Year 4
The science inquiry skills and science as a human endeavour strands are described across a two-year band. In their planning, schools and teachers refer to the expectations outlined in the achievement standard and also to the content of the science understanding strand for the relevant year level to ensure that these two strands are addressed over the two-year period. The three strands of the curriculum are interrelated and their content is taught in an integrated way. The order and detail in which the content descriptions are organised into teaching and learning programs are decisions to be made by the teacher.
Incorporating the key ideas of science
Over Years 3 to 6, students develop their understanding of a range of systems operating at different time and geographic scales.
In Year 4, students broaden their understanding of classification and form and function through an exploration of the properties of natural and processed materials. They learn that forces include non-contact forces and begin to appreciate that some interactions result from phenomena that can't be seen with the naked eye. They begin to appreciate that current systems, such as Earth's surface, have characteristics that have resulted from past changes and that living things form part of systems. They understand that some systems change in predictable ways, such as through cycles. They apply their knowledge to make predictions based on interactions within systems, including those involving the actions of humans.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 4, students apply the observable properties of materials to explain how objects and materials can be used. They describe how contact and non-contact forces affect interactions between objects. They discuss how natural processes and human activity cause changes to Earth’s surface. They describe relationships that assist the survival of living things and sequence key stages in the life cycle of a plant or animal. They identify when science is used to understand the effect of their actions.
Students follow instructions to identify investigable questions about familiar contexts and make predictions based on prior knowledge. They describe ways to conduct investigations and safely use equipment to make and record observations with accuracy. They use provided tables and column graphs to organise data and identify patterns. Students suggest explanations for observations and compare their findings with their predictions. They suggest reasons why a test was fair or not. They use formal and informal ways to communicate their observations and findings.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
- Free Plan
Fantastic Forces Comprehension Worksheet
Download this forces reading comprehension worksheet to teach your Year 4 students about push and pull forces.
- Plus Plan
Life Cycle of a Numbat Poster
A poster showing the life cycle of a numbat.
- Free Plan
Flood Safety Poster - Design and Create Task
A design and create task for students to demonstrate their understanding of the impact of floods.
- Plus Plan
Natural Materials Poster
A poster displaying different natural materials and explaining what natural materials are.
- Plus Plan
Weathering, Erosion and Deposition Doodle Notes
Engage your students with a set of science doodle notes when learning about erosion, weathering and deposition.
- Plus Plan
Critically Endangered Species Map – Poster
A poster of the world map featuring 64 species and subspecies that are on the critically endangered list.
- Free Plan
My Ecological Footprint - Reference Sheet
Teach your students about the things we do that affect the Earth with an ecological footprint reference sheet.
- Plus Plan
Tornado in a Jar Worksheet
A science activity that demonstrates some properties and effects of motion.
- Plus Plan
Force and Motion Sorting Activity
Show students force and motion examples with this force and motion sorting activity for elementary school science lessons.
- Plus Plan
Weathering and Erosion – RACES Writing Strategy Worksheets
Combine reading, writing and science with two worksheets about weathering and erosion using the RACES writing strategy for text evidence.
- Plus Plan
Weathering vs. Erosion Worksheet Pack
Support student understanding of weathering and erosion with this reading comprehension passage, worksheet and accompanying vocabulary activities.
- Plus Plan
Life Cycle of a Bean Activity Pack
Organise, record, and display information about the life cycle of a bean with these activity templates.
- Plus Plan
Food Webs vs. Food Chains – Teaching Presentation
Learn about the difference between a food chain and a food web with this 18-slide teaching presentation.
- Plus Plan
Magnets and Magnetism Teaching Slides
Teach your students how magnets and magnetism work with this comprehensive and age-appropriate teaching presentation for primary school science lessons.
- Plus Plan
The Force of Gravity Teaching Slides
Teach your students facts about gravity with this comprehensive and age-appropriate teaching presentation for primary school science lessons.
- Plus Plan
Natural Disaster Posters
Posters with pictures for eight different types of natural disasters.
- Plus Plan
Producer, Consumer and Decomposer - Sorting Activity
Explore the roles and relationships of producers, consumers and decomposers in food chains with this hands-on sorting activity.
- Plus Plan
Weathering, Erosion and Deposition Flipbook
Learn about the causes and effects of weathering, erosion and deposition with a printable flipbook.
- Plus Plan
Force and Motion – Poster Pack
Display information about force and motion with this set of 12 vocabulary posters.
- Plus Plan
Food Chains and Food Webs – Vocabulary Booklet
Reinforce science vocabulary by creating a booklet to reference when studying food chains and food webs.
- Plus Plan
Food Chains and Food Webs – Vocabulary Posters
Display this set of science vocabulary posters in your classroom when learning about food chains and food webs.
- Plus Plan
The Force of Friction Teaching Slides
Teach your students facts about friction with this comprehensive and age-appropriate teaching presentation for primary school science lessons.
- Plus Plan
Natural and Processed Materials PowerPoint
A teaching presentation comparing natural and processed materials and how humans make scientific comparisons.
- Plus Plan
What is a Rainforest? Poster
A poster with information about the plant life, climate and annual rainfall that characterise a rainforest environment.
- Plus Plan
Frog Life Cycle Sort
Help your students concrete their understanding of the frog life cycle with this interactive game.
- Plus Plan
The Role of Plants - Instructional Slide Deck
Explore the different ways that plants can be beneficial with an interactive slide deck.
- Plus Plan
Biome Food Web - Posters
Learn how energy flows through food webs in different biomes with this set of classroom posters.
- Plus Plan
Natural Science PowerPoint - How Do People Use Natural Resources?
A teaching presentation discussing natural resources and how humans interact with them.
- Plus Plan
Friction Experiment – Sticky Friction
Use this engaging friction experiment when teaching your students about sliding friction and the effect it has on the movement of objects.
- Plus Plan
Layers of the Earth
An educational poster showing the structure of the Earth.
- Plus Plan
Numbat Life Cycle Sort
Help your students concrete their understanding of the numbat life cycle with this interactive game.
- Plus Plan
What is a Fair Test? - Middle Years PowerPoint
A 17 slide PowerPoint to use when teaching your students about how to make a fair test in Science.