All resources in Science- Grade 4

What Is a Fossil?

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In this classroom activity, young students explore the differences between bone and trace fossils. The activity opens with background information for teachers about fossils. After describing what a fossil is in their own words, students learn that a fossil is "any evidence of life that is at least 10,000 years old." They then explore the differences between trace and bone fossils by examining pictures. The activity concludes with a student worksheet that challenges them to identify trace and bone fossils.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan

Things That Rock

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Icebreaker --Encourages student voice and opinion. --Allows students to become familiar with one another. --Students practice speaking, listening, and justifying stances. --Teachers can get to know their students. --Practice attention getting signals and routines. Inspired by Things That Rock from Hebern, M. & Corippo, J. (2018). The EduProtocol field guide : 16 student-centered lesson frames for infinite learning possibilities. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Crystal Hurt

Weather Watchers

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Students are introduced to some essential meteorology concepts so they more fully understand the impact of meteorological activity on air pollution control and prevention. First, they develop an understanding of the magnitude and importance of air pressure. Next, they build a simple aneroid barometer to understand how air pressure information is related to weather prediction. Then, students explore the concept of relative humidity and its connection to weather prediction. Finally, students learn about air convection currents and temperature inversions. In an associated literacy activity, students learn how scientific terms are formed using Latin and Greek roots, prefixes and suffixes, and are introduced to the role played by metaphor in language development. Note: Some of these activities can be conducted simultaneously with the air quality activity (What Color Is Your Air Today?) of Air Pollution unit, Lesson 1.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan

Authors: Amy Kolenbrander, Denise Carlson, Janet Yowell, Malinda Schaefer Zarske, Natalie Mach

Weather and Climate (3-5)

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This elementary storyline developed for remote and hybrid teaching was made available through the Growing Elementary Science Project a part of the Washington State ClimeTime initiative. This storyline is developed for 3-5 grade students and presents a weather phenomena in the form of a annual precipitation map from Washington State. Students analyze and interprete the graphical representation and ask questions about the difference between weather and climate. The storyline builds interest and student engagement through an interesting phenomena and then supprorts investigation to consider what is weather and what is climate.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Unit of Study

Authors: Jeff Ryan, Clancy Wolf

Third Grade Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects-Weather

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The Third Grade Elementary Framework for Science and Integrated Subjects, Weather, uses the phenomena of extreme weather events.  It is part of Elementary Framework for Science and Integrated Subjects project, a statewide Clime Time collaboration among ESD 123, ESD 105, North Central ESD, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Development of the resources is in response to a need for research- based science lessons for elementary teachers that are integrated with English language arts, mathematics and other subjects such as social studies. The template for Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects  can serve as an organized, coherent and research-based roadmap for teachers in the development of their own NGSS aligned science lessons.  Lessons can also be useful for classrooms that have no adopted curriculum as well as to serve as enhancements for  current science curriculum. The EFSIS project brings together grade level teams of teachers to develop lessons or suites of lessons that are 1) pnenomena based, focused on grade level Performance Expectations, and 2) leverage ELA and Mathematics Washington State Learning Standards.

Material Type: Data Set, Lesson Plan, Module, Reading

Author: Georgia Boatman

Severe Weather

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We are used to seeing weather every day. Some days it’s sunny, some days it’s rainy, some days it’s snowy. Those types of weather usually do not put us at risk. But what about severe weather? In this seminar you will apply your prior knowledge of weather and learn what is new about severe weather. You will also discover different types of severe weather. By the end of this seminar, you will be able to classify severe weather based on its conditions.StandardsStandard- 3.3.4.A5Describe basic weather elements. Identify weather patterns over time.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Authors: Bonnie Waltz, Deanna Mayers, Tracy Rains