What we are currently learning (Feb 2/25 - present) : 4.8C Patterns on Earth
Student ExpectationThe student is expected to collect and analyze data to identify sequences and predict patterns of change in shadows, seasons, and the observable appearance of the Moon over time.
Key ConceptsWe can collect and analyze data to predict patterns of change observable on Earth.
Shadows and seasons depend on the position of Earth in relation to the Sun.
The Moon’s appearance changes in the same pattern each month and can be predicted.
Fundamental QuestionsHow can we predict patterns of change that are observable on Earth?
How do shadows change during the seasons?
What is the sequence of the Moon’s appearance each month?
Explanation:
Students had prior experience with celestial bodies in second grade. They observed, described, and recorded patterns of objects in the sky, including the appearance of the Moon. In third grade, students constructed models that demonstrated the relationship of Earth, the Sun, and the Moon, including their orbits and positions. Students in fourth grade will focus on how the changing positions of Earth, the Sun, and the Moon result in daily, weekly, monthly, and annual patterns.
Key Concept 1: We can collect and analyze data to predict patterns of change observable on Earth. From the structure of the atom to the structure of the universe, humans have discovered regularity in the laws of nature. Natural patterns were observed and recorded by ancient cultures that believed powerful gods caused the movements of the Sun, shifting shadows, eclipses of the Sun or Moon, seasonal landscapes, and moon phases. Today, we know that all of these phenomena are the direct result of repeated patterns of positions among Earth, the Sun, and the Moon. For example, some ancient people thought an eclipse of the Sun represented a mythical character taking bites out of the Sun. Actually, eclipses are simply caused by one celestial body casting a shadow on another celestial body. The Moon blocking the Sun casts a shadow on a small path on Earth, which people see as a solar eclipse. When Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon, people see a lunar eclipse. Printed and computerized sundials, sunrise-sunset tables, tidal charts, seasonal almanacs, and moon phase and eclipse calendars are evidence of the predictability of these events.
Key Concept 2: Shadows and seasons depend on the position of Earth in relation to the Sun. Shadows are caused by objects blocking light. Students explore how the longest shadows on Earth are cast when the Sun is low on the horizon and how the shortest shadows are cast when the Sun is overhead at noon. Long shadows result when the light source is behind a tall object so that the full length of the object blocks the light. Short shadows result when the light source is above a tall object so that only the top of the object blocks the light. The pattern of the Sun’s apparent movement across the sky casting a shifting shadow on a sundial is a method that has been carried over from long ago and is still used today on modern sundials for telling time. Key
Concept 3: The Moon’s appearance changes in the same pattern each month and can be predicted. Moon phases are seen because the Moon is lit from different angles as Earth travels around the Sun. One new moon phase to the next new moon phase takes about 29 days. The full moon is visible all night, whereas the new moon, which rises and sets during the day, is not visible, because the Sun is so bright. Waxing means “growing in illumination. Waning means “shrinking in illumination. Gibbous means “almost full. Remember that the waning crescent moon looks like a forward C and the waxing crescent moon looks like a backwards C
Student ExpectationThe student is expected to collect and analyze data to identify sequences and predict patterns of change in shadows, seasons, and the observable appearance of the Moon over time.
Key ConceptsWe can collect and analyze data to predict patterns of change observable on Earth.
Shadows and seasons depend on the position of Earth in relation to the Sun.
The Moon’s appearance changes in the same pattern each month and can be predicted.
Fundamental QuestionsHow can we predict patterns of change that are observable on Earth?
How do shadows change during the seasons?
What is the sequence of the Moon’s appearance each month?
Explanation:
Students had prior experience with celestial bodies in second grade. They observed, described, and recorded patterns of objects in the sky, including the appearance of the Moon. In third grade, students constructed models that demonstrated the relationship of Earth, the Sun, and the Moon, including their orbits and positions. Students in fourth grade will focus on how the changing positions of Earth, the Sun, and the Moon result in daily, weekly, monthly, and annual patterns.
Key Concept 1: We can collect and analyze data to predict patterns of change observable on Earth. From the structure of the atom to the structure of the universe, humans have discovered regularity in the laws of nature. Natural patterns were observed and recorded by ancient cultures that believed powerful gods caused the movements of the Sun, shifting shadows, eclipses of the Sun or Moon, seasonal landscapes, and moon phases. Today, we know that all of these phenomena are the direct result of repeated patterns of positions among Earth, the Sun, and the Moon. For example, some ancient people thought an eclipse of the Sun represented a mythical character taking bites out of the Sun. Actually, eclipses are simply caused by one celestial body casting a shadow on another celestial body. The Moon blocking the Sun casts a shadow on a small path on Earth, which people see as a solar eclipse. When Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon, people see a lunar eclipse. Printed and computerized sundials, sunrise-sunset tables, tidal charts, seasonal almanacs, and moon phase and eclipse calendars are evidence of the predictability of these events.
