Science Curriculum - paterson.k12.nj.uspaterson.k12.nj.us/11_curriculum/science/GRADE 4/Grade 4 Unit...
Transcript of Science Curriculum - paterson.k12.nj.uspaterson.k12.nj.us/11_curriculum/science/GRADE 4/Grade 4 Unit...
1 | Page
Science Curriculum
Grade Four Unit Three
FOSS Energy
2 | Page
Course Description
In unit one, students engage in an engineering challenge to develop habits of mind and classroom practices that will be reinforced throughout the
school year. Unit two provides students with firsthand experiences with soils and rocks and modeling experiences using tools such as topographic
maps and stream tables to study changes to rocks and landforms at Earth’s surface. Students interpret data from diagrams and visual representations
to build explanations from evidence and make predictions of future events. In unit three, students engage in first-hand experiences in physical science
dealing with energy and change. Students investigate electricity and magnetism as related effects and engage in engineering design while learning
useful applications of electromagnetism in everyday life. They explore energy transfer through waves, repeating patterns of motion, that result in
sound and motion. In unit four, students will analyze ecosystems as they investigate food chains and food webs. Gradual ecosystem changes are
compared and contrasted with rapid ecosystem changes. Students are asked to assess human impact on ecosystems from positive and a negative
standpoint. Students will formulate solutions to real world environmental problems. Across all units, students gain experiences that will contribute to
the understanding of crosscutting concepts of patterns; cause and effect; scale, proportion, and quantity; systems and system models; structure and
function; and stability and change.
3 | Page
Teachers may choose from a variety of instructional approaches that are aligned with 3 dimensional learning to achieve this goal. These approaches include:
4 | Page
Pacing Chart
This pacing chart is based upon 160 minutes of instruction per cycle.
Unit 1 Engineering & Design 10 days
Unit 2 FOSS Soils, Rocks & Landforms
40 days
Unit 3 FOSS Energy
30 days
Unit 4 FOSS Environments 40 days
Unit Summary
The Energy Module provides first-hand experiences in physical science dealing with energy and change. Students investigate electricity and magnetism as related
effects and engage in engineering design while learning useful applications of electromagnetism in everyday life. They explore energy transfer through waves,
repeating patterns of motion, that result in sound and motion. The five investigations focus on the concepts that energy is present whenever there is motion,
electric current, sound, light, or heat, and that energy can transfer from one place to other. Students conduct controlled experiments by incrementally changing
variables to determine how to make an electromagnet stronger and how the amount of energy transfer changes when balls of different masses hit a stationary
object. Students interpret data from graphs to build explanations from evidence and make predictions of future events. They develop models to represent how
energy moves from place to place in electric circuits and in waves. Students gain experiences that will contribute to the understanding of crosscutting concepts of
patterns; cause and effect; systems and system models; and energy and matter.
5 | Page
Student Learning Objectives
Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each
other. [Clarification Statement: Examples of an electric force could include the force on hair from an electrically charged balloon and the electrical forces
between a charged rod and pieces of paper; examples of a magnetic force could include the force between two permanent magnets, the force between an
electromagnet and steel paperclips, and the force exerted by one magnet versus the force exerted by two magnets. Examples of cause and effect relationships
could include how the distance between objects affects strength of the force and how the orientation of magnets affects the direction of the magnetic force.]
[Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to forces produced by objects that can be manipulated by students, and electrical interactions are limited to static
electricity.] (3-PS2-3)
Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of problems could
include constructing a latch to keep a door shut and creating a device to keep two moving objects from touching each other.] (3-PS2-4)
Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object. [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include
quantitative measures of changes in the speed of an object or on any precise or quantitative definition of energy.] (4-PS3-1)
Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. [Assessment
Boundary: Assessment does not include quantitative measurements of energy.] (4-PS3-2)
Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the change in the
energy due to the change in speed, not on the forces, as objects interact.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include quantitative measurements of
energy.] (4-PS3-3)
Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.* [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.] [Assessment Boundary: Devices should be limited to those that
6 | Page
convert motion energy to electric energy or use stored energy to cause motion or produce light or sound.] (4-PS3-4)
Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move. [Clarification Statement:
Examples of models could include diagrams, analogies, and physical models using wire to illustrate wavelength and amplitude of waves.] [Assessment Boundary:
Assessment does not include interference effects, electromagnetic waves, non-periodic waves, or quantitative models of amplitude and wavelength.] (4-PS4-1)
Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen. [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not
include knowledge of specific colors reflected and seen, the cellular mechanisms of vision, or how the retina works.] (4-PS4-2)
Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information. [Clarification Statement: 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.] (4-PS4-3)
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-
ETS1-1)
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-
ETS1-2)
Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be
improved. (3-5-ETS1-3)
7 | Page
NJDOE Student
Learning
Objective
Essential
Questions
Content Related to DCI’s Sample Activities Resources
Investigation 1 Part 1:
Lighting a Bulb
Students experiment
with materials in order
to complete a circuit
and describe the
function of each
component in the
system.
4-PS3-2, 4-PS3-4
What is needed to
light a bulb?
● An electric circuit is a system that
includes a complete pathway
through which electric current
flows from an energy source to its
components.
● Electricity transfers energy that can
produce heat, light, sound, and
motion. Electricity can be produced
from a variety of sources.
Benchmark Assessment:
Survey
Students are introduced to
electricity and energy. They
discover how to make a
complete circuit using a D-
cell, wires, and a light bulb.
Upon successfully lighting
their bulbs, students discuss
the electricity’s pathway in the
circuit and the function of each
of the system’s components.
They also take a close look at
the anatomy of a lightbulb.
Embedded Assessment:
Science notebook entry
FOSS Science Notebook
Entry:
Lighting Bulbs
FOSS Science Resources
Book:
“Edison Sees the Light”
FOSS Online Activities:
“Lighting a Bulb”
“Flow of Electricity”
8 | Page
Investigation 1 Part 2:
Conductors and
Circuits
Students experiment
with materials in order
to complete a circuit
and determine which
materials are
conductors and which
are insulators.
4-PS3-2, 4-PS3-4
What is needed to
make a complete
pathway for
current to flow in a
circuit?
● An electric circuit is a system that
includes a complete pathway
through which electric current
flows from an energy source to its
components.
● Electricity transfers energy that can
produce heat, light, sound, and
motion. Electricity can be produced
from a variety of sources.
