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Ohio's Academic Content Standards in Science
By the end of grade 4Return to grade list| | | | Earth and Space Sciences | | Students demonstrate an understanding about how Earth systems and processes interact in the geosphere resulting in the habitability of Earth. This includes demonstrating an understanding of the composition of the Universe, the Solar System and Earth. In addition, it includes understanding the properties and the interconnected nature of Earth's systems, processes that shape Earth and Earth's history. Students also demonstrate an understanding of how the concepts and principles of energy, matter, motion and forces explain Earth systems, the Solar System, and the Universe. Finally, they grasp an understanding of the historical perspectives, scientific approaches and emerging scientific issues associated with Earth and space sciences. | | Indicators for grade 4 | | 1. | Explain that air surrounds us, takes up space, moves around us as wind, and may be measured using barometric pressure. (ORC Resources) | | 2. | Identify how water exists in the air in different forms (e.g., in clouds, fog, rain, snow and hail). (ORC Resources) | | 3. | Investigate how water changes from one state to another (e.g., freezing, melting, condensation, evaporation). (ORC Resources) | | 4. | Describe weather by measurable quantities such as temperature, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation, and barometric pressure. (ORC Resources) | | 5. | Record local weather information on a calendar or map and describe changes over a period of time (e.g., barometric pressure, temperature, precipitation symbols, cloud conditions). (ORC Resources) | | 6. | Trace how weather patterns generally move from west to east in the United States. (ORC Resources) | | 7. | Describe the weather which accompanies cumulus, cumulonimbus, cirrus and stratus clouds. (ORC Resources) | | 8. | Describe how wind, water and ice shape and reshape Earth's land surface by eroding rock and soil in some areas and depositing them in other areas producing characteristic landforms (e.g., dunes, deltas, glacial moraines). (ORC Resources) | | 9. | Identify and describe how freezing, thawing and plant growth reshape the land surface by causing the weathering of rock. (ORC Resources) | | 10. | Describe evidence of changes on Earth's surface in terms of slow processes (e.g., erosion, weathering, mountain building, deposition) and rapid processes (e.g. volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides). (ORC Resources) |
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| | | | Life Sciences | | Students demonstrate an understanding of how living systems function and how they interact with the physical environment. This includes an understanding of the cycling of matter and flow of energy in living systems. An understanding of the characteristics, structure, and function of cells, of organisms and of living systems are developed as well as a deeper understanding of the principles of heredity, biological evolution, and the diversity and interdependence of life. Students also demonstrate an understanding of different historical perspectives, scientific approaches and emerging scientific issues associated with the life sciences. | | Indicators for grade 4 | | 1. | Compare the life cycles of different plants including germination, maturity, reproduction and death. (ORC Resources) | | 2. | Relate plant structures to their specific functions (e.g., growth, survival and reproduction). (ORC Resources) | | 3. | Classify common plants according to their characteristics (e.g., tree leaves, flowers, seeds, roots, stems). (ORC Resources) | | 4. | Observe and explore that fossils provide evidence about plants that lived long ago and the nature of the environment at that time. (ORC Resources) | | 5. | Describe how organisms interact with one another in various ways (e.g., many plants depend on animals for carrying pollen or dispersing seeds). (ORC Resources) |
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| | | | Physical Sciences | | Students demonstrate an understanding of the composition of physical systems and the concepts and principles that describe and predict physical interactions and events in the natural world. This includes demonstrating an understanding of the structure and properties of matter, the properties of materials and objects, chemical reactions and the conservation of matter. In addition, it includes understanding the nature, transfer and conservation of energy, as well as motion and the forces affecting motion, the nature of waves and interactions of matter and energy. Students also demonstrate an understanding of the historical perspectives, scientific approaches and emerging scientific issues associated with the physical sciences. | | Indicators for grade 4 | | 1. | Identify characteristics of a simple physical change (e.g., heating or cooling can change water from one state to another and the change is reversible). (ORC Resources) | | 2. | Identify characteristics of a simple chemical change. When a new material is made by combining two or more materials, it has chemical properties that are different from the original materials (e.g., burning paper, vinegar and baking soda). (ORC Resources) | | 3. | Describe objects by the properties of the materials from which they are made and that these properties can be used to separate or sort a group of objects (e.g., paper, glass, plastic, metal). (ORC Resources) | | 4. | Explain that matter has different states (e.g., solid, liquid and gas) and that each state has distinct physical properties. (ORC Resources) | | 5. | Compare ways the temperature of an object can be changed (e.g., rubbing, heating, bending of metal). (ORC Resources) |
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| | | | Science and Technology | | Students should recognize that science and technology are interconnected and that using technology involves assessment of the benefits, risks, and costs. Students should build scientific and technological knowledge, as well as the skill required to design and construct devices. In addition, they should develop the processes to solve problems and to understand that problems may be solved in several ways. | | Indicators for grade 4 | | 1. | Explain how technology from different areas (e.g., transportation, communication, nutrition, healthcare, agriculture, entertainment, manufacturing) has improved human lives. (ORC Resources) | | 2. | Investigate how technology and inventions change to meet peoples' needs and wants. (ORC Resources) | | 3. | Describe, illustrate and evaluate the design process used to solve a problem. (ORC Resources) |
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| | | | Scientific Inquiry | | Students develop scientific habits of mind as they use the processes of scientific inquiry to ask valid questions, and to gather and analyze information. They understand how to develop hypotheses and make predictions. They are able to reflect on scientific practices as they develop plans of action to create and evaluate a variety of conclusions. Students are also able to demonstrate the ability to communicate their findings to others. | | Indicators for grade 4 | | 1. | Select the appropriate tools and use relevant safety procedures to measure and record length, weight, volume, temperature and area in metric and English units. (ORC Resources) | | 2. | Analyze a series of events and/or simple daily or seasonal cycles, describe the patterns and infer the next likely occurrence. (ORC Resources) | | 3. | Develop, design and conduct safe, simple investigations or experiments to answer questions. (ORC Resources) | | 4. | Explain the importance of keeping conditions the same in an experiment. (ORC Resources) | | 5. | Describe how comparisons may not be fair when some conditions are not kept the same between experiments. (ORC Resources) | | 6. | Formulate instructions and communicate data in a manner that allows others to understand and repeat an investigation or experiment. (ORC Resources) |
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| | | | Scientific Ways of Knowing | | Students realize that the current body of scientific knowledge must be based on evidence, be predictive, logical, subject to modification, and limited to the natural world. This includes demonstrating an understanding that scientific knowledge grows and advances as new evidence is discovered to support or modify existing theories, as well as to encourage the development of new theories. Students are able to reflect on ethical scientific practices and demonstrate an understanding of how the current body of scientific knowledge reflects the historical and cultural contributions of women and men who provide us with a more reliable and comprehensive understanding of the natural world. | | Indicators for grade 4 | | 1. | Differentiate fact from opinion and explain that scientists do not rely on claims or conclusions unless they are backed by observations that can be confirmed. (ORC Resources) | | 2. | Record the results and data from an investigation and make a reasonable explanation. (ORC Resources) | | 3. | Explain discrepancies in an investigation using evidence to support findings. (ORC Resources) | | 4. | Explain why keeping records of observations and investigations is important. (ORC Resources) |
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