and carbon dioxide to make their own food, while consumers
are dependent on other organisms for food; and
(B) describe the flow of energy through food webs,
beginning with the Sun, and predict how changes in the ecosystem affect
the food web.
(10) Organisms and environments. The student knows
that organisms undergo similar life processes and have structures
and behaviors that help them survive within their environment. The
student is expected to:
(A) explore how structures and functions enable organisms
to survive in their environment;
(B) explore and describe examples of traits that are
inherited from parents to offspring such as eye color and shapes of
leaves and behaviors that are learned such as reading a book and a
wolf pack teaching their pups to hunt effectively; and
(C) explore, illustrate, and compare life cycles in
living organisms such as beetles, crickets, radishes, or lima beans.
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