What others say
Description
Five engaging science units address fourth grade earth science standards for 30 states (NGSS and 10 others). Curriculum bundles include hands-on activities and projects; labs, stations, and experiments; STEM challenges; inquiry; and more. Posters/anchor charts, review, and assessment for fast and slow changes to Earth's surface are also included.
The following states and Washington, D.C. have adopted Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS): Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
These units also address all fourth grade earth science standards for Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Montana, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Open the preview to take a look at the standards-based earth science units. (The main preview provides an overview. For a deeper dive, open previews for the individual resources.)
These units were built specifically for the fourth grade standards. You can view and download the 5E lesson plans and schedules in the bonus preview. Scroll down in the right-hand column of this page to find them.
Standard: Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in layers to support an explanation for changes in the landscape over time.
- Hands-on activities help kids understand how layers are deposited over time to provide evidence of the past.
- The slideshow encourages them to consider evidence of change from biggest to smallest: landforms, rock formations, layers of rock, and fossils.
- For an extra challenge, they can create a timeline of the Geologic Time Scale using adding machine tape.
- The assessment asks kids to analyze four fossil layers to determine relative age and environment, match vocabulary with definitions, and answer two questions about evidence of change.
Slow Changes to Earth’s Surface
Standard: Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.
- Six hands-on labs lay a conceptual foundation for understanding weathering, erosion, and deposition.
- A slideshow reinforces and extends vocabulary.
- Students practice discriminating between the weathering, erosion, and deposition with pictorial sorting cards or worksheets.
- A quiz assesses kids' understanding of weathering, erosion, and deposition.
Standard: Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features.
- Students study elevation and earthquake maps to find patterns in Earth’s surface and make connections.
- The slideshow takes it a step farther by introducing continental drift and plate tectonics.
- An extension activity asks kids to plot the latitude and longitude of 21st century volcanoes to map the Ring of Fire.
- A final map activity, which compares landform and volcano maps, may be used for assessment.
Fast and Slow Changes to Earth’s Surface – This set of posters, flash cards, and quiz is also included. It helps kids discriminate between fast and slow changes and learn key types (weathering, erosion, deposition, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, tsunamis).
Standard: Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.
- Kids read about sources of fuel used for electricity. They write one- or five-paragraph essays to argue which source people should use.
- The slideshow explains that energy and fuels come from natural resources and their uses can harm the environment.
- As an extension, students read or research sources of energy for vehicles (gasoline, all-electric, hybrid electric, fuel cell electric, and plug-in electric. As a grand finale, they design their own “green” vehicles.
- A quiz assesses their knowledge of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, causes of air pollution and the greenhouse effect, and understanding of environmentally friendly energy sources.
Reducing Impacts of Natural Earth Processes on Humans
Standard: Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
- Scaffolded activities introduce the engineering design process as students consider solutions for problems related to natural Earth forces (e.g., floods, erosion, and earthquakes).
- The slideshow illustrates how civil engineers use the engineering design process in the same way.
- The assessment covers the engineering design process.
Your students will love these fourth grade earth science units - and you will too.
Enjoy teaching!
Brenda Kovich, NBCT
Follow my store and receive a new discount each month! ↗️
4th Grade Earth Science Curriculum Units - Standards-Based Activities & Projects
Highlights
What others say
Bonus
Save even more with bundles
Description
Five engaging science units address fourth grade earth science standards for 30 states (NGSS and 10 others). Curriculum bundles include hands-on activities and projects; labs, stations, and experiments; STEM challenges; inquiry; and more. Posters/anchor charts, review, and assessment for fast and slow changes to Earth's surface are also included.
The following states and Washington, D.C. have adopted Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS): Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
These units also address all fourth grade earth science standards for Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Montana, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Open the preview to take a look at the standards-based earth science units. (The main preview provides an overview. For a deeper dive, open previews for the individual resources.)
These units were built specifically for the fourth grade standards. You can view and download the 5E lesson plans and schedules in the bonus preview. Scroll down in the right-hand column of this page to find them.
Standard: Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in layers to support an explanation for changes in the landscape over time.
- Hands-on activities help kids understand how layers are deposited over time to provide evidence of the past.
- The slideshow encourages them to consider evidence of change from biggest to smallest: landforms, rock formations, layers of rock, and fossils.
- For an extra challenge, they can create a timeline of the Geologic Time Scale using adding machine tape.
- The assessment asks kids to analyze four fossil layers to determine relative age and environment, match vocabulary with definitions, and answer two questions about evidence of change.
Slow Changes to Earth’s Surface
Standard: Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.
- Six hands-on labs lay a conceptual foundation for understanding weathering, erosion, and deposition.
- A slideshow reinforces and extends vocabulary.
- Students practice discriminating between the weathering, erosion, and deposition with pictorial sorting cards or worksheets.
- A quiz assesses kids' understanding of weathering, erosion, and deposition.
Standard: Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features.
- Students study elevation and earthquake maps to find patterns in Earth’s surface and make connections.
- The slideshow takes it a step farther by introducing continental drift and plate tectonics.
- An extension activity asks kids to plot the latitude and longitude of 21st century volcanoes to map the Ring of Fire.
- A final map activity, which compares landform and volcano maps, may be used for assessment.
Fast and Slow Changes to Earth’s Surface – This set of posters, flash cards, and quiz is also included. It helps kids discriminate between fast and slow changes and learn key types (weathering, erosion, deposition, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, tsunamis).
Standard: Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.
- Kids read about sources of fuel used for electricity. They write one- or five-paragraph essays to argue which source people should use.
- The slideshow explains that energy and fuels come from natural resources and their uses can harm the environment.
- As an extension, students read or research sources of energy for vehicles (gasoline, all-electric, hybrid electric, fuel cell electric, and plug-in electric. As a grand finale, they design their own “green” vehicles.
- A quiz assesses their knowledge of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, causes of air pollution and the greenhouse effect, and understanding of environmentally friendly energy sources.
Reducing Impacts of Natural Earth Processes on Humans
Standard: Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
- Scaffolded activities introduce the engineering design process as students consider solutions for problems related to natural Earth forces (e.g., floods, erosion, and earthquakes).
- The slideshow illustrates how civil engineers use the engineering design process in the same way.
- The assessment covers the engineering design process.
Your students will love these fourth grade earth science units - and you will too.
Enjoy teaching!
Brenda Kovich, NBCT
Follow my store and receive a new discount each month! ↗️