Key Concept 2: Shadows and seasons depend on the position of Earth in relation to the Sun. Shadows are caused by objects blocking light. Students explore how the longest shadows on Earth are cast when the Sun is low on the horizon and how the shortest shadows are cast when the Sun is overhead at noon. Long shadows result when the light source is behind a tall object so that the full length of the object blocks the light. Short shadows result when the light source is above a tall object so that only the top of the object blocks the light. The pattern of the Sun’s apparent movement across the sky casting a shifting shadow on a sundial is a method that has been carried over from long ago and is still used today on modern sundials for telling time. Key
Concept 3: The Moon’s appearance changes in the same pattern each month and can be predicted. Moon phases are seen because the Moon is lit from different angles as Earth travels around the Sun. One new moon phase to the next new moon phase takes about 29 days. The full moon is visible all night, whereas the new moon, which rises and sets during the day, is not visible, because the Sun is so bright. Waxing means “growing in illumination. Waning means “shrinking in illumination. Gibbous means “almost full. Remember that the waning crescent moon looks like a forward C and the waxing crescent moon looks like a backwards C
Please click on the weathering/erosion/deposition song button above for a helpful mnemonic device to remember this unit's key concepts.
TEKS = Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
TEKS 4.8A Earth and Space (Began 2/4 and ended 2/22)
In fifth grade, students only compare weather and climate. Students had prior experience with weather in second grade where they measured, recorded, and graphed weather information, including temperature, wind conditions, precipitation, and cloud coverage, in order to identify patterns in the data. Also in second grade, students identified the importance of weather and seasonal information to make choices in clothing, activities, and transportation. In third grade, students observed, measured, recorded, and compared day-to-day weather changes in different locations at the same time that included air temperature, wind direction, and precipitation. Fourth grade students predict weather by analyzing cloud cover and the movement of cold fronts and warm fronts as other key elements in weather forecasting.
Key Concept 1: Tools such as rain gauges, wind socks, and thermometers can be used to gather weather data.The amount of rainfall is measured by a rain gauge read in hundredths of an inch. The water level is read at the bottom of the meniscus (curved surface of water in a tube). Most rain gauges have numbers divided into tenths of inches. If the rain gauge is filled to the 0.50 line, that means that 0.5 of one inch, or one-half inch, of rain has fallen. Larger lines mark inches, so if the meniscus reads 0.50 above the 1-inch line, then one and a half inches of rain has fallen. Wind is blowing air. It is created when there is a difference in air pressures in an area. Hot air rises. Cool air is heavier and sinks. An area of high air pressure is caused by a large amount of cool air. An area of low air pressure is the result of a lot of hot air. Air moves from high pressure (cool air) to low pressure (hot air). This movement of air is what we know as wind. The speed of wind is determined by how great the difference is in temperature between the two areas of air pressure. Earth’s spin also causes air masses to move from west to east in the United States. Wind socks indicate wind direction and relative wind speed. If the wind sock is limp, there is no wind; however, if the wind sock is blown straight out, then the wind is strong. Meteorologists use anemometers made of spinning cups that accurately record wind speed. A weather vane shows the direction from which the wind blows. Temperature is measured by Celsius and Fahrenheit thermometers. Although Celsius temperature is used in the laboratory, traditionally Fahrenheit temperature is reported on weather maps in the United States.
Key Concept 2: We are able to record changes in weather.We record weather data and are able to see the changes that happen with the weather. We use weather tools like a thermometer, a wind sock, and a rain gauge in order to collect the data that we record. It is important to record changes in weather and weather data because it allows us to predict what will happen in the future
.Key Concept 3: We use recorded weather information to make predictions.Meteorologists study the data from weather instruments to make decisions about the upcoming weather. Predicting weather is not an exact science, but some generalizations can help students estimate future weather. Weather generally moves from west to east so conditions to the west will likely move into Texas.For example, if Phoenix, Arizona, to the west experiences heavy rains, then parts of Texas are likely to receive that weather the next day as the weather moves to the east. It is a rule that high-pressure, good-weather areas move into low-pressure, bad-weather areas. Cloud cover also helps to identify incoming weather: cumulonimbus clouds indicate a cold front is coming and thunderstorms will soon follow; cirrus clouds followed by nimbostratus clouds indicate a warm front is coming and light rain and drizzle will be around for a couple of days. As soon as a cold front or warm front moves on, bad weather is pushed away by a high-pressure air mass that brings good weather. With modern radar instruments, meteorologists can be more precise at predicting weather, but that prediction is never a guarantee.