● Conductors are materials through
which electric current can flow; all
metals are conductors
Students are introduced to a
switch and a motor and make a
circuit that they can turn on
and off. Students use a circuit
and a collection of objects to
determine which materials can
complete the pathway
(conductors) and which cannot
(insulators). After developing
the rule that metals are
conductors, students consider
foils and use evidence to
confirm that foils are indeed
metal.
Embedded Assessment:
Science notebook entry
Science Notebook Entry:
Conductors and
Insulators
Science Resources Book:
“Energy Sources”
Online Activities:
“Lighting a Bulb”
“Flow of Electricity”
“Tutorial: Simple
Circuits”
“Tutorial: Conductors
and
Insulators”
“Turn on the Switch”
“Conductor Detector”
“D-cell Orientation”
Investigation 1 Part 3:
Series and Parallel
Circuits
Students compare the
energy output of
How can you light
two bulbs brightly
with one D-cell?
● In a series circuit, there is a single
pathway from the energy source to
the components.
● In a parallel circuit, each
component has its own direct
Students find ways to operate
more than one light bulb in a
circuit. They devise a series
circuit to operate two bulbs
Science Notebook Entry:
Series Circuits
Parallel Circuits
Science Resources Book:
9 | Page
parallel and series
circuits.
4-PS3-2, 4-PS3-4
pathway to the energy source.
● Two bulbs can be brightly lit using
parallel circuitry, one in which each
bulb has direct access to the energy
source.
with one D-cell, but the lights
are dim. Students learn that
they can connect two bulbs in
a way that allows both to shine
brightly using two cells or a
single D-cell. They wire two
bulbs in parallel and find that
many bulbs can be made to
shine brightly on a single D-
cell when they are wired in
parallel.
Embedded Assessment
Response sheet
“Series and Parallel
Circuits”
Investigation 1 Part 4:
Solving the String of
Lights Problem
Students use their
knowledge of types of
circuits to design a
prototype and analyze
the benefits and
limitations of each
Which design is
better for
manufacturing
long strings of
lights—series or
parallel?
● In a series circuit, all lights share a
single pathway; if one light burns
out, current stops flowing, causing
all the bulbs to go out.
● In a parallel circuit, each light has
its own pathway to the source; if
one light burns out, current
continues flowing, and the
Students investigate which
type of circuit would be the
best design for a string of
lights. They analyze the
designs and make a
recommendation based on
their knowledge of circuitry.
Benchmark Assessment
Science Notebook Entry:
Recommendation to the
Board
Additional Circuits
(optional)
Science Resources Book:
“Science Practices”
“Engineering Practices”
10 | Page
design.
4-PS3-2, 4-PS3-4, 3-5-
ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-2,
3-5-ETS1-3
remaining bulbs continue to shine. Investigation 1 I-Check “Thinking Like an
Engineer”
“Engineering a Solar
Lighting Solution”
Investigation 2 Part 1:
Magnets and Materials
Students create an
argument based on
experimental evidence
about magnetic
interaction between
materials.
4-PS3-2, 4-PS3-4
What materials
stick to magnets?
● Magnets interact with each other
and with some materials.
● Magnets stick to (attract) objects
that contain iron. Iron is the only
common metal that sticks to
magnets. (Steel is a material made
mostly of iron.)
Students discover that iron-
containing objects stick to
permanent magnets; other
objects do not. They generate a
rule for magnetic interaction
with materials: If a magnet
sticks to an object, that object
is most likely made of iron or
its alloy, steel. Students go
outdoors and use their magnets
as iron detectors.
Embedded Assessment:
Science notebook entry
Science Notebook Entry:
Magnetic Observations
Online Activity:
“Virtual Investigation:
What Sticks and What
Conducts?”
Investigation 2 Part 2: Magnetic Fields
Students construct an
explanation of
magnetic fields based
upon experimental
What happens
when two or more
magnets interact?
What happens
when a piece of
iron comes close
to or touches a
● Magnets are surrounded by an
invisible magnetic field, which acts
through space and through most
materials.
● When an object enters a magnetic
field, the field induces magnetism
Students observe that the two
sides (poles) of magnets are
different, attracting or
repelling one another,
depending on orientation.
Students work with magnets
and other objects to discover
that magnetism acts through
Science Notebook Entry:
How Magnets Work
Magnetic Poles
Science Resources Book:
“When Magnet Meets
Magnet”
11 | Page
data.
4-PS3-2, 4-PS3-4
permanent
magnet?
in the iron object, and the object
becomes a temporary magnet.
● All magnets have two poles, a north
pole at one end (side) and a south
pole at the other end (side). Like
poles of magnets repel each other,
and opposites attract.
air, most metals, and all
nonmetals. They also discover
that bringing a magnet close to
a piece of iron induces
magnetism in the iron.
Students learn that these
effects are manifestations of
the invisible magnetic field
that surrounds every magnet.
Embedded Assessment:
Response sheet
Video:
All about Magnets
Online Activities:
“Tutorial: Magnetic
Poles”
“Magnetic Poles”
“Magnetic Poles Quiz”
Investigation 2 Part 3: Magnetic Force
Students use scientific
tools to determine the
effect of a change in
the distance between
magnets on the force of
attraction between
them.
4-PS3-2, 4-PS3-4
What happens to
the force of
attraction between
two magnets as the
distance between
them changes?
● The magnetic force acting between
magnets declines as the distance
between them increases.
● Earth has a magnetic field.
Students use a balance to
measure the force of attraction
between magnets. They
increase the distance between
the magnets and re-measure
the force. Students learn that
the force of attraction between
magnets decreases as the
distance between them
increases.
Embedded Assessment:
Performance assessment
Science Notebook Entry:
Magnetic Force—
Procedure
Magnetic Force—Graph
Science Resources Book:
“Magnificent Magnetic
Models”
“Make a Magnetic
Compass”
12 | Page
Benchmark Assessment:
Investigation 2 I-Check
Investigation 3 Part 1:
Building an
Electromagnet
Students determine
through
experimentation how
the positioning of the
wire can affect the
strength of an
electromagnet.
3-PS2-3, 3-PS2-4, 4-
PS3-2, 4-PS3-4
How can you turn
a steel rivet into a
magnet that turns
on and off?
● A magnetic field surrounds a wire
through which electric current is
flowing.
● The magnetic field produced by a
current-carrying wire can induce
magnetism in a piece of iron or
steel.
Students discover that a steel
core becomes a magnet when
current flows through an
insulated wire wound around
the steel core. They find out
where to wind the wire on the
core to produce the strongest
magnet.
