Grade 4
Physical Science
8 lessons · Lesson plan · Printables · Interactive Activity
Waves & Information
Codes & Information Transfer: Patterns That Send Messages
Design, test, and compare pattern-based codes that use light, sound, cards, or two-symbol sequences to transfer information accurately across a distance.
50 min · ~10 min prep · 5 materials
Energy
Energy Transfer
Use observations as evidence that energy can move from place to place through sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
45 min · ~10 min prep · 8 materials
Energy
Electricity & Simple Circuits
Build and test simple circuits, use a bulb as evidence of a complete path, and investigate which tested materials can bridge a gap.
52 min · ~12 min prep · 9 materials
Electricity & Magnetism
Build an Electromagnet: Current, Coils & Magnetic Strength
Build a simple electromagnet and use fair tests to investigate how electric current and coil turns affect magnetic strength.
50 min · ~12 min prep · 6 materials
Energy
Energy Conversions: Design a Device That Changes Energy
Trace energy through simple devices, distinguish transfer from conversion, and design or refine a device that changes energy from one form to another.
50 min · ~12 min prep · 6 materials
Energy
Collisions & Energy
Ask questions, make predictions, and use collision evidence to reason about changes in motion and energy.
45 min · ~10 min prep · 5 materials
Waves & Information
Waves & Sound
Build and revise qualitative wave models to compare amplitude and wavelength, use physical evidence to reason about wave-caused motion, and explain one limit of a model for sound.
50 min · ~8 min prep · 5 materials
Waves & Information
Light Reflection & Vision
Build a source → object → eye model to explain vision, then use a mirror target investigation to show that changing mirror orientation changes the direction of reflected light.
45 min · ~10 min prep · 6 materials