What we learned 1/9 - 1/31 TEKS 4.7B
The student is expected to observe and identify slow changes to Earth’s surface caused by weathering, erosion, and deposition from water, wind, and ice.
Key Concepts
Wind, water, and ice can cause changes to Earth’s surface slowly over time.
Earth’s materials can be changed by weathering, erosion, and deposition.
We can observe the results of weathering, erosion, and deposition on Earth’s surface.
Explanation:Students have prior experience with changes in the Earth’s surface in third grade. Students investigated rapid changes in Earth’s surface, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and landslides. Students also identified and compared different landforms, including mountains, hills, valleys, and plains.In fourth grade, students will focus on how water, wind, and ice affect Earth’s surface to slowly alter landforms. The more complicated study of slow changes below Earth’s surface due to the movement of large pieces of the crust and upper part of the mantle, called plate tectonics, is not studied until sixth grade.
Key Concept 1: Wind, water, and ice can cause changes to Earth’s surface slowly over time.Nature’s change agents have scoured and carved the Earth’s surface for billions of years, creating slow changes to landforms that resulted in an amazing diversity of landscapes. Water from the Colorado River gouged out the majestic mile-deep Grand Canyon. Water also deposited the silt from ancient seas on the broad Texas plains. Glacial ice, now melted, scraped away sides of mountains in the North, leaving behind long lakes, which became the Great Lakes, and depositing the rubble hundreds of miles down slope creating the rocky Northeastern states. For millennia, relentless winds have chipped away at sandstone formations leaving behind usual rock formations typical of the Southwest. All regions on Earth have been slowly altered in a similar fashion, each with their own unique story of change.
Key Concept 2: Earth’s materials can be changed by weathering, erosion, and deposition.Although weathering, erosion, and deposition may seem similar to students, these change agents are quite different. Weathering refers to the breakdown of rocks into smaller particles from the effects of wind, water, and ice. Erosion is the carrying away or moving of these weathered materials by wind, water, and ice to a new location. Deposition is the buildup of land where the wind, water, and ice finally stop moving and drop the sediment or soil in this new location. Students can imagine that weathering is like a jackhammer that breaks up concrete; erosion is like a forklift moving its load someplace else; and deposition is like a dump truck unloading a pile of sand.
Key Concept 3: We can observe the results of weathering, erosion, and deposition on Earth’s surface.Students simulate the weathering, erosion, and deposition that occur with the action of water on coquina limestone. By measuring the mass before and after agitating the limestone in a container with water and by observing the deposition of sediment in the water after weathering and erosion, students can record their observations and discuss their results. In reality, the sculpting of limestone deposits along coastlines by waves takes eons to change Earth’s surface.
What we learned 11/17 - 12/22 TEKS 4.7A The student is expected to: examine properties of soils, including color and texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support the growth of plants.
Explanation:Understanding soil properties plays a role in preparing students for fifth grade experiences with the importance of soil as part of an ecosystem (living and nonliving parts of the environment). Students had prior experience with soil in the third grade. They explored and recorded how soils were formed by weathering of rock and the decomposition of plant and animal remains. Fourth grade students will be focusing on how the properties of soils impact plant growth.
Key Concept 1: Soils differ in their observable properties.Students will recall that in addition to size, color, texture, and shape, other basic properties of matter are mass, volume, states (solid, liquid, gas), temperature, magnetism, and the ability to sink or float. Some of these observable properties can be used to measure and classify soil such as particle size, texture, color, and capacity to retain water. These properties also help students determine the uses of various soil types. Students learned in third grade that soilsare formed by the weathering of parent rock material of various particle sizes; the decomposition of dead plants and animals whose decay adds nutrients to the soil; water; and air spaces between the particles.
Key Concept 2: Soil can be sorted based on particle size, texture, color, and capacity to retain water.Students sort and classify soil types by using a combination of properties to compare their sample with known descriptions of standard soil types.
Particle Size - Soil sediment ranges from large to small size particles: gravel (large pebbles), sand, silt (like flour), and clay.
