Gallery for Educators: Fourth Grade Science Lessons for Museum

Museum Lesson #	Museum Lesson	4^th Grade Science Standard
Lesson # 1 This lesson requires 45 to 60 minutes	Activity Students will take a river walk. Objectives The student will · observe and record Earth materials used as resources by humans · state physical properties for recorded Earth materials · classify Earth materials by ways they are used Follow-up lesson: Students will explain how the physical properties of their classified materials make the materials useful for different purposes.	The Earth and the Universe The Earth system is in a constant state of change. These changes affect life on earth in many ways. Development of conceptual understandings about processes that shape the Earth begin at the elementary level with understanding what Earth materials are and that change occurs. SC-04-2.3.1 Students will: · classify earth materials by the ways that they are used; · explain how their properties make them useful for different purposes. Earth materials provide many of the resources humans use. The varied materials have different physical properties that can be used to describe, separate, sort and classify them. Inferences about the unique properties of the earth materials yield ideas about their usefulness. For example, some are useful as building materials (e.g., stone, clay, marble), some as sources of fuel (e.g., petroleum, natural gas), or some for growing the plants we use as food. DOK 2
Lesson # 2 This lesson requires 45 to 60 minutes	Activity Students will take a museum and river walk/ scavenger hunt. Objectives The student will identify, classify, and record things in their environment as * living * nonliving * once living The student will state physical properties used to determine classification for each recorded entry.	Unity and Diversity All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. Elementary students begin to observe the macroscopic features of organisms in order to make comparisons and classifications based upon likenesses and differences. Looking for patterns in the appearance and behavior of an organism leads to the notion that offspring are much like the parents, but not exactly alike. SC-04-3.4.2 Students will understand that things in the environment are classified as living, nonliving and once living. Living things differ from nonliving things. Organisms are classified into groups by using various characteristics (e.g., body coverings, body structures).
Lesson # 3 This lesson requires 60 minutes if students go to observe bridge. It can be reduced to 40 minutes if lesson is inside museum only.	Activity 1. Students will observe the motion of different vehicles on the bridge and predict the movement of one vehicle on a picture graph. 2. Students will observe the movement of different bodies in the museum. Students will compare the real movement of objects and match them to motion graphs. Objectives The student will interpret and represent data related to the straight-line motion of objects on a picture graph. Students will match motion graphs to their observations of moving bodies. Students will state a conclusion based on their observations.	Motion and Forces Whether observing airplanes, baseballs, planets or people, the motion of all bodies is governed by the same basic rules. In the elementary years of conceptual development, students need multiple opportunities to experience, observe and describe (in words and pictures) motion, including factors (pushing and pulling) that affect motion. SC-04-1.2.1 Students will interpret or represent data related to an object’s straight-line motion in order to make inferences and predictions of changes in position and/or time. An object’s motion can be described by measuring its change in position over time such as rolling different objects (e.g., spheres, toy cars) down a ramp. Collecting and representing data related to an object’s motion provides the opportunity to make comparisons and draw conclusions. DOK 3 SC-04-1.2.2 Students will infer causes and effects of pushes and pulls (forces) on objects based on representations or interpretations of straight-line movement/motion in charts, graphs and qualitative comparisons. The position and motion of objects can be changed by pushing or pulling. The amount of change is related to the force (defined as the strength of the push or pull) and the mass of the object(s) used. The force with which a ball is hit illustrates this principle. Cause and effect relationships, along with predicted consequences related to the strength of pushes and pulls (force) on an object’s position and motion should be explored and qualitatively compared. DOK 3
Lesson # 4 This lesson requires 30 to 45 minutes.	Activity Students will work in teams to observe and collect data on the animals (preserved and models) in the Owensboro Museum Objectives The student will: · identify, describe and classify different structures and functions of animals that contribute to growth, survival and reproduction of those organisms · make inferences about the relationship between the structure and function in organisms	Unity and Diversity All matter is comprised of the same basic elements, goes through the same kinds of energy transformations, and uses the same kinds of forces to move. Living organisms are no exception. Elementary students begin to observe the macroscopic features of organisms in order to make comparisons and classifications based upon likenesses and differences. Looking for patterns in the appearance and behavior of an organism leads to the notion that offspring are much like the parents, but not exactly alike. SC-04-3.4.1 Students will: · compare the different structures and functions of plants and animals that contribute to the growth, survival and reproduction of the organisms; · make inferences about the relationship between structure and function in organisms. Each plant or animal has structures that serve different functions in growth, survival and reproduction. For example, humans have distinct body structures for walking, holding, seeing and talking. Evidence about the relationship between structure and function should be used to make inferences and draw conclusions. DOK 3