CHALLENGE YOUR STUDENT
WITH A GRADE AHEAD’S
4 TH GRADE SCIENCE PROGRAM
A Grade Ahead’s 16-week condensed science program for 4th grade is designed to teach students
scientific thinking skills for application and inquiry based learning.
The 1st week focuses on introducing the Scientific Method. The subsequent 5 weeks are dedicated to
grade appropriate concepts in Earth, Physical, and Life Sciences. Students receive four days of homework
each week that include kitchen science experiments, scientific history, critical thinking, real-world
connections, etc. Homework includes explanations to assist with understanding as well as an answer key.
Material is printed in color to further enhance the learning experience for students.
SAMPLE MATERIALS
Many prospective parents are interested in viewing A Grade Ahead’s material before enrolling in our
program. We encourage you to review the attached sample packet that includes:
Curriculum: Example Sheet (to explain a new concept)
Curriculum: Sample Problems (for one day’s homework)
Curriculum: Answers (for one day’s homework)
Examples – Science: Grade 4
Week - 1
The Scientific Method
Key Terms
Science
Scientific Method
Hypothesis
Research
Variable
Data
Observation
Conclusion
A. What is Science?
Take a moment to think about what comes to your mind when you hear
the word "science." You may think of mad scientists, bubbling chemistry sets,
volcanic eruptions, or you may even think about what
lies beyond the stars in the night sky. Science has a
very open definition because it represents many
different things, but overall, it is the process of
discovering the world around us and the knowledge
gained from these discoveries. The most important part of science is asking
questions because without questions, there are no answers. Science gives us
a method to find the answers to some of life's important mysteries!
B. The Scientific Method
The scientific method is the process scientists use to explore the question they are asking.
The scientific method consists of 6 steps:
1) Ask a question.
2) Create a hypothesis.
3) Design an experiment.
Report Results
Hypothesis is
4) Perform the experiment.
True
5) Evaluate the data and make a conclusion.
6) Report the results.
Ask a Question
Create a
Hypothesis
Design an
Experiment
Perform the
Experiment
Report Results
Evaluate the Data
and Make a
Conclusion
Hypothesis is
False
Ask a question.
The first step to any science experiment is to find a question for which
you don't have an answer. For example, you may ask yourself: what are the
causes of rain, how does electricity get into my house, or where do mountains
come from? All of these questions can be answered through experimentation!
Create a hypothesis.
The second step in the scientific method is to create a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated
guess that answers your question. To make an educated guess, you will need to have some background
knowledge on the subject of your question. It may require you to do some research to
gain this background knowledge.
Research is the process of collecting facts about a certain subject that can be
used to help create your hypothesis. Sometimes this requires reading books, using
02_05_EXAMPLES_Grd04Sci_1.docx
1
Examples – Science: Grade 4
Week - 1
reliable sources on the World Wide Web, or even asking a knowledgable person questions about the
topic. Overall, you should gain enough background knowledge from your research that you are able to
make an educated guess to the question that you are trying to answer.
Design an experiment.
The design of an experiment is probably the most important step of the scientific method. The
method for creating an experiment design can be broken down into three steps:
Step One - Consider the question and hypothesis.
Ask yourself what you are testing and think about how you can test it. You don't want your design
to test something that doesn't answer your question. For example, if your question is, "What is the effect
of temperature on non-rechargeable AA batteries?" You would not want to test how long a AA battery
lasts in water. Overall, your design should produce an answer to your question.
Step Two - Think about the variables in the experiment.
A variable is something in your experiment that is changed. For example, when testing the
effects of temperature on non-rechargable AA batteries, temperature is the variable that you will be
changing to test your hypothesis. In an experiment, only one variable can be changed at a time. This is
done so that the effect of changing the variable can be determined. If multiple variables are changed,
then it is impossible to tell which variable made the effect on the experiment.
Step Three - Gather all the materials that you will need for the experiment.
Having all the necessary materials is very important in the design of an experiment. The materials
should also include things that will make the experiment safe.
Perform the experiment.
If you have thought of a good experiment design, then performing the experiment should be the
easiest step of the scientific method. This step of the scientific method may need to be repeated several
times due to errors in performing the experiment.