Texture and Color - Gravel soil feels rocky. The texture of sandy soil feels gritty when rubbed. Clay soil feels sticky when wet, and silt soil feels silky smooth or slippery when wet. Topsoil feels a little gritty, a little sticky, and a little smooth because it has three textures combined. The term topsoil is not a particle size, but refers to the top layer of soil that has dark, rich nutrients from humus. Sometimes topsoil is called loam soil because it is a combination of all particle sizes and is rich in humus. Soil scientists use special soil color charts with hundreds of soil types coded. However, fourth graders will use a simple color system of black-brown, light brown, grey, and red/yellow to sort soil color. Soil color that is black or deep brown generally means the soil has more nutrient-rich humus (decayed plants and animal matter), such as loamy soils. Light brown soils indicate a sandy soil. Gray soil indicates river silt is present. Red or yellow soils indicate the presence of iron oxides, such as the southern clay soils.
Capacity to Retain Water - Because sandy soil has large particles, air spaces between the sand grains allow water to pass through quickly so that water is not retained very well. Water molecules cling to sticky clay soils, which can become compact and retain too much water that does not drain off. Soil with humus (decayed plant and animal remains, which provide nutrients to plants) also retains water. A mixture of sand, clay, silt, and humus is a popular soil combination called loam that allows drainage, but retains nutrients and the correct amount of water. Soils with a lot of silt make excellent farmland, but with their fine texture, this soil erodes easily. Silt soil is blown away in dust storms and carried downstream in floods.
Key Concept 3: Soils differ in their ability to support the growth of plants.
Gravel soil has large particles that retain the least amount of water or nutrients and, consequently, is not a suitable soil for plant growth. However, the addition of gravel to other soils does help in water drainage.
Sandy soil holds less water than soils with smaller particles and, therefore, must be watered more frequently. Sandy soil also has a lower nutrient-holding capacity than other soil types and must be fertilized more often. When plant cover is lacking sandy soil, it is subject to wind and water erosion. Root vegetable crops, such as carrots and potatoes grow well in sandy soil, as do trees with long roots. Sand is often added to other soils to help with water drainage.
Silt soil is a grey, silky smooth soil made of small particles from flooded river sediment rich in nutrients and minerals for plant growth. The fine texture of silt soil retains water well but may drain slowly depending on the exact clay-silt-sand ratio. This fine texture also causes silt soil to erode easily. Because of this, gardeners and farmers usually change silt soil by adding better draining particles, such as sand to provide the proper growth medium for plants. However silt soil is often added to other soils to improve nutrient quality.
Clay Soil has an ultra-fine texture that allows it to retain a high level of moisture and nutrients and, in fact, sometimes too much. Clay soil drains poorly, compacts too easily, and plants often do not receive the amount of oxygen they need to grow and thrive. Although trees and shrubs can send roots through clay soil, other plants will need organic material added to clay soil to improve water drainage and oxygen content. Clay soil is usually not added to other soils.
Topsoil is also called loam, which is a combination of soil types (40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay). Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silt soils, and are easier to till than clay soils. Loam soils are gritty, moist, and retain water easily.
TEKS 4.7C The student is expected to: identify and classify Earth's renewable resources, including air, plants, water, and animals, and nonrenewable resources, including coal, oil, and natural gas, and the importance of conservation.
Explanation: Understanding renewable and nonrenewable resources serves as foundation for fifth grade when students will explore alternative energy resources. Students had prior experience with resources in the second grade. They distinguished between natural and man-made resources. In third grade, students explored the characteristics of natural resources that make them useful in products and materials, such as clothing and furniture, and how resources may be conserved.
Key Concept 1: Renewable resources include air, plants, water, & animals, which are generally replaceable within a lifetime.
Natural Resources are substances that exist naturally on Earth and are used by humans for consumption (eating and drinking), for production (making useful things), or for producing energy. Fourth graders will categorize natural resources according to the ability to replace them within a lifetime. For example, because milk from cows, paper from trees, and water from tide movements are replaceable within a lifetime, these resources are considered renewable.
Caution: Although air, plants, water, and animals are considered replaceable within a lifetime, humans have misused resources through over-consumption and pollution, which profoundly affects the renewability of these resources. (See Key Concept 3).
Key Concept 2: Nonrenewable resources include coal, oil, and natural gas, which cannot be replaced within a lifetime.
Nonrenewable resources are materials in which there is a finite or fixed amount, and once they are consumed, they cannot be replaced by Earth in any reasonable amount of time. Coal, oil, and natural gas are used to make other products, and fossil fuels are burned to produce energy for vehicles, machines, homes, and businesses.