Embedded Assessment:
Response sheet
Science Notebook Entry:
Answer the focus
question
Science Resources Book:
“Electricity Creates
Magnetism”
Investigation 3 Part 2: Changing the Strength
Students use
experimental data to
support an argument
regarding how the
number of winds of
wire affects magnet
strength and use this to
predict future
How does the
number of winds
of wire around a
core affect the
strength of the
magnetism?
● An electromagnet is made by
sending electric current through an
insulated wire wrapped around an
iron core.
● The number of winds of wire in an
electromagnet coil affects the
strength of the magnetism induced
in the core (more winds = more
magnetism).
Students experiment to find
out how the number of winds
of wire affects the strength of
magnetism. After collecting
data for a 20-wind, 30-wind,
and 40-wind electromagnet,
students graph the results.
They predict the strength of
magnetism based on the graph.
Science Notebook Entry:
Answer the focus
question
Write a lab report
Changing Number of
Winds—Graph
Science Resources Book:
“Using Magnetic Fields”
“Electromagnets
Everywhere”
13 | Page
outcomes.
3-PS2-3, 3-PS2-4, 4-
PS3-2, 4-PS3-4
● The amount of electric current
flowing in an electromagnet circuit
affects the strength of the
magnetism in the core (more
current = stronger magnetism).
Embedded Assessment:
Performance assessment
Online Activities:
“Kitchen Magnets”
“Tutorial:
Electromagnets”
“Virtual Electromagnet”
Investigation 3 Part 3:
Reinventing the
Telegraph
Students apply their
knowledge of circuitry
and electromagnetism
to build a telegraph and
complete an
engineering design
challenge.
3-PS2-3, 3-PS2-4, 4-
PS3-2, 4-PS3-4, 4-
PS4-3, 3-5-ETS1-3
How can you
reinvent the
telegraph using
your knowledge of
energy and
electromagnetism?
● A telegraph system is an
electromagnet-based technology
used for long-distance
communication.
Students build a telegraph and
invent a code to use their
telegraphs to send messages to
each other. Finally, they take
on the long-distance challenge
by wiring two telegraph units
together using long wires.
Embedded Assessment:
Science notebook entry
Benchmark Assessment:
Investigation 3 I-Check
Science Notebook Entry:
Answer the focus
question
S-T-R-E-A-M Code
Science Resources Book:
“Morse Gets Clicking”
Investigation 4 Part 1:
Stimulus/Response
Students develop an
explanation of
stimulus/response lag
time using
In dodgeball, how
are you able to
avoid being hit?
● Constructing explanations
● Obtaining, evaluating, and
communicating information
Through video and text,
students learn about the role of
sensory and motor neurons in
brain messages. They use a
falling cup to investigate the
time that elapses between a
Science Notebook Entry:
Systems and Energy
Science Resources Book:
“Energy”
14 | Page
experimental and
research data.
4-PS3-1
visual stimulus and a response.
They compare foot-response
time to hand-response time.
Embedded Assessment:
Performance assessment
Investigation 4 Part 2:
Rolling Balls Down
Slopes
Students determine the
effect of altering the
position and/or mass of
an object on its speed.
4-PS3-1
How does the
starting position
affect the speed of
a ball rolling down
a ramp?
● Kinetic energy is energy of motion;
potential energy is energy of
position or condition.
● The faster an object is moving, the
more kinetic energy it has.
● Objects at higher positions have
more potential energy.
Students roll steel balls of
different sizes down ramps and
explore the system’s variables.
They conduct structured
investigations to discover how
the variables of starting
position on the ramp and ball
size (mass) affect the speed of
a rolling ball.
Embedded Assessment:
Science notebook entry
Science Notebook Entry:
Ramp Setup
Science Resources Book:
“What Causes Change of
Motion?”
Videos:
Soccer (optional)
Ball on Table (optional)
Wagon (optional)
Investigation 4 Part 3: Collisions
Students determine the
effect of altering the
position and/or mass of
an object on the
distance it will travel
when energy is
What happens
when objects
collide?
● When objects collide, energy can
transfer from between objects,
thereby changing their motion.
● The faster an object is moving the
more kinetic energy it has.
● When two objects interact, each
one exerts a force on the other, and
Students place an obstacle
(cork) in the pathway of a steel
ball rolling down a ramp,
forcing them to collide. They
investigate the variables that
determine how far the cork
will move along the runway.
Using controlled experiments,
Science Notebook Entry:
Energy Transfer
(optional)
Science Resources Book:
“Bowling”
“Force and Energy”
“Potential and Kinetic
15 | Page
transferred through a
collision.
4-PS3-1, 4-PS3-2, 4-
PS3-3
these forces can transfer energy.
● Objects at higher heights have more
potential energy.
students test the variables of
mass and starting position to
find out how these variables
affect energy transfer.
Embedded Assessment:
Response sheet
Benchmark Assessment:
Investigation 4 I-Check
Energy at
Work”
Video:
All about the Transfer of
Energy
Investigation 5 Part 1: Forms of Waves
Students gather
evidence to develop a
model of how waves
move through matter.
4-PS3-2, 4-PS4-1
How are waves
involved in energy
transfer?
● Waves are a repeating pattern of
motion that transfer energy from
place to place.
● There are sound waves, light
waves, radio waves, microwaves,
and ocean waves.
● Waves have properties—
amplitude, wavelength, and
frequency.
● Some electromagnetic waves can
be detected by humans (light);
others can be detected by designed
technologies (radio waves).
Students experience waves
through firsthand experiences
using ropes, demonstrations
with waves in water, spring
toys, and a sound generator.
They also use videos,
animations, and readings to
gather information. Through
these experiences, students
learn that waves are repeating
patterns of motion that transfer
energy from place to place.
They analyze compression
waves (sound waves) to learn
the general properties of
waves—amplitude,
Science Notebook Entry:
Answer the focus
question
Science Resources Book:
“Waves”
“More about Sound”
Videos:
Sound Energy
Waves
Real World Science:
Sound
All about Waves
16 | Page
wavelength, and frequency.
Embedded Assessment:
Science notebook entry
Investigation 5 Part 2: Light Travels
Students gather
evidence to develop a
model of how light
travels.
4-PS3-2, 4-PS4-1
How does light
travel?
● Light travels in a straight line and
can reflect (bounce) off surfaces.
● An object is seen only when light
from that object enters and is
detected by an eye.
● Light can refract (change direction)
when it passes from one transparent
material into another.
Students use mirrors to
experience reflecting light.
