This parent guide supports parents in helping their child at home with the 4th grade Science content.

This resource accompanies our Rethink 4th Grade Science course. It includes ideas for use, ways to support exceptional children, ways to extend learning, digital resources and tools, tips for supporting English Language Learners and students with visual and hearing impairments. There are also ideas for offline learning. 

In this activity, students learn about different types of water erosion and develop strategies to slow down erosion where man is involved.

Students identify a need for renewal in their own community, conduct a field study, and make recommendations for renewal.

In this introductory lesson, students learn about vocabulary such as recycle, reuse and conserve. In small cooperative groups, students are given a common object to first determine its possible uses and then to determine ways to use the waste of their object. Students record their ideas on a poster and share with their classmates. A culminating class project includes creating a Powerpoint presentation.

In this 1-2 week engineering design lesson, students will design and build water filters out of natural materials to simulate a filter system (bioswales) that cleans storm-water runoff before it soaks into the ground or enters a city’s storm-drain system. Their ultimate goal is to determine the combination and sequence of materials that best clean polluted water. Using materials easily found in pet stores and garden centers, students use the scientific method, students design to test and retest their designs and record, display and analyze their results.

In celebration of Earth Day, students research famous environmentalists and write letters to them asking for their opinions on current issues and turn their letters into a poem.

Students experiment with oil in water. They observe the effects of oil in water and then attempt to clean up the oil using various sorbents. They also observe what happens when a chemical dispersant is added to the oil in the water and try cleaning oil off bird feathers.

Cleanopolis VR is a game that students can play to learn more about the environment and fight against climate change. The game does not have to be played with 3D technology, but it will enhance the experience. Cleanopolis has both an Android and iOS version.

In this lesson, students will define what a community forest is. Students will also select an appropriate site to plant a tree.

In this lesson, students use the imaginery location of Conservation Island to teach students about some of the real-world issues involved in making conservation plans to save endangered species.

In this lesson, students will research the history and global observances of Earth Day and learn how the global community can help in the conservation of the planet, its inhabitants and its resources.

In this inquiry investigation, students investigate the health of an ecosystem and the effects of water, sunlight, nutrients or pollutants. They determine the change in the environment through observation, journaling and measuring growth of the plants and living creatures in their ecosystem. Students write a lab report describing the changes in their ecosystem. Finally, students attempt to return the system to a healthy state by making a change to one the previously mentioned variables basesd on other students' observations and discussions.

Students select an endangered or threatened animal to research, locate it on a map, and create a persuasive essay or poster to convince others to help the animals.

Students will reuse a variety of paper products to create a collage with an environmental theme.

In this activity, students study maps to see where deforestation is happening and discuss the effects of deforestation. Students will then draw a before and after deforestation scene. They will also show or describe actions that we can take to reduce deforestation.

In this activity, students research and brainstorm ways to erase soil pollution, locally and globally. Students will then create a poster showing how we can help reduce soil pollution.

In this activity, students design an ERASE WASTE poster that provides recommendations for reducing waste and recycling.

In this unit, students will explore their neighboring surroundings while learning about the natural resources that are available in their own backyard, as well as positive contributions they can make to minimize negative change in the environment. Furthermore, students will utilize technological resources to broaden their understanding on environmental changes, as well as human and animal adaptation. Additionally, they will gain knowledge through different literature resources during independent and shared reading.

Students will research on the computer. Students will create a poster about their Australian animal. This lesson was developed by Sara Kull as part of their completion of the North Carolina Global Educator Digital Badge program. This lesson plan has been vetted at the local and state level for standards alignment, Global Education focus, and content accuracy.