4th+Grade+STEM

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__Life Science__
Science- Learning Target: Essential Question How does different soils affect plant growth? Grade Level: 4

Science:
 * Standards:** 

- Plant and Animal Cells (4th and 5th need to collaborate to insure different activities are being done with students) Could use chicken or ostrich egg to show example of cells (4-H has program to examine eggs and identify the parts- could contact them to see if they will do a presentation-POC is Rusty Evans) Need to brainstorm project (Engineering for Cells) Could also use red wandering jew cells for examination (Tracy has one of these)

- Ecosystems- SPI- 0407.5.1 Determine how a physical or behavioral adaptation can enhance the chances of survival. SPI 0407.5.2 Infer the possible reasons why a species became endangered or extinct

Could do Project Wild "Oh Deer" Activity- Could look at endangered species in TN, or other areas, and chart information about them- determine why some species are surviving in some areas and not others- Also, what can man do to help/harm the situation? Could look at fossils of organisms that thrived here before. Have they always been here? Find and discuss examples of thriving, threatened, endangered, etc. This would also be a great way to bring in food chains- carnivore, herbivore, omnivore

Technology- Glogster, photo peach- to represent plans Could also use E-pals Could use Interwrite for cell models, life cycles, graph information Skype could be used to interview officials that could not come to the school to present Could google map to determine areas of cover for wildlife Sudents could blog/wiki information

Math-

Could do graphing, median, mode by collecting data of organisms in an area over time (deer in an area of TN over time 1800-present) or compare one county to another Whole numbers and operations and ratios also fit well here- can take information gathered and write equations, similar to those written this year with the Clarksville data in Mrs. Yung's class

Engineering- Final product is plan to increase/decrease the population of specific animals in certain areas- Problem could be "Why do we have too many deer?", etc. Could also have students write a letter to the mayor or other official to persuade them to consider their plan for implementation

__Physical Science__
Forces, Motion, Speed

Science-

Students could build cars of different materials and run them on different surface tracks to determine how friction, gravity, forces, etc. Could also use reflect, refract to determine the color of the car Also a good way to measure parts of car, distance traveled (measurement and conversion) 0407.3.11 Distance, motion, forces etc.- ties in nicely with math conversion Could use balls on track to demonstrate concepts and change variables (rub golf ball with wax paper) Students could research NASCAR conditions for racing- day, night, high heat, etc.- brings in relevance of why these factors are important- could divide class into two groups and determine which factors are different for each group Forms of energy- could pull in solar energy cars

Could get a dealer to bring a car in to show aspects of design to students

Technology- SIM in Interwrite for reflection, refraction, translucent, transparent, opaque Information should be captured on wiki, scientist notebook, etc.

Engineering- Building of car Kid cad program for 15.00 (rmlearning.com)

Math- Could use function table to compare distance, motion, forces, etc. Geometry- aerodynamics of car Size, mass, weight, etc. Algebra- how far did the car go- creation of function table Could also measure in fractions and use speed formula to solve for x Probability of what car will do under certain conditions

Magnets and Electricity- stand alone unit Interwrite Sim for circuits

__Earth Science__
Earth's features- (erosion, water cycle, weather, climate, moon phases, renewable/non-renewable resources) could use Solar powered car here Science- Project Wet has water conservation project that could be done- Clarksville G&W has presentation on this topic Good place to do erosion experiment with cup and sand Incredible Journey- p. 161 from Project Wet- Water journey- could be done in PE How do we bring in non-renewable? Effect of water on landforms- (clay, bricks, sand, minerals)

Technology- power media plus video clips would work well here could also use google earth with time line to see climate changes

Engineering- could make shower head like cups used w/ erosion experiment- larger holes allow more water to pass through Project Wet also has Build Water Meter p. 271

Math- decimals- comparing and ordering w/ regard to temp, precip, etc. measurement capacity- units of measurement for amounts of water could gather water data for teachers or students and create function tables for differences- also try to get school's water usage

Art- House of Seasons from Project Wet- students create collage based on season- can tie this in to unit of study especially w/ regard to seasons

Universe- movement/relationships between Sun, Moon, and Earth- another stand alone unit

Students would collect data on phases of moon and chart it throughout the year then refer to it during the unit of study (Grab folder full of moon phase pictures for students to refer to during study- put out of order and use generic names so we don't give information away to students- they need to discover the pattern for themselves) - could do time-line of phases- display pictures and data and have students find pattern in phases- students could then do simulation of moon phases after discussion- Web links for moon phases, a moon journal and a moon survey- (http://www.nsta.org/elementaryschool/connections/200809LunarObservationChart.pdf )

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Other Notes- Need to tap into APSU resources for field trips, equipment, staff development, etc. Could do culminating school-wide activities/projects for Life, Physical and Earth Science- could begin by doing one an then planning and tweaking for next year to do two, etc. Could also have a STEM fair at the end of each large unit for students to display their products - 4th grade team needs to determine whether the projects that are currently built into the curriculum align appropriately with the new standards and how - could do school-wide conservation project- one for each grade level

This website is a great resource with lessons on estimation, graphing, and pictographs. It also has projects, like Sketch-Up, which might tie in nicely with some of the things you are already doing.

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