Evaluate the data and make a conclusion.
Once you have completed the experiment, the data and observations
that you collected need to be evaluated. Data is the collection of facts from
which conclusions can be made. An observation is data found by using one or
more of the five senses. Data can also be obtained by using an instrument (like
a thermometer for measuring temperature, or a ruler for measuring distance
etc.). Once your data and observations have been looked over, you need to
come up with a conclusion.
The conclusion is the summary of the results that you get by looking at the data you found, and
it is the answer of true or false to your hypothesis. If your hypothesis is found to be false, you need to
report your results and then restart at the "create a hypothesis" step. This happens often, and sometimes
this step is required many times. If the hypothesis is found to be true, then the experiment is over and the
results can be reported. Although a hypothesis is found true, it does not mean that
it is always true. Sometimes when an experiment is repeated, the results are very
different. A good experiment is repeatable! This allows other scientists to
complete the experiment and get the same result, which makes the experiment
believable.
02_05_EXAMPLES_Grd04Sci_1.docx
2
Examples – Science: Grade 4
Week - 1
Report your results.
It is important to report your results whether your hypothesis is true or false. As a student, most of
the time you will have to write up a report that includes the results of your experiment. The report
generally includes your question, information gathered, hypothesis, set up of the experiment, data
collected, and a conclusion that discusses your results.
C. Experiment: To Float, or not to Float
In this experiment, you will act as a scientist to test whether or not an egg will float in fresh water,
salt water, both, or neither. You will use the steps of the scientific method to complete the experiment. A
recording sheet for your obsverations and data is provided.
02_05_EXAMPLES_Grd04Sci_1.docx
3
Day 1
Science: Grade 4
Date:
Start Time:
Week - 1
End Time:
Pre-lab Score:______/9
PRE-LAB QUESTIONS
(Mandatory for all Students)
1-9. Answer the following questions prior to starting either experiment.
1. What is a hypothesis?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2-5. Match the following words with the appropriate definitions.
Research
Science
Scientific Method
Variable
2. An organized process that scientists use to answer questions. ____________
3. Something in your experiment that changes. ____________
4. The process of collecting facts about a certain subject. ____________
5. The process of discovering the world around us and the knowledge gained
from these discoveries.____________
6-9. Asher is trying to figure out what type of cup (Styrofoam, paper, or
plastic) will be better to keep ice from melting. He thinks that the
Styrofoam cup will work the best because that is what ice coolers are made
out of. He tests this out by placing three ice cubes in each cup. After
twenty minutes he records the amount of water that is sitting in each cup.
6. What is Asher's hypothesis?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. What are the variable(s) in Asher's experiment?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. How will Asher know which cup best keeps ice from melting?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
9. Asher discovered that Styrofoam does, in fact, best keep the ice from
melting. Now, he wants to learn what material best keeps hot chocolate warm.
Using your previous knowledge, make a hypothesis about the material.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
03_07_Grd04_SCI_01.docx
4
Day 1
Science: Grade 4
Week - 1
Experiment 1 Score:______/8
EXPERIMENT 1: KITCHEN SCIENCE
(Mandatory for all students)
Experimentation: In this experiment, you will follow the steps of the
scientific method to determine the relation between your senses of smell and
taste. You will use the scientific method to design an experiment to compare
the tastes and smells of potatoes and apples.
Supplies Needed per Student:
1 apple
1 potato
1 blunt knife
1 vegetable peeler (optional)
1-7. Experimentation: Follow the given procedure.
1. Create a hypothesis: Do you think that your sense of smell has an effect
on your sense of taste?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2-5. Experiment Design: Design an experiment that will test your hypothesis
by answering the questions below. You may use only the materials provided.
Parents: Make sure each student has an appropriate design that allows them to taste
with and without smelling.
2. What are you testing in this experiment?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. What is the variable in this experiment?
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. Design a procedure to compare the tastes of the apple and the potato when
your sense of smell is being used.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. Design a procedure to compare the tastes of the apple and the potato when
your sense of smell is not being used. [Hint: What can you do to make sure you cannot
smell anything?]
