Next Generation Science Curriculum Map
4th Grade
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Nine Weeks: Engineering Design (teach within other topics)
1st Nine Weeks – Earth’s Systems: Processes that Shape the Earth
2nd Nine Weeks – Energy
3rd Nine Weeks – Waves: Waves and Information
th
4 Nine Weeks – Structure, Function, and Information Processing
Objective Description
3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design
problem reflecting a need or a want that
includes specified criteria for success
and constraints on materials, time, or
cost.
3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare
multiple possible solutions to a problem
based on how well each is likely to meet
the criteria and constraints of the
problem.
3-5-ETS1-3. Plan and carry out fair tests
in which variables are controlled and
failure points are considered to identify
Engineering Design
Nine Weeks
1st Nine Weeks – Earth’s Systems
2nd Nine Weeks – Energy
3rd Nine Weeks – Waves and Information
4th Nine Weeks – Structure, Function, and
Information Processing
1st Nine Weeks – Earth’s Systems
2nd Nine Weeks – Energy
3rd Nine Weeks – Waves and Information
Instructional Activities
Covered in Earth Science activity in standard S.4.GS.11
Covered in Science Inquiry Notebook in standard S.4.GS.1
Covered in Exploring Science activity in standard S.4.GS.6
Covered in Exploring Science activity in standard S.4.GS.8
Covered in Exploring Science activity in standard
S.4.GS.12
Covered in Science Inquiry Notebook in standard S.4.GS.2
Covered in Exploring Science activity in standard S.4.GS.7
4th Nine Weeks – Structure, Function, and
Information Processing
1st Nine Weeks – Earth’s Systems
Covered in Science in a Snap activity in Life Science
textbook in standard S.4.GS.9
2nd Nine Weeks – Energy
Covered in Science Inquiry Notebook in standard S.4.GS.2
Covered in Earth Science activity in standard S.4.GS.12
1
aspects of model or prototype that can be
improved.
3rd Nine Weeks – Waves and Information
4th Nine Weeks – Structure, Function, and
Information Processing
Objective Description
S.4.GS.11 Identify evidence from patterns in rock
formations and fossils in rock layers to support an
explanation for changes in landscape over time.
S.4.GS.12 Make observations and/or measurements
to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or
the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.
S.4.GS.13 Analyze and interpret data from maps to
describe patterns of Earth’s features.
Covered in Science Inquiry Notebook in standard S.4.GS.6
Covered in Science Inquiry Notebook in standard S.4.GS.8
Earth’s Systems
Clarification Statement or Examples
Examples of evidence from patterns could include
rock layers with marine shell fossils above rock
layers with plant fossils and no shells, indicating a
change from land to water over time; and, a
canyon with different rock layers in the walls and
a river in the bottom, indicating that over time a
river cut through a rock. Reference Earth
Science textbook Chapter 2.
Instructional Activities
Hands on:
Literacy:
Earth Science
Earth Science
textbook pg. 75.
textbook pgs. 8492.
Exploring Science
textbook pgs. 158159; 162-165.
Examples of variables to test could include angle
of slope in the downhill movement of water,
amount of vegetation, speed of wind, relative rate
of deposition, cycles of freezing and thawing of
water, cycles of heating and cooling, and volume
of water flow. Reference Earth Science
textbook Chapter 4.
Hands on:
Science Inquiry
and Writing
Notebook pgs.
118-125
Exploring Science
textbook pgs. 126129
Maps can include topographic maps of Earth’s
land and ocean floor, as well as maps of the
locations of mountains, continental boundaries,
volcanoes, and earthquakes.
Literacy:
Exploring Science textbook pgs. 146149
Literacy:
Exploring Science
textbook pgs. 114125
2
S.4.GS.14 Generate and compare multiple solutions to
reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on
humans.
Examples of solutions could include designing an
earthquake resistant building and improvement in
monitoring volcanic activity. Reference Earth
Science textbook chapter 5.
Hands on:
Exploring Science
textbook pgs. 134135; 150-157.
Science Inquiry
Notebook pgs.
126-129.
Literacy:
Exploring
Science textbook
pgs. 130-133;
136-145
Energy
Objective Description
Clarification Statement or Examples
S.4.GS.1 Use evidence to construct an
explanation relating the speed of an object
to the energy of that object.