They start by using mirrors
outdoors to see objects behind
them and to reflect a bright
image of the Sun onto walls. In
the classroom, they determine
that a mirror can be used to
reflect light. Students then use
flashlights, mirrors, and water
to observe light in numerous
ways, reinforcing the idea that
light can reflect and refract.
Students build a conceptual
model about how light travels.
Embedded Assessment:
Response sheet
Science Notebook Entry:
Mirror Challenges A and
B
Science Resources Book:
“Light Interactions”
“Throw a Little Light on
Sight”
“More Light on the
Subject”
Video:
All about Light
Online Activities:
“Reflecting Light”
“Colored Light “
(extension)
Investigation 5 Part 3: Engineering with
Solar Cells
How can you
make a motor run
faster using solar
● The energy of two energy sources
(D-cells or solar cells) adds when
they are wired in series, delivering
Students design series and
parallel solar cell circuits and
observe the effect on the speed
of a motor. They observe that
Science Notebook Entry:
Answer the focus
question
17 | Page
Students design a solar
cell circuit meant to
maximize motor speed.
4-PS3-2, 4-PS3-4, 4-
PS4-1, 4-PS4-2, 3-5-
ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-2,
3-5-ETS1-3
cells? more power than a single source.
● Two cells in parallel have the same
power as a single cell.
cells in series make the motor
run faster, but cells in parallel
do not deliver additional
power to the motor. They read
about alternative energy
sources.
Embedded Assessment:
Performance assessment
Benchmark Assessment:
Posttest
Science Resources Book:
“Alternative Sources of
Electricity”
“Ms. Osgood’s Class
Report”
Video:
Wave
Unit Project (Choose 1)
Language extension project: Research safety technologies, page 312 of
Investigations Guide.
Science & Engineering Extensions: make a rheostat, page 265 of
Investigations Guide.
What It Looks Like in the Classroom
Students conduct investigations to observe that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electrical currents. They describe that
energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and that their uses affect the environment. Throughout this unit, students obtain, evaluate, and
communicate information as they examine cause-and-effect relationships between energy and matter.
In order to understand and explain the relationship between an object’s speed and its energy, students need multiple opportunities to observe objects in
18 | Page
motion. Students can roll balls down ramps, build and race rubber band cars, or build roller coasters. As they observe the motion of objects, they should collect
data about the relative speed of objects in relation to the strength of the force applied to them. For example, when a ball is placed at the top of a ramp, it has
stored energy, due to the force of gravity acting on it. When the ball is released, that stored energy is changed (transferred) into motion energy. Increasing the
height of a ramp also increases the amount of stored energy in the ball at the top of the ramp. If the ball is released from a higher starting point, it rolls faster
and farther. Likewise, winding the rubber band in a rubber band car stores energy in the rubber band, which is then changed, or transferred, into motion energy
(kinetic) as the car moves forward. The more times you wind the rubber band, the greater the amount of stored energy in the rubber band, and the farther and
faster the car goes. As students investigate these types of force and motion systems, they should conduct multiple trials, increasing and decreasing the amount
of energy, then collect qualitative data as they observe the impact differing amounts of energy have on the relative speed of the object in motion. Students
should then use their data as evidence to support their explanation of the relationship between the relative speed of an object and its energy.
Students will apply scientific ideas about force, motion, and energy in order to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.
Through this process, students will learn that science affects everyday life and that engineers often work in teams, using scientific ideas, in order to meet
people’s needs for new or improved technologies.
When describing the properties of waves, students should also develop a model using drawings, diagrams, or physical models (such as a slinky or jump rope) to
show the basic properties of waves (amplitude and wavelength). In addition, the class should discuss other real-world examples of waves, including sound and
light waves, using understandings developed in prior units of study.
Modifications
(Note: Teachers identify the modifications that they will use in the unit. See NGSS Appendix D: All Standards, All Students/Case Studies for vignettes
19 | Page
and explanations of the modifications.)
● Structure lessons around questions that are authentic, relate to students’ interests, social/family background and knowledge of their
community.
● Provide students with multiple choices for how they can represent their understandings (e.g. multisensory techniques-auditory/visual aids;
pictures, illustrations, graphs, charts, data tables, multimedia, modeling).
● Provide opportunities for students to connect with people of similar backgrounds (e.g. conversations via digital tool such as SKYPE, experts
from the community helping with a project, journal articles, and biographies).
● Provide multiple grouping opportunities for students to share their ideas and to encourage work among various backgrounds and cultures
(e.g. multiple representation and multimodal experiences).
● Engage students with a variety of Science and Engineering practices to provide students with multiple entry points and multiple ways to
demonstrate their understandings.
● Use project-based science learning to connect science with observable phenomena.
● Structure the learning around explaining or solving a social or community-based issue.
● Provide ELL students with multiple literacy strategies.
● Collaborate with after-school programs or clubs to extend learning opportunities.
● Restructure lesson using UDL principals (http://www.cast.org/our-work/about-udl.html#.VXmoXcfD_UA).
Research on Student Learning
Students do not distinguish well between heat and temperature when they explain thermal phenomena. Their belief that temperature is the measure
of heat is particularly resistant to change. Long-term teaching interventions are required for upper middle-school students to start differentiating
20 | Page
between heat and temperature.
During instruction, upper elementary-school students use ideas that give heat an active drive or intent to explain observations of convection currents.
They also draw parallels between evaporation and the water cycle and convection, sometimes explicitly explaining the upwards motion of convection
currents as evaporation.
Students rarely think energy is measurable and quantifiable. Students' alternative conceptualizations of energy influence their interpretations of
textbook representations of energy.
Students tend to think that energy transformations involve only one form of energy at a time. Although they develop some skill in identifying different
forms of energy, in most cases their descriptions of energy-change focus only on forms which have perceivable effects. Finally, it may not be clear to
students that some forms of energy, such as light and sound can be used to make things happen.
Students tend to think of force as a property of an object ("an object has force," or "force is within an object") rather than as a relation between
objects. In addition, students tend to distinguish between active objects and objects that support or block or otherwise act passively. Students tend to
call the active actions "force" but do not consider passive actions as "forces". Teaching students to integrate the concept of passive support into the
broader concept of force is a challenging task even at the high-school level.
Students tend to think of force as a property of an object ("an object has force," or "force is within an object") rather than as a relation between
objects. In addition, students tend to distinguish between active objects and objects that support or block or otherwise act passively. Students tend to
call the active actions "force" but do not consider passive actions as "forces". Teaching students to integrate the concept of passive support into the
broader concept of force is a challenging task even at the high-school level (NSDL, 2015).
