4th Grade Landforms
Content Standard II and IV: Physical Science/Earth
Essential Learnings:
What do students need to know and be able to do?
Big Ideas:
1. Experimental Design (observations, question, hypothesis and
design)
Students will…..
2. Scientific testing (conduct investigations, collect and organize
data)
Investigate water flow over earth materials in a stream table.
3. Analysis and Conclusions (analysis trends, and conclusions)
Observe the processes of erosion, deposition, and stream flow.
4. Composition and structure of Earth
Investigate how slope of the land and flood affects erosion and deposition.
Design and conduct investigations to discover how changes humans make
to stream channels affect stream processes.
Essential Vocabulary:
slope
erosion
landform
canyon
delta
plateau
flood
deposition
basin
How will we effectively teach to ensure students learn?
 Inquiry
 High Yielding Instructional Strategies embedded in each investigation below
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channel
Investigation 1:
Schoolyard Models
(Optional)
Essential Questions:
Investigation 2: Stream Tables
Investigation 3: Go with the Flow
Essential Questions:
Essential Questions:
What happens when water flows over earth
materials?
How does the slope of the stream table affect erosion and
deposition?
What happens to the earth materials eroded by
water?
How does the amount of water that flows through a stream
affect erosion and deposition?
What variable can you test to find out more about stream
processes?
Part 1: Schoolyard Models
(Optional)
Part 1: Erosion
Part 1: Slope
Part 2: Deposition
Part 2: Flood
Part 2: View from Above
(Optional)
Part 3: Designing an Investigation
Part 3: Mapmaking
(Optional)
How do we know if students are learning?
Assessment:
Use Assessment section in the FOSS teacher’s manual.
What will we do if students don’t learn or if they are already performing at or above grade level?
Science Extension opportunities provided in teachers manual
Reteaching Strategies
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Suggested Time Frame:
Scope and Sequence:
6 investigations 40 minutes each
DRAFT
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5/8/2009