Science, Grade 4

Comparing local and faraway rocks

I can compare rocks from my area with rocks from other places and describe how they are alike and different.

Describing rocks by their properties

I can describe a rock by its physical properties — colour, texture, hardness, shininess, and how heavy it feels.

Clues about Earth's history in rocks

I can describe clues in rocks that tell us about Earth's past, like fossils and layers.

Minerals and their properties

I can describe minerals by their physical properties, like colour, luster, hardness, and streak.

Uses of rocks and minerals

I can tell how a rock's or mineral's properties decide what people use it for.

Wind, water, and ice shaping the land

I can describe how wind, water, and ice slowly wear down and reshape the land, and model weathering and erosion.

How soil forms from rocks

I can describe how soil forms slowly as rocks break down and mix with old plant and animal material.

Fast changes to the land

I can describe natural events that change the land quickly, like landslides, floods, and volcanoes.

Sound comes from vibrations

I can show that sound is made by things vibrating, and I can identify objects by the sounds they make.

How sound travels

I can compare how sound travels through solids, liquids, and air.

How we hear

I can describe how the human ear picks up vibrations so we can hear.

Changing pitch and loudness

I can change the pitch and loudness of a sound and explain what makes each one change.

What different ears can hear

I can compare the sounds humans can hear with the sounds other animals can hear.

Light sources and seeing

I can name natural and artificial light sources and tell that we see most things because light bounces off them.

How light travels and meets objects

I can show that light spreads out in straight lines from a source and describe what happens when it hits different objects.

Shadows

I can make shadows and predict how to change a shadow's place, shape, and size.

Bending light

I can show that light changes direction — bends — when it passes through some materials like water and glass.

Colours in white light

I can show that white light is really made of many colours and can be split into a rainbow.

Optical devices

I can compare how light behaves in different optical devices, like mirrors, magnifiers, and telescopes.

Local habitats and their living things

I can name different local habitats and the plants and animals that live in each one.

How animals meet their needs

I can describe how local animals get the food, water, and shelter they need from their habitat.

Plant adaptations

I can compare plant adaptations — special features — that help plants survive in different kinds of places.

Animal adaptations

I can compare animal adaptations — both body features and behaviours — that help animals survive where they live.

Food chains

I can build a food chain and name each living thing's role — producer, consumer, or decomposer.

When habitats change

I can predict how removing a plant or animal affects the whole community, and explain how habitat loss can endanger species.