Coal Besides burning coal in electric power plants or in furnaces, coal is used in a surprising number of products, such as pavements, insecticides, medicines, and explosives. Because coal was formed from the decay and deep burial of ancient swamp plants that took hundreds of millions of years to convert into coal, this popular resource is not renewable. Petroleum Oil and Natural GasIn addition to various grades of vehicle fuels and oil, petroleum oil is also converted into thousands of products, such as plastics, lubricants, wax, roofing materials, etc.
Natural gas is used to fuel furnaces and cook food, powers some buses and cars, and is a major product used in manufacturing fertilizers and ammonia. Millions of years of heat and pressure were necessary to convert microscopic marine organisms buried under layers of ocean floor into pockets of oil and natural gas that have become major sources for modern energy consumption. Once used, however, these fossil fuels are gone forever.
Key Concept 3: We should make responsible decisions to conserve both renewable and nonrenewable resources.
With the coming of the Industrial Age and the huge demand of large quantities of fossil fuels for production, humans began polluting nature faster than nature could cleanse itself. In addition, over-consumption of natural resources was not prevented. Today, three conservation words empower us to protect and manage nonrenewable and renewable resources: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Although STEMscopes 4.1B focuses on conserving common products, such as paper, aluminum, glass, cans, and plastic, students should extend the application of the 3 Rs to ways fossil fuels and natural resources (water, air, plants, and animals) can also be conserved.
Fossil Fuel (Nonrenewable Resources) Conservation - Examples of conserving nonrenewable fossil fuel resources are carpooling, more fuel efficient vehicles, hybrid, or electric cars, high-efficiency rated appliances, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL bulbs), or switching to alternative energy sources, such as solar energy.
Renewable Resources Conservation - Examples of conserving renewable resources, such as water are lawn-watering ordinances, recycling and purifying waste water, improving water pollution laws, or encouraging efficient irrigation methods. To conserve air, people could use more efficient filters on polluting factories, reduce car emissions, and create better laws that govern clean air. To conserve plants, create laws that protect our Earth’s rain forests, encourage tree planting at home, schools, and businesses, or reduce and recycle paper products.
TEKS 4.8A Earth and Space (Began 2/4 and ended 2/22)
In fifth grade, students only compare weather and climate. Students had prior experience with weather in second grade where they measured, recorded, and graphed weather information, including temperature, wind conditions, precipitation, and cloud coverage, in order to identify patterns in the data. Also in second grade, students identified the importance of weather and seasonal information to make choices in clothing, activities, and transportation. In third grade, students observed, measured, recorded, and compared day-to-day weather changes in different locations at the same time that included air temperature, wind direction, and precipitation. Fourth grade students predict weather by analyzing cloud cover and the movement of cold fronts and warm fronts as other key elements in weather forecasting.
Key Concept 1: Tools such as rain gauges, wind socks, and thermometers can be used to gather weather data.The amount of rainfall is measured by a rain gauge read in hundredths of an inch. The water level is read at the bottom of the meniscus (curved surface of water in a tube). Most rain gauges have numbers divided into tenths of inches. If the rain gauge is filled to the 0.50 line, that means that 0.5 of one inch, or one-half inch, of rain has fallen. Larger lines mark inches, so if the meniscus reads 0.50 above the 1-inch line, then one and a half inches of rain has fallen. Wind is blowing air. It is created when there is a difference in air pressures in an area. Hot air rises. Cool air is heavier and sinks. An area of high air pressure is caused by a large amount of cool air. An area of low air pressure is the result of a lot of hot air. Air moves from high pressure (cool air) to low pressure (hot air). This movement of air is what we know as wind. The speed of wind is determined by how great the difference is in temperature between the two areas of air pressure. Earth’s spin also causes air masses to move from west to east in the United States. Wind socks indicate wind direction and relative wind speed. If the wind sock is limp, there is no wind; however, if the wind sock is blown straight out, then the wind is strong. Meteorologists use anemometers made of spinning cups that accurately record wind speed. A weather vane shows the direction from which the wind blows. Temperature is measured by Celsius and Fahrenheit thermometers. Although Celsius temperature is used in the laboratory, traditionally Fahrenheit temperature is reported on weather maps in the United States.
