Grade 4 Science: how to help at home
What your child learns in Grade 4 science in the Manitoba Curriculum, and simple things to try at home.
The Big Ideas this year
- How is energy detected, stored, and used?
- How does energy move through ecosystems?
- How is soil formed and what is its role in the environment?
Easy ways to practise science at home
- Try a kitchen experiment, such as what dissolves in water and what floats or sinks.
- Keep a simple weather or moon log for a month.
- Ask “What do you think will happen?” and then test it.
- Visit a park, beach or creek and look for living things and their habitats.
What each unit covers
Light
Natural and artificial light, things that make light and things that reflect it, shadows, transparent, translucent and opaque materials, mirrors, refraction, and how light technology affects people and wildlife.
Sound
Vibrations and sound waves, pitch and volume, how sound travels through different materials but not through empty space, echoes and absorbing sound, how we hear, and how noise and sound devices affect people and animals.
Soil Detectives
Practises the nature and types of soil (sandy, clay and loam), what makes soil fertile, the layers of soil, and how people look after it.
Rocks & Minerals
Practises the three types of rock and how each forms, minerals and fossils, and how weathering and erosion wear rock down.
Energy We Use
Practises renewable and non-renewable sources of energy, including the hydroelectric power Manitoba depends on, and ways families can save energy.
Food Chains & Webs
Producers, consumers and decomposers, herbivores, carnivores and omnivores, how energy moves along a food chain, and why a food web is a more complete picture.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Level 1
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Level 2
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practising the tricky parts.
- Level 3
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Level 4
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Manitoba report card guide.
Common questions
How can I help my Grade 4 child with science?
Try a kitchen experiment, such as what dissolves in water and what floats or sinks. Keep a simple weather or moon log for a month. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
What does my child learn in Grade 4 science in Manitoba?
The Manitoba Curriculum Grade 4 science units include light, sound, soil detectives, rocks & minerals, energy we use, food chains & webs.
Free printable Grade 4 science practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.