Science can be exciting no matter what grade level you teach. In the early grades, students learn the five senses and how to be a scientist. In later years, students take a deep dive into topics like biology, physics and chemistry. Teaching grade 4 science can be a fun combination of worksheets, science projects and hands-on activities.

If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you’ve probably figured out that I love to teach science by doing hands-on projects, and also by integrating science into other curriculum areas: science and art, science and writing, science and comprehension. Grade 4 science is no different. There are some awesome grade 4 science projects and grade 4 science worksheets that you can use your students.

What are the topics in Grade 4 science? 

Here in BC, our science curriculum is guided by the BC Big Ideas. The BC Big Ideas for Grade 4 Science are…

• All living things sense and respond to their environment

• Matter has mass, takes up space and can change phase

• Energy can be transformed

• The motions of Earth and the moon cause observable patterns that affect living and non-living systems.

When teaching these big ideas, I teach four distinct topics: Biomes, Changing States of Matter, Energy and Motions of the Earth. To read an in-depth post on each topic, be sure to click through. 

Everything You Need to Teach Grade 4 Science

A complete (scripted) unit for every single grade 4 science unit in BC. Lesson plans, vocabulary, projects, experiments, activities, and more!

Click and print. Planning is really that easy.

check out the units

Teaching about Biomes

In our biomes unit, I like to highlight how animals and plants have special traits that help them survive in their environment. A polar bear wouldn’t be able to survive in the desert, just like a lizard wouldn’t be able to survive in the tundra. Why? 

After learning about the biomes and characteristics of animals and plants in each biome, it’s time to start using imagination about what it would be like to live in each biome, what traits would they need to have in order to survive? 

Check out some of my favorite activities for teaching about the biomes of the world.

Teaching about Changing States of Matter

Matter is something that we return to again and again in the BC curriculum.

Students start learning about matter in Kindergarten and each year, the topic gets built on. So by the time students have reached grade 4, they generally have a good understanding of the states of matter and now it’s time to implement some more hands-on activities to help them engage with the topic in meaningful ways.

I also like to incorporate food when teaching about matter. When students can use all FIVE of their five senses during science, it’s always a good day! To check out some ideas, including ideas on how to incorporate food, check out this post.

This post breaks down my favorite activities and lessons for Grade 4 that teaches how matter changes state.

Teaching about Energy

When teaching about energy, I love to have a variety of hands-on learning activities. Energy is one of those topics that can naturally lead into exploration and discovery. Magnets, gravity, sound, light, push and pull….all these areas are great for hands-on experiments. Check out some of the fun ideas in this energy blog post. 

Teaching about Motions of the Earth

In our Motions of the Earth unit, students discover how the earth rotates, revolves and orbits. They also discover what causes eclipses and tides. Through a series of lessons, students will gain a better understanding of how the motions of the Earth affect, not only them, but the things around them. During this unit, they also get to put on their artistic hats to create comics about an eclipse. Read about everything you need to teach space science in grade 4.

What are some good science experiments for grade 4?

Grade 4 is a great age to dive deeper into science experiments. There are some awesome science experiments out there, and here are some of my favorites:

1. Melting, Boiling and Freezing: To teach students about melting, boiling and freezing, I like to do an experiment using a transparent kettle and ice cubes. Drop an ice cube into the kettle and set it to boil. Have students observe what happens to the ice cube. Also have the students observe the steam as the water boils. 

2. Energy Science Stations: Set up stations around the room so students can experiment with energy. Flick a marble into a group of other marbles to see what happens. Roll marbles down a track to see how height of the track affects the marble. Experiment with flashlights and glow sticks. Use a contactless thermometer to measure temperatures. You can check out even more station ideas here.

3. STEM Challenges - I’ve rounded up some of my favorite STEM challenges that are easy to set up and use very few costly supplies (if any!)