Key Concept 2: We are able to record changes in weather.We record weather data and are able to see the changes that happen with the weather. We use weather tools like a thermometer, a wind sock, and a rain gauge in order to collect the data that we record. It is important to record changes in weather and weather data because it allows us to predict what will happen in the future
.Key Concept 3: We use recorded weather information to make predictions.Meteorologists study the data from weather instruments to make decisions about the upcoming weather. Predicting weather is not an exact science, but some generalizations can help students estimate future weather. Weather generally moves from west to east so conditions to the west will likely move into Texas.For example, if Phoenix, Arizona, to the west experiences heavy rains, then parts of Texas are likely to receive that weather the next day as the weather moves to the east. It is a rule that high-pressure, good-weather areas move into low-pressure, bad-weather areas. Cloud cover also helps to identify incoming weather: cumulonimbus clouds indicate a cold front is coming and thunderstorms will soon follow; cirrus clouds followed by nimbostratus clouds indicate a warm front is coming and light rain and drizzle will be around for a couple of days. As soon as a cold front or warm front moves on, bad weather is pushed away by a high-pressure air mass that brings good weather. With modern radar instruments, meteorologists can be more precise at predicting weather, but that prediction is never a guarantee.
What we learned 1/9 - 1/31 TEKS 4.7B
The student is expected to observe and identify slow changes to Earth’s surface caused by weathering, erosion, and deposition from water, wind, and ice.
Key Concepts
Wind, water, and ice can cause changes to Earth’s surface slowly over time.
Earth’s materials can be changed by weathering, erosion, and deposition.
We can observe the results of weathering, erosion, and deposition on Earth’s surface.
Explanation:Students have prior experience with changes in the Earth’s surface in third grade. Students investigated rapid changes in Earth’s surface, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and landslides. Students also identified and compared different landforms, including mountains, hills, valleys, and plains.In fourth grade, students will focus on how water, wind, and ice affect Earth’s surface to slowly alter landforms. The more complicated study of slow changes below Earth’s surface due to the movement of large pieces of the crust and upper part of the mantle, called plate tectonics, is not studied until sixth grade.
Key Concept 1: Wind, water, and ice can cause changes to Earth’s surface slowly over time.Nature’s change agents have scoured and carved the Earth’s surface for billions of years, creating slow changes to landforms that resulted in an amazing diversity of landscapes. Water from the Colorado River gouged out the majestic mile-deep Grand Canyon. Water also deposited the silt from ancient seas on the broad Texas plains. Glacial ice, now melted, scraped away sides of mountains in the North, leaving behind long lakes, which became the Great Lakes, and depositing the rubble hundreds of miles down slope creating the rocky Northeastern states. For millennia, relentless winds have chipped away at sandstone formations leaving behind usual rock formations typical of the Southwest. All regions on Earth have been slowly altered in a similar fashion, each with their own unique story of change.
Key Concept 2: Earth’s materials can be changed by weathering, erosion, and deposition.Although weathering, erosion, and deposition may seem similar to students, these change agents are quite different. Weathering refers to the breakdown of rocks into smaller particles from the effects of wind, water, and ice. Erosion is the carrying away or moving of these weathered materials by wind, water, and ice to a new location. Deposition is the buildup of land where the wind, water, and ice finally stop moving and drop the sediment or soil in this new location. Students can imagine that weathering is like a jackhammer that breaks up concrete; erosion is like a forklift moving its load someplace else; and deposition is like a dump truck unloading a pile of sand.
Key Concept 3: We can observe the results of weathering, erosion, and deposition on Earth’s surface.Students simulate the weathering, erosion, and deposition that occur with the action of water on coquina limestone. By measuring the mass before and after agitating the limestone in a container with water and by observing the deposition of sediment in the water after weathering and erosion, students can record their observations and discuss their results. In reality, the sculpting of limestone deposits along coastlines by waves takes eons to change Earth’s surface.
What we learned 11/17 - 12/22 TEKS 4.7A The student is expected to: examine properties of soils, including color and texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support the growth of plants.
Explanation:Understanding soil properties plays a role in preparing students for fifth grade experiences with the importance of soil as part of an ecosystem (living and nonliving parts of the environment). Students had prior experience with soil in the third grade. They explored and recorded how soils were formed by weathering of rock and the decomposition of plant and animal remains. Fourth grade students will be focusing on how the properties of soils impact plant growth.
Key Concept 1: Soils differ in their observable properties.Students will recall that in addition to size, color, texture, and shape, other basic properties of matter are mass, volume, states (solid, liquid, gas), temperature, magnetism, and the ability to sink or float. Some of these observable properties can be used to measure and classify soil such as particle size, texture, color, and capacity to retain water. These properties also help students determine the uses of various soil types. Students learned in third grade that soilsare formed by the weathering of parent rock material of various particle sizes; the decomposition of dead plants and animals whose decay adds nutrients to the soil; water; and air spaces between the particles.