21 | Page
Prior Learning
By the end of Kindergarten:
● When objects touch or collide, they push on one another and can change motion.
● Pushes and pulls can have different strengths and directions.
● Pushing or pulling on an object can change the speed or direction of its motion and can start or stop it.
● A situation that people want to change or create can be approached as a problem to be solved through engineering. Such problems may have
many acceptable solutions. (secondary)
By the end of Grade 1, students know that:
● People also use a variety of devices to communicate (send and receive information) over long distances.
By the end of Grade 2, students know that:
● A situation that people want to change or create can be approached as a problem to be solved through engineering.
● Asking questions, making observations, and gathering information are helpful in thinking about problems.
● Before beginning to design a solution it is important to clearly understand the problem.
● Designs can be conveyed through sketches, drawings, or physical models. These representations are useful in communicating ideas for a
problem’s solutions to other people.
● Because there is always more than one possible solution to a problem, it is useful to compare and test designs.
By the end of Grade 3, students know that:
● Each force acts on one particular object and has both strength and a direction. An object at rest typically has multiple forces acting on it, but
they add to give zero net force on the object. Forces that do not sum to zero can cause changes in the object’s speed or direction of motion.
22 | Page
(Boundary: Qualitative and conceptual used at this level.)
● The patterns of an object’s motion in various situations can be observed and measured; when that past motion exhibits a regular pattern,
future motion can be predicted from it. (Boundary: Technical terms, such as magnitude, velocity, momentum, and vector quantity, are not
introduced at this level, but the concept that some quantities need both size and direction to be described is developed.)
● Each force acts on one particular object and has both strength and a direction. An object at rest typically has multiple forces acting on it, but
they add to give zero net force on the object. Forces that do not sum to zero can cause changes in the object’s speed or direction of motion.
(Boundary: Qualitative and conceptual understandings used at this level.)
● The patterns of an object’s motion in various situations can be observed and measured; when that past motion exhibits a regular pattern,
future motion can be predicted from it.
● Each force acts on one particular object and has both strength and a direction. An object at rest typically has multiple forces acting on it, but
they add to give zero net force on the object. Forces that do not sum to zero can cause changes in the object’s speed or direction of motion.
(Boundary: Qualitative and conceptual, but not quantitative, addition of forces is used at this level).
● The patterns of an object’s motion in various situations can be observed and measured; when that past motion exhibits a regular pattern,
future motion can be predicted from it. (Boundary: Technical terms, such as magnitude, velocity, momentum, and vector quantity, are not
introduced at this level, but the concept that some quantities need both size and direction to be described is developed.)
Future Learning
By the end of 5th grade students will know that:
● Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer
space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth’s resources and environments.
● The energy released [from] food was once energy from the sun that was captured by plants in the chemical process that forms plant matter
23 | Page
(from air and water).
● Plants acquire their material for growth chiefly from air and water.
In middle school, students will know that:
● A simple wave has a repeating pattern with a specific wavelength, frequency, and amplitude.
● A sound wave needs a medium through which it is transmitted.
● Digitized signals (sent as wave impulses) are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information.
● A solution needs to be tested, and then modified on the basis of the test results, in order to improve it.
● There are systematic processes for evaluating solutions with respect to how well they meet the criteria and constraints of a problem.
● Sometimes parts of different solutions can be combined to create a solution that is better than any of its predecessors.
● Models of all kinds are important for testing solutions.
● Although one design may not perform the best across all tests, identifying the characteristics of the design that performed the best in each
test can provide useful information for the redesign process— that is, some of those characteristics may be incorporated into the new design.
● The iterative process of testing the most promising solutions and modifying what is proposed on the basis of the test results leads to greater
refinement and ultimately to an optimal solution.
● The chemical reaction by which plants produce complex food molecules (sugars) requires an energy input (i.e., from sunlight) to occur. In this
reaction, carbon dioxide and water combine to form carbon-based organic molecules and release oxygen.(secondary)
● Cellular respiration in plants and animals involve chemical reactions with oxygen that release stored energy. In these processes, complex
molecules containing carbon react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and other materials. (secondary)
● All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among the planet’s systems. This energy is derived from the
sun and Earth’s hot interior. The energy that flows and matter that cycles produce chemical and physical changes in Earth’s materials and
living organisms.
● The planet’s systems interact over scales that range from microscopic to global in size, and they operate over fractions of a second to billions
24 | Page
of years. These interactions have shaped Earth’s history and will determine its future.
● Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere
resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the
planet as a result of past geologic processes.
● Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of
other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things.
● Typically as human populations and per-capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the
activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise.
● Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean
surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do
occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of
human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities.
● Motion energy is properly called kinetic energy; it is proportional to the mass of the moving object and grows with the square of its speed.
● A system of objects may also contain stored (potential) energy, depending on their relative positions.
● When the motion energy of an object changes, there is inevitably some other change in energy at the same time.
● Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles of matter. The relationship between the temperature and the total energy
of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present.
● The amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a matter sample by a given amount depends on the nature of the
matter, the size of the sample, and the environment.
● Energy is spontaneously transferred out of hotter regions or objects and into colder ones.
● When light shines on an object, it is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through the object, depending on the object’s material and the
frequency (color) of the light.
● The path that light travels can be traced as straight lines, except at surfaces between different transparent materials (e.g., air and water, air
25 | Page
and glass) where the light path bends.
● A wave model of light is useful for explaining brightness, color, and the frequency-dependent bending of light at a surface between media.
● However, because light can travel through space, it cannot be a matter wave, like sound or water waves.
● For any pair of interacting objects, the force exerted by the first object on the second object is equal in strength to the force that the second
object exerts on the first, but in the opposite direction (Newton’s third law).
● The motion of an object is determined by the sum of the forces acting on it; if the total force on the object is not zero, its motion will change.
The greater the mass of the object, the greater the force needed to achieve the same change in motion. For any given object, a larger force
causes a larger change in motion.
● All positions of objects and the directions of forces and motions must be described in an arbitrarily chosen reference frame and arbitrarily
chosen units of size. In order to share information with other people, these choices must also be shared.
● When two objects interact, each one exerts a force on the other that can cause energy to be transferred to or from the object.
● Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles of matter. The relationship between the temperature and the total energy
of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present.
● The amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a matter sample by a given amount depends on the nature of the
matter, the size of the sample, and the environment.
