Grade 4 Science: how to help at home
What your child learns in Grade 4 science in the Nova Scotia Curriculum, and simple things to try at home.
The Big Ideas this year
- Life Science: Habitat. Learners will investigate a variety of local natural habitats.
- Life Science: Habitat. Learners will analyse interconnectiveness of and within local habitats, inclusive of a Mi’kmaw perspective.
- Physical Science: Light. Learners will investigate properties of light.
- Physical Science: Light. Learners will investigate how light is used.
- Physical Science: Sound. Learners will investigate sound in the environment.
- Physical Science: Sound. Learners will test how properties of sound change.
- Earth and Space Science: Rocks and Minerals. Learners will analyse rocks, minerals, and fossils in the local environment.
- Earth and Space Science: Rocks and Minerals. Learners will investigate how the Earth’s surface changes over time.
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
Habitats & Communities
Habitats as places that meet the needs of living things, communities of interacting species, why habitats have limits, how species depend on each other, and how human actions can help or harm.
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.
Habitats Working Together
Practises how plants, animals and non-living things in local habitats such as forests, salt marshes, ponds and dunes depend on each other, including food chains and decomposers. It follows the Grade 4 Nova Scotia science outcome on habitats and touches on the Mi’kmaw idea of Netukulimk.
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.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Limited
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Basic
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practising the tricky parts.
- Good
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Thorough
- 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 Nova Scotia report card guide.
Common questions
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.
The Nova Scotia Curriculum Grade 4 science units include habitats & communities, food chains & webs, habitats working together, light, sound.
Free printable Grade 4 science practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.