Key Concept 2: Soil can be sorted based on particle size, texture, color, and capacity to retain water.Students sort and classify soil types by using a combination of properties to compare their sample with known descriptions of standard soil types.
Particle Size - Soil sediment ranges from large to small size particles: gravel (large pebbles), sand, silt (like flour), and clay.
Texture and Color - Gravel soil feels rocky. The texture of sandy soil feels gritty when rubbed. Clay soil feels sticky when wet, and silt soil feels silky smooth or slippery when wet. Topsoil feels a little gritty, a little sticky, and a little smooth because it has three textures combined. The term topsoil is not a particle size, but refers to the top layer of soil that has dark, rich nutrients from humus. Sometimes topsoil is called loam soil because it is a combination of all particle sizes and is rich in humus. Soil scientists use special soil color charts with hundreds of soil types coded. However, fourth graders will use a simple color system of black-brown, light brown, grey, and red/yellow to sort soil color. Soil color that is black or deep brown generally means the soil has more nutrient-rich humus (decayed plants and animal matter), such as loamy soils. Light brown soils indicate a sandy soil. Gray soil indicates river silt is present. Red or yellow soils indicate the presence of iron oxides, such as the southern clay soils.
Capacity to Retain Water - Because sandy soil has large particles, air spaces between the sand grains allow water to pass through quickly so that water is not retained very well. Water molecules cling to sticky clay soils, which can become compact and retain too much water that does not drain off. Soil with humus (decayed plant and animal remains, which provide nutrients to plants) also retains water. A mixture of sand, clay, silt, and humus is a popular soil combination called loam that allows drainage, but retains nutrients and the correct amount of water. Soils with a lot of silt make excellent farmland, but with their fine texture, this soil erodes easily. Silt soil is blown away in dust storms and carried downstream in floods.
Key Concept 3: Soils differ in their ability to support the growth of plants.
Gravel soil has large particles that retain the least amount of water or nutrients and, consequently, is not a suitable soil for plant growth. However, the addition of gravel to other soils does help in water drainage.
Sandy soil holds less water than soils with smaller particles and, therefore, must be watered more frequently. Sandy soil also has a lower nutrient-holding capacity than other soil types and must be fertilized more often. When plant cover is lacking sandy soil, it is subject to wind and water erosion. Root vegetable crops, such as carrots and potatoes grow well in sandy soil, as do trees with long roots. Sand is often added to other soils to help with water drainage.
Silt soil is a grey, silky smooth soil made of small particles from flooded river sediment rich in nutrients and minerals for plant growth. The fine texture of silt soil retains water well but may drain slowly depending on the exact clay-silt-sand ratio. This fine texture also causes silt soil to erode easily. Because of this, gardeners and farmers usually change silt soil by adding better draining particles, such as sand to provide the proper growth medium for plants. However silt soil is often added to other soils to improve nutrient quality.
Clay Soil has an ultra-fine texture that allows it to retain a high level of moisture and nutrients and, in fact, sometimes too much. Clay soil drains poorly, compacts too easily, and plants often do not receive the amount of oxygen they need to grow and thrive. Although trees and shrubs can send roots through clay soil, other plants will need organic material added to clay soil to improve water drainage and oxygen content. Clay soil is usually not added to other soils.
Topsoil is also called loam, which is a combination of soil types (40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay). Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silt soils, and are easier to till than clay soils. Loam soils are gritty, moist, and retain water easily.
TEKS 4.7C The student is expected to: identify and classify Earth's renewable resources, including air, plants, water, and animals, and nonrenewable resources, including coal, oil, and natural gas, and the importance of conservation.
Explanation: Understanding renewable and nonrenewable resources serves as foundation for fifth grade when students will explore alternative energy resources. Students had prior experience with resources in the second grade. They distinguished between natural and man-made resources. In third grade, students explored the characteristics of natural resources that make them useful in products and materials, such as clothing and furniture, and how resources may be conserved.
Key Concept 1: Renewable resources include air, plants, water, & animals, which are generally replaceable within a lifetime.
Natural Resources are substances that exist naturally on Earth and are used by humans for consumption (eating and drinking), for production (making useful things), or for producing energy. Fourth graders will categorize natural resources according to the ability to replace them within a lifetime. For example, because milk from cows, paper from trees, and water from tide movements are replaceable within a lifetime, these resources are considered renewable.
