Wichita falls ISD
Fourth Grade - Science
Unit 8: The Water Cycle and Weather
Unit Planner
Approximate Time Frame: 19 days
Objectives
Skills: The student will be able to…
 Measure and record changes in weather and make predictions using weather maps,
weather symbols, and map key.
 Collect and analyze data to identify sequences and predict patterns of change in
shadows, tides, seasons, and the observable appearance of the moon over time.
 Investigate rapid changes in Earth’s surface such as volcanic eruption, earthquakes, and
landslides.*
 Identify the planets in Earth’s solar system and their position in relation to the Sun. *
Big Idea – There are recognizable patterns among the sun,
Earth, and moon system.
TEKS
Supporting: 4.8A, 4.8C
3.7B*, 3.8D*
Other Science Concepts:
Process Skills: 4.3D, 4.2B,
4.2C, 4.2D, 4.3A, 4.4A,
4.2F
ELPS: 2C, 4C, 4E, 4F, 4G,
2B, 2D, 2E, 3B, 3C, 1A, 4A
*Supporting Standards from 3rd grade TEKS must be incorporated into instruction as appropriate
throughout the school year.
Performance Indicators
By the end of the unit the student will be able to…
 Describe how the Earth moves in space.
 Note how shadows cast by an object change throughout the day.
 Draw a series of pictures that show how the moon’s apparent shape changes over a month.
 Using written expression, explain why the same side of the moon always faces the earth.
Lesson Information
Activities
• Textbook: TE pp. 343A - 394
• For each lesson there is an activity Options for Inquiry- this can be conducted at any time
before during or in response to the lesson.
• TE pp. 395D-395H
• English Language Learners- instructional strategies are available in the TE pp. 395L395M
• The margins of the Teachers Edition (TE) are full of helpful information.
• Active Reading is encouraged throughout the lessons and reinforced in the margins of
the TE
• Lesson 1 pp. 397, 398, 400, 402, 404, 406
• Lesson 3 pp. 419, 422
• Worksheets
• Located throughout the lessons in textbook
• Digital Curriculum
• Each lesson has an Online Resource available
• Unit 9 Review (detailed description of answers located in the margins of the TE).
Wichita Falls ISD (2014-2015)
4Sc Unit 9
Scientific Processes TEKS must be incorporated into
instruction as appropriate throughout the school year.
Vocabulary
Lesson 1
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Rotate
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Axis
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Orbit
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Constellation
•
Tide
Lesson 3
•
Moon phases
1
revised 1/3/15
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• pp. 433-436
• Unit 9 Test and Performance Assessment
• Assessment Guide pp AG 130- AG 136
Below are additional/ useful information to include along with the ScienceFusion
Textbook.
WEATHER ELABORATE: FOSS kit “Air and Weather” are great for this unit. They are
available through Region 9. Call 940-322-6928.
WEATHER EXPLAIN: Weather in the Classroom (may have been used in Unit 8 Water Cycle
and Weather) booklets provided by KAUZ Channel 6 News Station, can be used to explain
temperature maps, symbols, atmosphere, clouds, precipitation, seasons, weather
patterns, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other weather properties. The SRC sent these out at
the beginning of the school year (1 for each 4th grader – if more copies are needed contact
the SRC). The PDF version can be found in the Unit 9 folder. You can also use the weather
board program that was provided by SRC (You should have them for each grade level). The
weather boards have symbols and vocabulary along with teaching suggestions, maps, and
charts.
MOON PHASES ENGAGE: Show the song “Moon Phases” and have students follow along
with the lyrics page Moon Song (on Discovery Education Website) and lyrics.
MOON PHASES EXPLORE: Teacher can stand in the middle of a circle of students with a
lamp (use clear bulb with no lampshade). Each student receives a Styrofoam ball on a
pencil. Each student is representing the Earth. Discuss rotation, and have students model
all phases of the moon (new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full
moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, waxing crescent). Be sure to emphasize
counterclockwise and position of the Earth, Sun, and Moon. Further instruction on this
activity, and all materials can be checked out from SRC under the title “Earth, Moon, and
Stars”.
PATTERNS OF THE EARTH ELABORATE: Students may create products/projects to
elaborate on what they have learned in this unit. PDF file, Project Menu for Patterns of the
Earth, located in the resource folder of Unit 9.
Students are to find
and list the yellow
highlighted terms
from the lessons. As
they proceed
through the lessons
and learn about the
terms, they should
add notes, drawings,
or sentences in the
extra space provided
in the interactive
glossary.
Vocabulary Cards are
provided in the Fusion
Online Resource.
EVALUATE: The Patterns of the Earth from last year is available in TEST BANK folder in
2014-2015 Curriculum folder (S drive).
Additional Information
Materials/Resources

Refer to TE pp. 343D – 343G for Materials list

Response to Intervention (RTI)- supplements are
available on p. 395K

www.noaa.gov

Discovery Education (United streaming)

See Science Weekly for other possible activities.
Textbook Correlations:
 ScienceFusion Texas: grd 4, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Online: www-k6.thinkcentral.com

See Science Resource Center (SRC) for additional options.
http://www.wfisd.net/page/577

Vocabulary booklets, word walls, wordles
(see www.wordle.com), word searches, or other
vocabulary activities need to be used throughout each unit.

See Science Weekly for other possible activities.
Notes from Council
 NONE
Wichita Falls ISD (2014-2015)
4Sc Unit 9
Scientific Processes TEKS must be incorporated into
instruction as appropriate throughout the school year.
2
revised 1/3/15
Misconceptions/Underdeveloped Concepts
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Lesson 1 p. 403 TE- students may think that Earth’s axis changes its orientation as it revolves around the sun.
Lesson 1 p. 408 TE- students may think that early astronomers, such as Copernicus and Galileo, developed an
accurate model of the universe because they successfully refuted the Earth- centered model.
Lesson 3 p. 420 TE- students may think that the moon makes its own light like the sun does.
Lesson 3 p. 422 TE- students may think that the phases of the moon are caused by shadows cast on its surface by other
objects in the solar system, particularly Earth.
Parent Resources
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Create a weather plan in case of severe weather.
www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-instruments.htm
www.stardate.org/nightsky/moon
www.videojug.com/film/why-does-the-earth-have-seasons
http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/making-shadows-6085139
http://ele.fredrogerscenter.org/activity/exploring-shadows
http://interactive-earth.com/resources/science-visualizations/5-tides-and-sea-level-modeling.html
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/followadrip.html
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/droplet.html
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html
http://serc.carleton.edu/eslabs/weather/2a.html
Wichita Falls ISD (2014-2015)
4Sc Unit 9
Scientific Processes TEKS must be incorporated into
instruction as appropriate throughout the school year.
3
revised 1/3/15