● Energy is spontaneously transferred out of hotter regions or objects and into colder ones.
● When the motion energy of an object changes, there is inevitably some other change in energy at the same time.
● Motion energy is properly called kinetic energy; it is proportional to the mass of the moving object and grows with the square of its speed.
● A system of objects may also contain stored (potential) energy, depending on their relative positions.
● When the motion energy of an object changes, there is inevitably some other change in energy at the same time.
● The amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a matter sample by a given amount depends on the nature of the
matter, the size of the sample, and the environment.
● Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles of matter. The relationship between the temperature and the total energy
26 | Page
of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present.
● Energy is spontaneously transferred out of hotter regions or objects and into colder ones.
Interdisciplinary Connections
English Language Arts
Students will conduct research to build their understanding of energy, transfer of energy, and natural sources of energy. Students will recall relevant
information from in-class investigations and experiences and gather relevant information from print and digital sources. They should take notes and
categorize information and provide a list of sources. Students also draw evidence from literary and informational texts in order to analyze and reflect
on their findings. Students can also read, take notes, and construct responses using text and digital resources such as Scholastic News, Nat Geo Kids,
Study Jams (Scholastic), Reading A–Z.com, NREL.com, switchenergyproject.com, and NOVA Labs by PBS. As students create presentations that detail
how their design solutions can be used to communicate, they should use details and examples from both their research and experiences to explain
how patterns are used in their design to communicate over a distance. They can include audio or video recordings and visual displays to enhance their
presentations.
Mathematics
Students reason abstractly and quantitatively as they gather and analyze data during investigations and while conducting research about transfer of
energy and energy sources. Students model with mathematics as they represent and/or solve word problems. As students research the environmental
effects of obtaining fossil fuels, they might be asked to represent a verbal statement of multiplicative comparison as a multiplication equation. For
27 | Page
example, students might find information about a spill that was 5 million gallons of oil and was 40 times larger that a previous oil spill in the same
location. They can be asked to represent this mathematically using an equation to determine the number of gallons of oils that were spilled in the
previous event.
Students can:
● Solve multistep word problems, using the four operations.
● Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity.
● Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimating strategies, including rounding.
For example, “The class has 144 rubber bands with which to make rubber band cars. If each car uses 6 rubber bands, how many cars can be made? If
there are 28 students in the class, how many rubber bands can each car have (if every car has the same number of rubber bands)?”
Students can also analyze constraints on materials, time, or cost to determine what implications the constraints have for design solutions. For
example, if a design calls for 20 screws and screws are sold in boxes of 150, how many copies of the design can be made?
Students should have opportunities to draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles, and perpendicular and parallel lines, and identify these in two-
dimensional drawings as they identify rays and angles in drawings of the ways in which waves move. Students should also have opportunities to use
the four operations to solve problems. Students can analyze constraints on materials, time, or cost to draw implications for design solutions. For
example, if a design calls for 20 screws and screws are sold in boxes of 150, how many copies of the design could be made?
As students represent and solve word problems, such as these, they reason abstractly and quantitatively and model with mathematics. As students
create models of waves and engage in engineering design, they have opportunities to use tools strategically while measuring, drawing, and building.
28 | Page
Unit Vocabulary
29 | Page
Investigation 1: battery
circuit
closed circuit
coil
complete circuit
component
constraint
contact point
criteria
electric current
electricity
energy
energy source
engineer
filament
generator
heat
incomplete circuit
light
light source
lightbulb
motion
motor
open circuit
parallel circuit
prototype
series circuit
solar cell
solution
sound
stored energy technology
tool
wire
work
Investigation 2: attract
compass
force
induced magnetism
interact
iron
magnet
repel
magnetic field
magnetism
north pole
orient
Investigation 3: code
electromagnet
electromagnetism
frequency
key
mirror
pitch
telegraph
vibration
Investigation 4: absorb
accelerate
fossil fuel
gravity
kinetic energy
load
newton (N)
potential energy
speed
Investigation 5: amplitude
crest
oscillation
oscilloscope
peak
property
reflection
refraction
sine wave
sound source
trough
wavelength
30 | Page
Educational Technology Standards
8.1.8.A.1, 8.1.8.B.1, 8.1.8.C.1, 8.1.8.D.1, 8.1.8.E.1, 8.1.8.F.1
➢ Technology Operations and Concepts • Create professional documents (e.g., newsletter, personalized learning plan, business letter or flyer) using advanced features of a word
processing program.
➢ Creativity and Innovation • Synthesize and publish information about a local or global issue or event on a collaborative, web-based service.
➢ Communication and Collaboration • Participate in an online learning community with learners from other countries to understand their perspectives on a global problem or
issue, and propose possible solutions.
➢ Digital Citizenship • Model appropriate online behaviors related to cyber safety, cyber bullying, cyber security, and cyber ethics.
➢ Research and Information Literacy • Gather and analyze findings using data collection technology to produce a possible solution for a content-related or real-world
problem.
➢ Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making • Use an electronic authoring tool in collaboration with learners from other countries to evaluate and summarize the perspectives of
other cultures about a current event or contemporary figure.
31 | Page
Career Ready Practices
Career Ready Practices describe the career-ready skills that all educators in all content areas should seek to develop in their students. They are
practices that have been linked to increase college, career, and life success. Career Ready Practices should be taught and reinforced in all career
exploration and preparation programs with increasingly higher levels of complexity and expectation as a student advances through a program of
study.
CRP1. Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee
Career-ready individuals understand the obligations and responsibilities of being a member of a community, and they demonstrate this understanding
every day through their interactions with others. They are conscientious of the impacts of their decisions on others and the environment around them.
They think about the near-term and long-term consequences of their actions and seek to act in ways that contribute to the betterment of their teams,
families, community and workplace. They are reliable and consistent in going beyond the minimum expectation and in participating in activities that
serve the greater good.
CRP2. Apply appropriate academic and technical skills. Career-ready individuals readily access and use the knowledge and skills acquired through experience and education to be more productive. They
make connections between abstract concepts with real-world applications, and they make correct insights about when it is appropriate to apply the
use of an academic skill in a workplace situation.
CRP3. Attend to personal health and financial well-being. Career-ready individuals understand the relationship between personal health, workplace performance and personal well-being; they act on that
understanding to regularly practice healthy diet, exercise and mental health activities. Career-ready individuals also take regular action to contribute
to their personal financial well-being, understanding that personal financial security provides the peace of mind required to contribute more fully to
their own career success.
