GRADE 4 Science

Contents Page

GRADE: 5

TOPIC: Sound & Light (5.1)

STAGE 1: IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS
Content Standard(s) Generalizations about what students should know and be able to do
Established Goals: State Conceptual Theme III: Energy Transfer & Transformations What is the role of energy in our world? Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and Numeracy
Enduring Understandings Insights learned from exploring generalizations via the essential questions (Students will understand THAT…)	Essential Questions Inquiry used to explore generalizations
5.1 - Sound and light are forms of energy. Sound and light travel in energy waves. Energy can change forms, be redirected or absorbed.	What is the role of energy in our world? How do the energies of light and sound affect our daily life?
Knowledge and Skills What students are expected to know and be able to do
Students will know… Light is a form of energy that travels in a straight line and can be reflected by a mirror, refracted by a lens or absorbed by objects. Light has a number of properties including color, brightness and direction of travel. Different surfaces absorb, reflect and refract light. Sound is a form of energy that is produced by the vibration of objects and is transmitted by the vibration of air and objects. Different materials transmit, reflect and absorb sound differently.	Students will be able to… Describe the factors that affect the pitch and loudness of sound produced by vibrating objects. Demonstrate how sound is transmitted, reflected and/or absorbed by different materials. Demonstrate how light is absorbed and/or reflected by different surfaces. Identify forms of energy used every day. Show that visible light contains the colors of the rainbow.
STAGE 2: DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE
Performance Task(s) Authentic application in new context to evaluate student achievement of desired results designed according to GRASPS (Goal, Role, Audience, Setting Performance, Standards)	Other Evidence Application that is functional in a classroom context only to evaluate student achievement of desired results
You are a composer seeking a new musical instrument to complete your orchestra. You will design the instrument yourself. First, consider current instruments you have seen/heard. Categorize them into groups based on their type, how they generate sound, how they change pitch, volume, etc. Be sure to use what you know about the principles of sound. Next, design and diagram your own instrument based on what you know about sound and the traits you observed in existing instruments. Now construct your instrument and test it out. Make modifications and improvements as needed. You are an artist and you have been asked to produce your next masterpiece using your knowledge of the principles of light. Generate this piece of art, then explain how you manipulated light for artistic effect. (Did you transmit, reflect, refract light in any way? If so, how? Did you modify colors, brightness and the direction of light travel?) Be prepared to answer questions about your piece of art posed by the Museum Coordinator.	Teacher Observations Daily Work Center Work Homework Topic Assessments
SUGGESTED RESOURCES:
Houghton-Mifflin Discovery Works “Energy and Motion” Sirius Coyote Assembly Program (CT Commission on the Arts) Science in a Nutshell – Class Packs & Clusters

TOPIC: Responses to Stimuli (5.2)

STAGE 1: IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS
Content Standard(s) Generalizations about what students should know and be able to do
Established Goals: State Conceptual Theme VI: Structure & Function How are organisms structured to ensure efficiency and survival? Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and Numeracy
Enduring Understandings Insights learned from exploring generalizations via the essential questions (Students will understand THAT…)	Essential Questions Inquiry used to explore generalizations
5.2 - Perceiving and responding to information about the environment is critical to the survival of organisms. We perceive our environment through our senses: seeing, hearing, etc.	How are organisms structured to ensure efficiency and survival? How might the human sensory system be improved? How would an impairment of one or more senses impact our lives?
Knowledge and Skills What students are expected to know and be able to do
Students will know… The sense organs perceive stimuli from the environment and send signals to the brain through the nervous system. When light is absorbed and reflected it affects how we see shape and color. Human senses work through signals. The anatomy of the human eye and the functions of its parts.	Students will be able to… Describe how light absorption and reflection allow one to see the shapes and colors of objects. Describe the structure and function of the human senses and the signals they perceive. Test efficacy and accuracy of one’s senses. Explain why your eye looks the way it does, keeping in mind structure and function.
STAGE 2: DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE
Performance Task(s) Authentic application in new context to evaluate student achievement of desired results designed according to GRASPS (Goal, Role, Audience, Setting Performance, Standards)	Other Evidence Application that is functional in a classroom context only to evaluate student achievement of desired results
CT State Embedded Task for Gr 5 ~ “Catch It” -MANDATORY Plus: You will play the role of someone who is sensory impaired. Experiment with varying levels/types of sensory impairment. For example: Blindfold yourself to simulate visual impairment See only through color-tinted film See through waxed paper so that only substantial shifts in light and darkness are recognizable See reflected images in a mirror Wear plugs in one or both ears Wear headphones and try to hear above the background noise Use your science journals to predict how your day will go with the impairment, and then later to record the actual effects of your impairment. You might also jot down your thoughts in response to these questions: What helped you overcome your self-imposed limitations to your sensory system? What else could you have used had it been available to you? Could you have created anything that would have helped you? What other senses did you rely on most? Which situation was hardest to overcome? Easiest?	Teacher Observations Daily Work Center Work Homework Topic Assessments
SUGGESTED RESOURCES:
Human Body Systems – Teacher’s Manual 1000 Things You Should Know About the Human Body – Tradebook Science in a Nutshell – Class Packs & Clusters

TOPIC: Earth, Moon & Sun (5.3)

