Science Pacing Resource Companion
Fourth Grade Life Science Quarter 1 Unit 1
Unit 1: Identify characteristics used to describe organisms and how those characteristics determine the likelihood for survival.
4.3.1 Observe and describe how offspring are very much, but not exactly, like their parents or one another. Describe how these differences in physical
characteristics among individuals in a population may be advantageous for survival and reproduction.
SWBAT: Define offspring, physical characteristics, populations. Compare and contrast parents to offspring, explain the relationships between physical
characteristics and survival
4.3.2 Observe, compare and record the physical characteristics of living plants or animals from widely different environments. Describe how each plant or animal
is adapted to its environment.
SWBAT: Give examples of different environments (habitats) that organisms live in, define adaptations, describe the relationships between specific adaptations
and environments.
Lesson Plans/Print Activities: FOSS / DSM (also in IPS Online Science
Web-based Practice:
Resources)
Animal adaptations and habitats
Teacher Guide, Investigation 1,
http://www.ecokids.ca/PUB/eco_info/topics/climate/adaptations/index.cfm
Origin of Seeds
Delta Science Content Reader
Part 1, 50 min, pp 8-17
http://schoolmediainteractive.com/view/object/clip/F8583B4F33BC26EEB
Heredity, pg 4, 8, 16, 22–23
Part 2, 35 min then daily
D7FE41BB739DA04
observations for 6 days (15 min)
FOSS Science Stories: Structures of
Part 3, two 20 minute sessions,
http://resources.woodlandsLife, pp 1–9 (After Part 3)
pp 28-33
junior.kent.sch.uk/revision/science/living/habitats.html
FOSS
Science
Stories:
Structures
of
Teacher Guide, Investigation 2,
Life, pp 10–16 (After Part 4)
Seed Growth
Part 1, 35 min, pp 8-13
http://www.fossweb.com/access-codes
FOSS Science Stories: Structures of
Part 2, 35 min, pp 14-17
FOSS INTERACTIVE
Life, Pp 17-36
Part 3, 8 weeks of informal weekly
observations (15 min) with final 30
min session, pp 18-22
Teacher Guide, Investigation 3,
Crayfish
Part 1, 45 min, pp 8-14
Part 2, 35 min pp 16-19
Part 3, 45 min, pp 20-23
Part 4, two 20 min sessions, with 4-5 five-minute observations (successive days)
in between
pp 24-30
Indianapolis Public Schools
Curriculum and Instruction
Science Pacing Resource Companion
Fourth Grade Life Science Quarter 1 Unit 2
Unit 2: What are factors that can effect an organism’s environment, and predict how changes in the environment might affect populations.
4.3.3 Design investigations to explore how organisms meet some of their needs by responding to stimuli from their environments.
SWBAT: Identify basic needs for all living things (food, space, shelter, etc.), define a stimuli, give examples of stimuli and how they affect an environment
4.3.4 Describe a way that a given plant or animal might adapt to a change arising from a human or non-human impact on its environment.
SWBAT: List examples of human and non-human impacts that can affect an environment, predict how an organism might adapt to changes.
Lesson Plans/Print Activities: FOSS / DSM (also in IPS Online Science
Web-based Practice:
Resources)
http://whyfiles.org/202critter_cards/index.html
Science Core Lesson:
Oh, Deer
All-Star Endangered Critter Cards is a great introduction to endangered
Teachers can use this game to teach students about the requirements for sustainable species around the world. The front of each card features an animal photo;
habitat and the role of carrying capacity in determining how many animals can
move curser over it to read about the species and how it is threatened.
survive in one location before their resources are depleted
http://www.switchzoo.com/games/habitatgame.htm
Teacher Guide, Investigation 5,
Build a habitat and change stimuli
Delta Science Content Reader
Bess Beetles
Heredity, pg 4, 8, 16, 22–23
Part 1, 45 min, pp 8–12
http://www.fcps.edu/AldrinES/websites/HabitatWebsites.pdf
Part 2, two 45 min sessions
A long list of habitat and environment related sites. Most can be adapted to
FOSS Science Stories: Structures of
pp 13–18
meet the 4th grade standards and objectives.
Life, pp 1–9 (After Part 3)
Part 3, 45 min, pp 19-24
Part 4, 4-6 sessions (students
FOSS Science Stories: Structures of
design an investigation based
Life, pp 10–16 (After Part 4)
upon their “I Wonder” questions)
FOSS Science Stories: Structures of
Life, Pp 17-36
Indianapolis Public Schools
Curriculum and Instruction