CRP4. Communicate clearly and effectively and with reason.
32 | Page
Career-ready individuals communicate thoughts, ideas, and action plans with clarity, whether using written, verbal, and/or visual methods. They
communicate in the workplace with clarity and purpose to make maximum use of their own and others’ time. They are excellent writers; they master
conventions, word choice, and organization, and use effective tone and presentation skills to articulate ideas. They are skilled at interacting with
others; they are active listeners and speak clearly and with purpose. Career-ready individuals think about the audience for their communication and
prepare accordingly to ensure the desired outcome.
CRP5. Consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of decisions. Career-ready individuals understand the interrelated nature of their actions and regularly make decisions that positively impact and/or mitigate
negative impact on other people, organization, and the environment. They are aware of and utilize new technologies, understandings, procedures,
materials, and regulations affecting the nature of their work as it relates to the impact on the social condition, the environment and the profitability of
the organization.
CRP6. Demonstrate creativity and innovation.
Career-ready individuals regularly think of ideas that solve problems in new and different ways, and they contribute those ideas in a useful and
productive manner to improve their organization. They can consider unconventional ideas and suggestions as solutions to issues, tasks or problems,
and they discern which ideas and suggestions will add greatest value. They seek new methods, practices, and ideas from a variety of sources and seek
to apply those ideas to their own workplace. They take action on their ideas and understand how to bring innovation to an organization.
CRP7. Employ valid and reliable research strategies. Career-ready individuals are discerning in accepting and using new information to make decisions, change practices or inform strategies. They use
reliable research process to search for new information. They evaluate the validity of sources when considering the use and adoption of external
information or practices in their workplace situation.
CRP8. Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Career-ready individuals readily recognize problems in the workplace, understand the nature of the problem, and devise effective plans to solve the
problem. They are aware of problems when they occur and take action quickly to address the problem; they thoughtfully investigate the root cause of
33 | Page
the problem prior to introducing solutions. They carefully consider the options to solve the problem. Once a solution is agreed upon, they follow
through to ensure the problem is solved, whether through their own actions or the actions of others.
CRP9. Model integrity, ethical leadership and effective management. Career-ready individuals consistently act in ways that align personal and community-held ideals and principles while employing strategies to
positively influence others in the workplace. They have a clear understanding of integrity and act on this understanding in every decision. They use a
variety of means to positively impact the directions and actions of a team or organization, and they apply insights into human behavior to change
others’ action, attitudes and/or beliefs. They recognize the near-term and long-term effects that management’s actions and attitudes can have on
productivity, morals and organizational culture.
CRP10. Plan education and career paths aligned to personal goals. Career-ready individuals take personal ownership of their own education and career goals, and they regularly act on a plan to attain these goals. They
understand their own career interests, preferences, goals, and requirements. They have perspective regarding the pathways available to them and the
time, effort, experience and other requirements to pursue each, including a path of entrepreneurship. They recognize the value of each step in the
education and experiential process, and they recognize that nearly all career paths require ongoing education and experience. They seek counselors,
mentors, and other experts to assist in the planning and execution of career and personal goals.
CRP11. Use technology to enhance productivity. Career-ready individuals find and maximize the productive value of existing and new technology to accomplish workplace tasks and solve workplace
problems. They are flexible and adaptive in acquiring new technology. They are proficient with ubiquitous technology applications. They understand
the inherent risks-personal and organizational-of technology applications, and they take actions to prevent or mitigate these risks.
CRP12. Work productively in teams while using cultural global competence. Career-ready individuals positively contribute to every team, whether formal or informal. They apply an awareness of cultural difference to avoid
barriers to productive and positive interaction. They find ways to increase the engagement and contribution of all team members. They plan and
facilitate effective team meetings.
34 | Page
Appendix A: NGSS and Foundations for the Unit
Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each
other. [Clarification Statement: Examples of an electric force could include the force on hair from an electrically charged balloon and the electrical forces
between a charged rod and pieces of paper; examples of a magnetic force could include the force between two permanent magnets, the force between an
electromagnet and steel paperclips, and the force exerted by one magnet versus the force exerted by two magnets. Examples of cause and effect relationships
could include how the distance between objects affects strength of the force and how the orientation of magnets affects the direction of the magnetic force.]
[Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to forces produced by objects that can be manipulated by students, and electrical interactions are limited to static
electricity.] (3-PS2-3)
Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of problems could
include constructing a latch to keep a door shut and creating a device to keep two moving objects from touching each other.] (3-PS2-4)
Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object. [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include
quantitative measures of changes in the speed of an object or on any precise or quantitative definition of energy.] (4-PS3-1)
Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. [Assessment
Boundary: Assessment does not include quantitative measurements of energy.] (4-PS3-2)
Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the change in the
energy due to the change in speed, not on the forces, as objects interact.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include quantitative measurements of
energy.] (4-PS3-3)
Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of devices
35 | Page
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.] [Assessment Boundary: Devices should be limited to those that
convert motion energy to electric energy or use stored energy to cause motion or produce light or sound.] (4-PS3-4)
Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move. [Clarification Statement:
Examples of models could include diagrams, analogies, and physical models using wire to illustrate wavelength and amplitude of waves.] [Assessment Boundary:
Assessment does not include interference effects, electromagnetic waves, non-periodic waves, or quantitative models of amplitude and wavelength.] (4-PS4-1)
Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen. [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not
include knowledge of specific colors reflected and seen, the cellular mechanisms of vision, or how the retina works.] (4-PS4-2)
Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information. [Clarification Statement: 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.] (4-PS4-3)
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-
ETS1-1)
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-
ETS1-2)
Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be
improved. (3-5-ETS1-3)
The performance expectations above were developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:
36 | Page
Science and Engineering Practices Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting Concepts
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
● Analyze and interpret data to make sense of phenomena
using logical reasoning. (3-LS3-1)
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
● Make observations to produce data to serve as the
basis for evidence for an explanation of a phenomenon
or test a design solution. (4-PS3-2)
Asking Questions and Defining Problems
● Ask questions that can be investigated and predict
reasonable outcomes based on patterns such as cause
and effect relationships. (3-PS2-3), (4-PS3-3)
● Define a simple problem that can be solved through
the development of a new or improved object or tool.