STAGE 1: IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS
Content Standard(s) Generalizations about what students should know and be able to do
Established Goals: State Conceptual Theme X: Earth in the Solar System How does the position of the Earth in the solar system affect the conditions on our planet? Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and Numeracy
Enduring Understandings Insights learned from exploring generalizations via the essential questions (Students will understand THAT…)	Essential Questions Inquiry used to explore generalizations
5.3 - Most objects in the solar system are in a regular and predictable motion. The Earth is a member of a solar system.	How does the position of Earth in the solar system affect conditions on our planet? How would our knowledge of the solar system be different if technology did not exist? Does the phenomenon of night and day occur on other planets? In other solar systems?
Knowledge and Skills What students are expected to know and be able to do
Students will know… The positions of the Earth and moon, relative to the sun, explain the cycles of day and night, and the monthly moon phases. Day and night occur because of the way Earth rotates on its axis. The moon’s appearance throughout the month is based on its orbit pattern. The position of the Earth and Sun cause the changes of season. Planets orbit stars, moons orbit planets.	Students will be able to… Explain the cause of day and night based on the rotation of Earth on its axis. Describe the monthly changes in the appearance of the moon, based on the moon’s orbit around the Earth. Investigate the patterns of stars in the sky and how they stay still, although they appear to move across the sky. Depict orbits/positions of major terrestrial bodies in our solar system.
STAGE 2: DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE
Performance Task(s) Authentic application in new context to evaluate student achievement of desired results designed according to GRASPS (Goal, Role, Audience, Setting Performance, Standards)	Other Evidence Application that is functional in a classroom context only to evaluate student achievement of desired results
You are an astronomer interested in the seasonal position of the earth in relationship to the sun. Devise a way to record shadow lengths of objects throughout the year. You will need to be able to record shadows measured during different months, seasons and times of day. Predict when shadows will be the longest, based on what you have learned. Record shadow lengths. Use metric measurement. Use your newly gained knowledge of the Earth and sun’s positional relationship to explain your observations and conclusions. Construct a working model or diagram to portray your conclusions.	Teacher Observations Daily Work Center Work Homework Topic Assessments
SUGGESTED RESOURCES:
Houghton-Mifflin Discovery Works – “Sun, Moon & Earth” 1000 Things You Should Know About Space – Tradebook Science in a Nutshell – Class Packs & Clusters

TOPIC: Optical Technologies (5.4)

STAGE 1: IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS
Content Standard(s) Generalizations about what students should know and be able to do
Established Goals: State Conceptual Theme XI: Science & Technology in Society How do science and technology affect the quality of our lives? Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and Numeracy
Enduring Understandings Insights learned from exploring generalizations via the essential questions (Students will understand THAT…)	Essential Questions Inquiry used to explore generalizations
5.4 - Humans have the capacity to build and use tools to advance the quality of their lives.	How do science and technology affect the quality of our lives? What methods could scientists employ to understand that which they cannot see without technology?
Knowledge and Skills What students are expected to know and be able to do
Students will know… Advances in technology allow individuals to acquire new information about the world. Ways in which the human eye and a camera are both similar and different. Man-made technology can enhance human vision. How lenses work.	Students will be able to… Focus a lens. Compare and contrast the structures of the human eye with those of the camera. Describe the uses of different instruments, such as eye glasses, magnifiers, periscopes, microscopes and telescopes, to enhance our vision. Use the instruments mentioned above to make detailed observations.
STAGE 2: DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE
Performance Task(s) Authentic application in new context to evaluate student achievement of desired results designed according to GRASPS (Goal, Role, Audience, Setting Performance, Standards)	Other Evidence Application that is functional in a classroom context only to evaluate student achievement of desired results
You are a military scientist charged with making a “bionic eye” that will help your spies in the field. Consider what you have learned about the human eye. Consider what you know and have learned about technologies that enhance human vision (ie microscopes, periscopes, magnifying glasses, cameras, etc.) Brainstorm the strengths and virtues of each type of technology and categorize them. Use a Venn diagram to identify common benefits. Create your bionic eye using this information (make a model, illustration, etc.) Explain the components of your bionic eye. Tell what their purpose is and where they came from. Debate: Which is more effective? Unaided human sight or sight that is enhanced by technology (binoculars, magnifying glasses, cameras). Support your answer. Be sure to include what you know about both in your argument (how they work, downfalls, and strengths of each).	Teacher Observations Daily Work Center Work Homework Topic Assessments District Assessments
SUGGESTED RESOURCES:
Science in a Nutshell – Class Packs & Clusters

Elementary Performance Assessment Rubric

4	Exceeds the objectives of the task. Demonstrates high level of understanding. Student demonstrates evidence of advanced planning and shows a highly systematic and organized approach that is neat and clearly presented. Explanations are very clear and easy to follow.
3	Meets the objectives of the task. Demonstrates a complete understanding. Student demonstrates evidence of expected planning and shows an organized approach that is neat and clearly presented. Explanations are clear and the thinking process is easy to follow.
2	Does not meet all the objectives of the task. Demonstrates some understanding. Student demonstrates evidence of some planning and organization. Presentation is disorganized and not neatly presented.
1	Demonstrates insufficient understanding of the objectives of the task. Student demonstrates minimal understanding of the task with little effort shown.