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
03_07_Grd04_SCI_01.docx
5
Day 1
Science: Grade 4
Week - 1
Perform the experiment: You should use two separate pieces of apple and
potato for each part of your experiment. Make sure you clean them very
thoroughly before tasting anything.
 Record your results and observations on the sheet provided below.
 Use descriptive words for the tastes, such as: bitter, juicy, salty,
strong, tasteless, tart, tangy, sour, sweet, etc.
 When tasting, make sure to taste the flesh of the apple and potato, not
the skins.
Date:
Apple
Potato
With
sense of
smell
Without
sense of
smell
6. When you were using your sense of smell, how different were the tastes of
the apple and the potato?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. When you were not able to use your sense of smell, did the apple and
potato taste the same as before? If not, explain.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. Make a Conclusion: What is the conclusion of your experiment?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
03_07_Grd04_SCI_01.docx
6
Day 1
Science: Grade 4
Week - 1
Experiment 2 Score:______/6
EXPERIMENT 2: CLASSROOM EXPERIMENT
(Optional for Mail Students)
Experimentation: In this experiment, you will follow the steps of the
scientific method to figure out if an egg floats in fresh water, salt water,
or neither. You will first come up with your own hypothesis. Then, you will
design an experiment that uses only the materials provided.
Supplies Needed per Group:
1 16 oz cup
1 fresh medium sized egg
2 cups of tap water
4 Tbsp of Salt
1-6. Experimentation: Follow the given procedure.
1. Ask a question: What are you investigating for this experiment?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. Create a hypothesis: Using your own background knowledge, create a
hypothesis that states whether an egg will float in fresh water, salt water,
or both.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3-4. Experiment Design: Design an experiment that will test your hypothesis
by answering the questions below. You may use only the materials provided.
Teachers: Make sure each student has an appropriate design that allows them
to see if an egg with float in fresh water and/or salt water.
3. What is the variable in this experiment?
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. Design an experiment that will test your hypothesis, using the variable
from the previous question. Describe your experiment below; include
materials, steps, and any relevant information.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
03_07_Grd04_SCI_01.docx
7
Day 1
Science: Grade 4
Week - 1
Perform the experiment: Perform the experiment you designed once it has been
approved by your teacher. Test your fresh water experiment before your salt
water experiment so that the salt water does not contaminate the fresh water.



Record your results and observations on the recording sheet provided
below.
Perform two trials of your experiment.
At the end of the experiment, share your results with the rest of the
class and answer the conclusion questions together.
Teachers: Write each group’s results on the board to help the students come
up with a conclusion that everyone can agree upon.
Floating Egg Experiment
Observation Recording Sheet
Date:
Trial 1
Trial 2
Additional
Observations
Fresh
Water
Salt
Water
5. Did the egg act exactly the same in both trials? If not, what were the
differences?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
6. Why did you have to perform multiple trials?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
03_07_Grd04_SCI_01.docx
8
Day 1
Science: Grade 4
Week - 1
Conclusion Score:______/7
CONCLUSION QUESTIONS
(Optional for Mail Students)
1-7. Answer the following questions relating to each experiment.
1. Look at the observations you made in the first experiment. Using a few
sentences, describe the results of the first experiment.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2-3. For the first experiment, was your hypothesis true or false? If it was
true, explain why you thought this way. If your hypothesis was false, explain
why you think it was false.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. Challenge: Why do you think the egg floated in salt water but not fresh
water?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5-6. Do you think this is true for all objects in water or salt water? How
could you test them?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. After you have made your conclusion, what step should you do next? Why is
this step important?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
03_07_Grd04_SCI_01.docx
9
Day 1
Science: Grade 4
A Grade Ahead’s 4th Grade Science Program
Recommended Reading List
The Scientific Method:
Investigating the Scientific Method with Max Axiom, Super Scientist
By, Emily Sohn
Master the Scientific Method with Fun Life Science Projects
By, Ann Benbow
Earth Science:
Learning about Rocks, Weathering, and Erosion with Graphic Organizers
By, Diana Estigarribia
Introducing Landforms
By, Bobbie Kalman
What is the Rock Cycle?