Caution: Although air, plants, water, and animals are considered replaceable within a lifetime, humans have misused resources through over-consumption and pollution, which profoundly affects the renewability of these resources. (See Key Concept 3).
Key Concept 2: Nonrenewable resources include coal, oil, and natural gas, which cannot be replaced within a lifetime.
Nonrenewable resources are materials in which there is a finite or fixed amount, and once they are consumed, they cannot be replaced by Earth in any reasonable amount of time. Coal, oil, and natural gas are used to make other products, and fossil fuels are burned to produce energy for vehicles, machines, homes, and businesses.
Coal Besides burning coal in electric power plants or in furnaces, coal is used in a surprising number of products, such as pavements, insecticides, medicines, and explosives. Because coal was formed from the decay and deep burial of ancient swamp plants that took hundreds of millions of years to convert into coal, this popular resource is not renewable. Petroleum Oil and Natural GasIn addition to various grades of vehicle fuels and oil, petroleum oil is also converted into thousands of products, such as plastics, lubricants, wax, roofing materials, etc.
Natural gas is used to fuel furnaces and cook food, powers some buses and cars, and is a major product used in manufacturing fertilizers and ammonia. Millions of years of heat and pressure were necessary to convert microscopic marine organisms buried under layers of ocean floor into pockets of oil and natural gas that have become major sources for modern energy consumption. Once used, however, these fossil fuels are gone forever.
Key Concept 3: We should make responsible decisions to conserve both renewable and nonrenewable resources.
With the coming of the Industrial Age and the huge demand of large quantities of fossil fuels for production, humans began polluting nature faster than nature could cleanse itself. In addition, over-consumption of natural resources was not prevented. Today, three conservation words empower us to protect and manage nonrenewable and renewable resources: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Although STEMscopes 4.1B focuses on conserving common products, such as paper, aluminum, glass, cans, and plastic, students should extend the application of the 3 Rs to ways fossil fuels and natural resources (water, air, plants, and animals) can also be conserved.
Fossil Fuel (Nonrenewable Resources) Conservation - Examples of conserving nonrenewable fossil fuel resources are carpooling, more fuel efficient vehicles, hybrid, or electric cars, high-efficiency rated appliances, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL bulbs), or switching to alternative energy sources, such as solar energy.
Renewable Resources Conservation - Examples of conserving renewable resources, such as water are lawn-watering ordinances, recycling and purifying waste water, improving water pollution laws, or encouraging efficient irrigation methods. To conserve air, people could use more efficient filters on polluting factories, reduce car emissions, and create better laws that govern clean air. To conserve plants, create laws that protect our Earth’s rain forests, encourage tree planting at home, schools, and businesses, or reduce and recycle paper products.
What we learned 10/26 - 11/16 INVESTIGATING FORCE, MOTION AND ENERGY: TEKS 4.6D The student knows that energy exists in many forms and can be observed in cycles, patterns, and systems. The student is expected to: design a descriptive investigation to explore the effect of force on an object such as a push or a pull, gravity, friction, or magnetism.
What we learned 9/30 - 10/25 INVESTIGATING FORMS OF ENERGY : TEKS 4.6A I can differentiate among forms of energy including mechanical, sound, electrical, light and heat/thermal. TEKS 4.6B I can differentiate between conductors and insulators of thermal and electrical energy. TEKS 4.6C I can demonstrate that electricity travels in a closed path, creating an electrical circuit.
What we learned 9/17-9/28 TEKS 4.5B Compare and contrast a variety of mixtures, including solutions
What we learned 8/30-9/17: TEKS 4.5A Measure, compare, and contrast physical properties of matter, including size, mass, volume, states (solid, liquid, gas), temperature, magnetism, and the ability to sink or float.
What we learned 9/30 - 10/25 INVESTIGATING FORMS OF ENERGY : TEKS 4.6A I can differentiate among forms of energy including mechanical, sound, electrical, light and heat/thermal. TEKS 4.6B I can differentiate between conductors and insulators of thermal and electrical energy. TEKS 4.6C I can demonstrate that electricity travels in a closed path, creating an electrical circuit.
What we learned 9/17-9/28 TEKS 4.5B Compare and contrast a variety of mixtures, including solutions
What we learned 8/30-9/17: TEKS 4.5A Measure, compare, and contrast physical properties of matter, including size, mass, volume, states (solid, liquid, gas), temperature, magnetism, and the ability to sink or float.