Clarification Statement: The faster a given object is moving
the more energy it possesses.
S.4.GS.2 Make observations to provide
evidence that energy can be transferred
from place to place by sound, light, heat,
and electric currents.
Clarification Statement: Energy can be moved from place to
place by moving objects or through sound, light, or electric
currents.
S.4.GS.3 Ask questions and predict
outcomes about the changes in energy that
occur when objects collide.
Reference Physical Science textbook Chapter 3
Reference Physical Science textbook Chapter 5 & 7
Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the change in the
energy due to the change in speed, not on the forces, as
objects interact. Reference Physical Science textbook
Chapter 5
Instructional Activities
Literacy:
Hands on:
Exploring Science
Science Inquiry Notebook textbook pgs. 4-5
pgs. 190-193.
Physical Science
Exploring Science
textbook pgs. 100textbook pgs. 6-7.
108.
Literacy:
Physical Science
Hands on:
Science Inquiry Notebook textbook pgs. 228229; 232-233
pgs. 202-205; 206-209;
218-221; 222-225
Hands on:
Exploring Science pgs.
10-11
Literacy:
Exploring Science
textbook pgs. 8-9
3
S.4.GS.4 Apply scientific ideas to design,
test, and refine a device that converts
energy from one form to another.
S.4.GS.5 Obtain and combine information
to describe that energy and fuels are
derived from natural resources and their
uses affect the environment.
Clarification Statement: Examples of devices could include
electric circuits that convert electrical energy into motion
energy of a vehicle, light, or sound; and, a passive solar
heater that converts light into heat. Examples of constraints
could include the materials, cost, or time to design the
device.
Clarification Statement: Renewable energy resources
include wind energy, water behind dams, and sunlight; nonrenewable energy resources are fossil fuels and fissile (able
to undergo nuclear fission) materials. Environmental effects
include loss of habitat due to dams or surface mining, and
air pollution from burning of fossil fuels.
Hands on:
Exploring Science pgs.
18-19.
Literacy:
Physical Science
textbook pgs. 160161; 164-172.
Literacy:
Exploring Science textbook pgs. 44-49.
Waves: Waves and Information
Objective Description
S.4.GS.6 Develop a model of waves to
describe patterns in terms of amplitude and
wavelength and that waves can cause
objects to move.
S.4.GS.7 Generate and compare multiple
solutions that use patterns to transfer
information.
Clarification Statement or Examples
Examples of models could include diagrams,
analogies, and physical models using wire to illustrate
wavelength and amplitude of waves.
Reference Physical Science textbook chapter 6
Examples of solutions could include drums sending
coded information through sound waves, using a grid
of 1’s and 0’s representing black and white to send
information about a picture, and using Morse code to
send text.
Instructional Activities
Hands On:
Exploring Science textbook
Literacy:
pgs. 56-57
Physical Science
Science Inquiry Notebook pgs. textbook pgs. 190210-213; 214-217
191; 194-204
Exploring Science
textbook pgs. 52-55
Hands On:
Exploring Science textbook
pgs. 64-65
Literacy:
Exploring Science
textbook pgs. 62-63
4
Notes
Pacing is suggested and suggested resources may overlap 9 week periods.
Structure, Function, and Information Processing
Objective Description
Clarification Statement or Examples
Clarification Statement: An object can be seen
S.4.GS.8 Develop a model to describe that light reflecting
when light reflected from its surface enters the
from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen.
eye.
S.4.GS.9 Construct an argument that plants and animals
have internal and external structures that function to
support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Examples of structure could include thorns,
stems, roots, colored petals, heart, stomach,
lung, brain, and skin.
Instructional Activities
Hands on:
Literacy:
Exploring Science
Exploring Science
textbook pgs. 90-91 textbook pgs. 88-89
Science Inquiry
Notebook pg. 15
Hands On:
Life Science
textbook pg. 145
Literacy:
Exploring Science
textbook pgs. 72-85
Reference Life Science textbook Chapter 4
5
S.4.GS.10 Use a model to describe that animals receive
different types of information through their senses, process
the information in their brain, and respond to the
information in different ways.
Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on systems
of information transfer.
Hands On:
Exploring Science
textbook pgs. 92-93
Literacy:
Exploring Science
textbook pgs. 86-87
6