(3-PS2-4)
Developing and Using Models
● Develop a model using an analogy, example, or
abstract representation to describe a scientific
principle. (4-PS4-1)
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
● Apply scientific ideas to solve design problems. (4-
PS2.B: Types of Interactions
● Electric and magnetic forces between a pair
of objects do not require that the objects be in
contact. The sizes of the forces in each
situation depend on the properties of the
objects and their distances apart and, for
forces between two magnets, on their
orientation relative to each other. (3-PS2-3),
(3-PS2-4)
PS3.A: Definitions of Energy
● The faster a given object is moving, the
more energy it possesses. (4-PS3-1)
● Energy can be moved from place to place by
moving objects or through sound, light, or
electric currents. (4-PS3-2), (4-PS3-3)
PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy
Transfer
● Energy is present whenever there are
moving objects, sound, light, or heat. When
objects collide, energy can be transferred
from one object to another, thereby changing
their motion. In such collisions, some energy
is typically also transferred to the
surrounding air; as a result, the air gets
Energy and Matter
● Energy can be transferred in various ways
and between objects. (4-PS3-1), (4-PS3-2),
(4-PS3-3), (4-PS3-4)
Patterns
● Similarities and differences in patterns can
be used to sort, classify, and analyze simple
rates of change for natural phenomena. (4-
PS4-1)
● Similarities and differences in patterns can
be used to sort and classify designed
products. (4-PS4-3)
Cause and Effect
● Cause and effect relationships are routinely
identified, tested, and used to explain change.
(3-PS2-3)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Connections to Engineering, Technology, and
Applications of Science
Interdependence of Science, Engineering,
37 | Page
PS3-4)
● Use evidence (e.g., measurements, observations,
patterns) to construct an explanation. (4-PS3-1) ● Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem
based on how well they meet the criteria and
constraints of the design solution. (4-PS4-3) ● Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem
based on how well they meet the criteria and
constraints of the design problem. (3-5-ETS1-2) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Connections to Nature of Science
Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence
● Science findings are based on recognizing patterns. (4-
PS4-1)
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
Plan and conduct an investigation collaboratively to
produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, using fair
tests in which variables are controlled and the number of
trials considered. (3-5-ETS1-3)
heated and sound is produced. (4-PS3-2), (4-
PS3-3)
● Light also transfers energy from place to
place. (4-PS3-2)
● Energy can also be transferred from place to
place by electric currents, which can then be
used locally to produce motion, sound, heat,
or light. The currents may have been
produced to begin with by transforming the
energy of motion into electrical energy. (4-
PS3-2), (4-PS3-4)
PS3.C: Relationship Between Energy and
Forces
● When objects collide, the contact forces
transfer energy so as to change the objects’
motions. (4-PS3-3)
PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and
Everyday Life
● The expression “produce energy” typically
refers to the conversion of stored energy into
a desired form for practical use. (4-PS3-4)
PS4.A: Wave Properties
● Waves, which are regular patterns of
and Technology
● Knowledge of relevant scientific concepts
and research findings is important in
engineering. (4-PS4-3)
● Scientific discoveries about the natural
world can often lead to new and improved
technologies, which are developed through
the engineering design process. (3-PS2-4)
Influence of Science, Engineering, and
Technology on Society and the Natural World
● Engineers improve existing technologies or
develop new ones to increase their benefits,
decrease known risks, and meet societal
demands. (4-PS3-4, 3-5-ETS1-2) ● People’s needs and wants change over time,
as do their demands for new and improved
technologies. (3-5-ETS1.1)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Connections to Nature of Science
Science is a Human Endeavor
● Most scientists and engineers work in teams.
(4-PS3-4)
● Science affects everyday life. (4-PS3-4)
38 | Page
motion, can be made in water by disturbing
the surface. When waves move across the
surface of deep water, the water goes up and
down in place; there is no net motion in the
direction of the wave except when the water
meets a beach. (Note: This grade band
endpoint was moved from K–2.) (4-PS4-1)
● Waves of the same type can differ in
amplitude (height of the wave) and
wavelength (spacing between wave peaks).
(4-PS4-1)
PS4.C: Information Technologies and
Instrumentation
● Digitized information can be transmitted
over long distances without significant
degradation. High-tech devices, such as
computers or cell phones, can receive and
decode information—convert it from
digitized form to voice—and vice versa. (4-
PS4-3)
ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting
Engineering Problems
● Possible solutions to a problem are limited
by available materials and resources
39 | Page
(constraints). The success of a designed
solution is determined by considering the
desired features of a solution (criteria).
Different proposals for solutions can be
compared on the basis of how well each one
meets the specified criteria for success or
how well each takes the constraints into
account.
ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
● Research on a problem should be carried out
before beginning to design a solution.
Testing a solution involves investigating
how well it performs under a range of likely
conditions.
● At whatever stage, communicating with
peers about proposed solutions is an
important part of the design process, and
shared ideas can lead to improved designs.
● Tests are often designed to identify failure
points or difficulties, which suggest the
elements of the design that need to be
improved.
ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution
● Different solutions need to be tested in order
40 | Page
to determine which of them best solves the
problem, given the criteria and the
constraints.
English Language Arts Mathematics
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring
explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. (3-PS2-3) RI.3.1
Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or
concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to
time, sequence, and cause/effect. (3-PS2-3) RI.3.3
Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a
text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence). (3-PS2-3)
RI.3.8
Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate
elaboration and detail. (3-PS2-3) SL.3.3
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly
and when drawing inferences from the text. (4-PS3-1) RI.4.1
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical
text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. (4-
PS3-1) RI.4.3
Model with mathematics. (4-PS4-2) MP.4
Draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles (right, acute, obtuse), and
perpendicular and parallel lines. Identify these in two-dimensional figures.
(4-PS4-2) 4.G.A.1
Solve multistep word problems posed with whole numbers and having
whole-number answers using the four operations, including problems in
which remainders must be interpreted. Represent these problems using
equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the
reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation
strategies including rounding. (4-PS3-4) 4.OA.A.3
41 | Page
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly. (4-PS3-1) W.4.2
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research. (4-PS3-1) W.4.9
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of
different aspects of a topic. (4-PS3-2), (4-PS3-3), (4-PS3-4) W.4.7
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from
print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of
sources. (4-PS3-2), (4-PS3-4) W.4.8
Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak
about the subject knowledgeably. (4-PS3-1), (4-PS4-3) RI.4.9
Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to
enhance the development of main ideas or themes. (4-PS4-1) SL.4.59
Rubric(s):
See assessment session of the Investigations Guide, pages 377-460.
Field Trip Ideas:
42 | Page
Liberty Science Center, Franklin Institute, Thomas Edison National Historic Park