By, Natalie Hyde
The Magic School Bus Wet all over: A book about the Water Cycle
By, Joanna Cole
The Water Cycle
By, Craig Hammersmith
Physical Science:
The Attractive Story of Magnetism with Max Axiom, Super Scientist
By, Emily Sohn
The Powerful World of Energy with Max Axiom, Super Scientist
By, Emily Sohn
The Shocking World of Electricity with Max Axiom, Super Scientist
The Solid Truth about States of Matter with Max Axiom, Super Scientist
By, Emily Sohn
Life Science:
World of Food Chains with Max Axiom, Super Scientist
By, Emily Sohn
Exploring Ecosystems with Max Axiom, Super Scientist
By, Emily Sohn
The Life Cycle of a Bee
By, Colleen A. Sexton
Traits and Attributes
By, Natalie Hyde
03_07_Grd04_SCI_01.docx
10
Week - 1
Answers – Science: Grade 4
Week - 1
Week: 1 – Day 1
PRE-LAB
1)
2)
5)
6)
7)
8)
A hypothesis is an educated guess that answers a question.
Scientific Method
3)
Variable
4)
Research
Science
A Styrofoam cup will keep ice from melting the best.
The variable in the experiment is the cup type being used.
Asher will know which cup keeps ice from melting the best by looking for the cup that
has the least amount of water in the cup after twenty minutes.
9)
Answer may vary slightly. I believe that Styrofoam will best keep the hot chocolate warm
because it is good at keeping the temperature inside cups from changing. It keeps the
ice at its cold temperature, and I think it will also keep the warm drink at its high
temperature.
EXPERIMENT 1
1)
Answers may vary. An example is given. I think that my sense of smell has no effect on
my sense of taste.
2)
I am testing to see if my sense of smell effects the way things taste.
3)
The variable is smell.
4)
a. Cut the apple and potato each into two pieces. b. Take a bite of one apple piece. c.
Describe the way it tastes on the observation sheet. c. Take a bit of one potato piece.
d. Describe the way it tastes on the observation sheet.
5)
a. Plug your nose with one hand. b. Using the other hand, take a bite of the second
apple piece. c. Describe the way it tastes on the observation sheet. d. Keeping your
nose plugged, take a bite of the other potato piece. e. Describe the way it tastes on
the observation sheet.
6)
With the sense of smell present, the tastes of the apple and potato are very different.
7)
Without the sense of smell, it is very difficult to tell the difference between the
tastes of the apple and potato.
8)
The conclusion of my experiment is that there is a strong relationship between my sense
of smell and my sense of taste.
EXPERIMENT 2
1)
Will an egg float in fresh water, salt water, or both?
2)
Answers may vary slightly. Examples are given. I think that the egg will float in the
salt water only.
3)
The variable in this experiment is water type.
4)
a. Pour 2 cups of water into a cup big enough to fit an egg. b. Place the egg into the
fresh water to see if it floats. c. Record results. d. Add 4 Tbs of salt to the water.
e. Place the egg into the salt water to see if it floats. Record results.
5)
The egg floated in the salt water only, and it sank in the fresh water.
6)
We had to perform multiple trials to make sure that there was no mistake with the
experiment.
EXPERIMENT 2 CONCLUSION
1)
In the first experiment my results were that the egg did not float in plain water, but
when I added the salt it was able to float.
2-3)
Answers may vary slightly. Examples are given. My hypothesis was true. I thought this
way because I remembered that it was easier to float in the ocean than in fresh water
when swimming. Or, if your hypothesis was false, your explanation could be as follows:
My hypothesis was false because the salt had an effect on the egg floating in the water.
4)
Answers will vary. I think the egg floated in salt water but not fresh water because
salt water is thicker (more dense) than fresh water which means the egg has a greater
chance of floating.
5-6)
Answers will vary. Yes, an object floats because it's density is less than the liquid
that it's in. We could test other objects by repeating the same experiment, except using
different objects.
7)
Next, you should report your results. This is important because you want other people
who are testing the same hypothesis to see what you did and be able to compare results
and methods.
04_20_ANSWERS_Grade04Science_W1.docx
11