Grade 4 Science
8 units matched to the Alberta Curriculum.
Organizing ideas
- Waste materials need to be managed, and some materials are dangerous.
- Gravity and magnetism are forces that act without touching.
- Earth's land, air, water and living things are connected, and people can help conserve them.
- External structures and sensory organs help organisms survive.
- Objects in space are connected to daily life.
- Design processes solve problems, and data and evidence build scientific knowledge.
Units
Unit 1
Waste & Dangerous Materials
Children compare ways to manage waste (landfills, recycling, composting, repairing and reusing), plan to cut their own waste, and learn hazard symbols and why dangerous household materials need an adult and safe disposal.
Learning outcome: 4M 1.1, 4M 1.2 · managing waste, its environmental effects, and dangerous materials and their symbols
Unit 2
Gravity & Magnets
Gravity pulls objects toward Earth. Magnets have a north and south pole; like poles repel and unlike poles attract. Children learn which materials are magnetic and that non-contact forces get weaker with distance.
Learning outcome: 4E 1.1, 4E 1.2 · non-contact forces: gravity and magnetism, magnetic poles and magnetic materials
Unit 3
Earth's Systems
Earth's land (lithosphere), air (atmosphere), water (hydrosphere) and living things (biosphere) interact. Children learn how the Sun warms Earth, why sunlight differs by place and season, and why water matters to every living thing.
Learning outcome: 4ES 1.1, 4ES 1.2, 4ES 1.3 · Earth's four spheres, the Sun's warmth and light, and the importance of water
Unit 4
Resources & Conservation
Natural resources such as water, soil, trees, oil and farm crops meet human needs. Children learn how changes in one system affect others, how parks protect land and animals, and how people, communities and Indigenous communities conserve resources.
Learning outcome: 4ES 1.4, 4ES 1.5, 4ES 1.6, 4ES 1.7 · interconnections among Earth's systems, Alberta's natural resources, parks and conservation actions
Unit 5
Sense & Respond
How people, animals and plants sense and respond to their environment: the nervous system, reflexes, special animal senses and plant responses to light, gravity and touch.
Learning outcome: 4LS1.1, 4LS1.2 · the external structures and sensory organs of organisms and what they do
Unit 6
Space & the Sky
The Sun is a star; the Moon and planets reflect its light. Children learn safe sky watching, constellations, the North Star, tools for viewing space, and how lunar and standard calendars differ.
Learning outcome: 4S 1.1, 4S 1.2, 4S 1.3 · observing the Sun, Moon, planets and stars, constellations and navigation, and calendars
Unit 7
Design & Computational Thinking
Children practise the steps of design (name a problem, brainstorm, build a prototype, test, improve) and basic computer-science ideas such as algorithms, loops and debugging.
Learning outcome: 4CS 1.1 · the design process, prototypes, testing and step-by-step instructions
Unit 8
Evidence & Data
Children tell observations from inferences, plan fair tests, record data, and see how evidence supports or changes an idea. This also builds the skills used in every other science unit.
Learning outcome: 4SM 1.1, 4SM 1.2 · observations, inferences, fair tests and using data as evidence
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