Grade 4 is a fun age to really delve into project-based learning as well as do experiments. You’ll still have to do a bunch of scaffolding before diving into the experiments, but with the right scaffolding, your students will be ready to explore. Whether they are doing science worksheets, or science projects, there is always something to learn in grade 4 science. 

Energy is a magnificent thing. It is something adults all wish we had more of and children seem to have an endless supply of. And yes, this is very true, but I’m talking about energy in terms of science. Teaching students about the forms of energy can lead to some pretty engaging lessons. So let’s check out four types of energy lessons.

What is the Law of Conservation of Energy?

The Law of Conservation of Energy is a law stating that energy can be changed, but it cannot be created or destroyed. Energy can change from one form to another, but energy is never lost during this transformation process.

What are the Types of Energy?

The exact number of energy types is a bit open for interpretation, but here are some of the most common types of energy:

• kinetic energy

• light energy

• sound energy

• thermal energy

• elastic energy

• nuclear energy

• chemical energy

• magnetic energy

• gravitational energy

• electrical energy. 

Energy is all around us and we use it every day.

Types of Energy Videos

I love introducing new concepts by showing video clips and here are some great videos about energy.

1. Dr. Binocs is a classic science YouTube channel that many teachers use for introducing science topics. This short video goes over a few of the most common types of energy. It also delves into the concept of potential energy.

2. This video also gives a good overview of energy. It categorizes energy into two main areas: potential energy and kinetic energy. Then the video delves into the different types of energy. 

3. If you’re looking for a video that’s a little longer, you might love this Bill Nye the Science Guy video about energy. Did you watch Bill Nye as a kid? This video sure does bring back memories from my childhood!

Hands-On Energy Stations

These hands-on stations teach students all about how energy transfers from one form to another. (Bonus: they’re super easy to set up!)

Who doesn't love some good hands-on science stations? During this science lesson, students will complete four student-led stations. Each station will have an activity to determine the energy input and output. For example, students have to flick a marble into a group of other marbles to see what will happen. You can check out the other stations here.

Project-Based Learning: Energy Machines

I LOVE using project-based assessments to cap off a science unit. They’re a great way to check for student understanding without having them sit down for a timed test (that doesn’t always show understanding anyways!)

In this project, students will have the opportunity to design and build an ‘Energy machine’.

This machine will have the power to transform energy into different forms. As a simple example, some students might build a machine that uses a hair dryer to melt a piece of chocolate. (Electric energy to Heat Energy!)

Students will create a blueprint, gather materials and build a prototype to show their classmates! Not only is this project a fun way for students to demonstrate their learning, it is also a great way for them to use their creativity! 

The full instructions, planning pages, and assessment rubric are included in the Energy Unit.

A Complete Energy Unit is Here!

Learn all about Forms of Energy and Energy Transfer with this one hands-on unit that has everything you need.

Scripted lessons… check!
Reading Passages… check!
Hands-on projects and stations… check!
Vocabulary and Assessment… check check!

Take the planning off of your plate and grab all ten scripted lessons here…

grab the whole unit

Energy Experiments

There are SO many experiments that you could do with your class to demonstrate the various types of energy. So let’s take a look at a few types of energy activities:

• Magnets: Give students magnets and have them locate things that are magnetic and things that are not. You can also find some other fun magnet activities in this blog post dedicated to Magnet Activities!

• Shooting Rubber Bands: Give students different sized rubber bands and teach them how to stretch the rubber bands and shoot them across the classroom (or field outside) to see which bands fly the furthest. BUT make sure to teach them about safety so no one gets hurt.

• Gravity: Have students drop various objects from the same high so they can see that all objects fall at the same speed.

• Rubber Band Guitar: Students can experiment using rubber bands stretched over various objects to explore the sounds created when stretching different shaped elastics.

• Egg Drop Experiment: Have students design a contraption that will protect a raw egg when it is dropped from a high place. How can you protect the egg from the kinetic energy it is about to experience?

As you can see, there are a plethora of experiments you can have students do while they are exploring the types of energy and energy transformation. Google has TONS of great ideas!