Scope and sequence · Science
Grade 4 Earth Science: Weather and Water
A year of true stories about the sky and the sea, from Torricelli’s tube of mercury and Luke Howard’s names for the clouds to the Galveston hurricane, the Blizzard of 1888, the Johnstown Flood and Matthew Fontaine Maury’s “paths of the seas,” each one taken apart to see how the weather works and then measured, tested and recorded with jars, balloons, thermometers and a field notebook at the kitchen table and in the backyard.
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What to cover
32 of 36 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: The Water Cycle
- MUST COVER 1.1 Ecclesiastes 1:7, “All the rivers run into the sea” ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 Evaporation in a Bag · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Condensation on a Cold Glass · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 Groundwater and Wells · unit test
Unit 2: Air and Pressure
- MUST COVER 2.1 Torricelli’s Barometer (1643) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 Make a Barometer · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 Hot Air Rises · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 Highs and Lows on a Map · unit test
Unit 3: Clouds
- MUST COVER 3.1 Howard’s Cloud Names and the Ten Cloud Types ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 What Clouds Forecast ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 Fog and Dew · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 Cloud Photo Journal · unit test
Unit 4: Storms
- MUST COVER 4.1 The Galveston Hurricane (1900) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Tornadoes · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Blizzards: The Great Blizzard of 1888 · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 Storm Safety Plan · unit test
Unit 5: Forecasting
- MUST COVER 5.1 Jesus on Red Skies (Matthew 16:2–3) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 The Telegraph and the First Weather Maps ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Fronts: Where Air Masses Meet · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 Make a 3-Day Forecast and Check It · unit test
Unit 6: Rivers and Floods
- MUST COVER 6.1 The Johnstown Flood (1889) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Levees and Dams · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 Watersheds · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 Flood-Proof Model House · unit test
Unit 7: Oceans
- MUST COVER 7.1 Matthew Fontaine Maury and the “Paths of the Seas” (Psalm 8:8) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 Currents · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 Salt and Density · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 The Gulf Stream · unit test
Unit 8: Climate Zones
- MUST COVER 8.1 Latitude and Sun Angle ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Mountains and Rain Shadows · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Deserts and Rainforests · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 My Town’s Climate from a 30-Year Chart · unit test
Unit 9: Bonus: Field Lab OPTIONAL unit
- OPTIONAL 9.1 Backyard Weather Station
- OPTIONAL 9.2 Cloud Photo Log
- OPTIONAL 9.3 Storm Safety Walk
- OPTIONAL 9.4 Measuring a Creek
36-week pacing calendar
From the course’s own 36-week pacing guide, with catch-up and review weeks added to fill a 36-week (180-day) year.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Session 1: Lesson 1.1 Ecclesiastes 1:7, “All the rivers run into the sea”: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 2 | Session 1: Lesson 1.2 Evaporation in a Bag: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 3 | Session 1: Lesson 1.3 Condensation on a Cold Glass: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 4 | Session 1: Lesson 1.4 Groundwater and Wells: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 1 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 5 | Session 1: Lesson 2.1 Torricelli’s Barometer (1643): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 6 | Session 1: Lesson 2.2 Make a Barometer: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 7 | Session 1: Lesson 2.3 Hot Air Rises: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 8 | Session 1: Lesson 2.4 Highs and Lows on a Map: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 2 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 9 | Session 1: Lesson 3.1 Howard’s Cloud Names and the Ten Cloud Types: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 10 | Session 1: Lesson 3.2 What Clouds Forecast: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 11 | Session 1: Lesson 3.3 Fog and Dew: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 12 | Session 1: Lesson 3.4 Cloud Photo Journal: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 3 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 13 | Session 1: Lesson 4.1 The Galveston Hurricane (1900): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 14 | Session 1: Lesson 4.2 Tornadoes: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 15 | Session 1: Lesson 4.3 Blizzards: The Great Blizzard of 1888: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 16 | Session 1: Lesson 4.4 Storm Safety Plan: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 4 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 17 | Session 1: Lesson 5.1 Jesus on Red Skies (Matthew 16:2–3): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 18 | Session 1: Lesson 5.2 The Telegraph and the First Weather Maps: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 19 | Session 1: Lesson 5.3 Fronts: Where Air Masses Meet: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 20 | Session 1: Lesson 5.4 Make a 3-Day Forecast and Check It: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 5 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 21 | Session 1: Lesson 6.1 The Johnstown Flood (1889): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 22 | Session 1: Lesson 6.2 Levees and Dams: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 23 | Session 1: Lesson 6.3 Watersheds: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 24 | Session 1: Lesson 6.4 Flood-Proof Model House: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 6 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 25 | Session 1: Lesson 7.1 Matthew Fontaine Maury and the “Paths of the Seas” (Psalm 8:8): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 26 | Session 1: Lesson 7.2 Currents: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 27 | Session 1: Lesson 7.3 Salt and Density: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 28 | Session 1: Lesson 7.4 The Gulf Stream: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 7 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 29 | Session 1: Lesson 8.1 Latitude and Sun Angle: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 30 | Session 1: Lesson 8.2 Mountains and Rain Shadows: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 31 | Session 1: Lesson 8.3 Deserts and Rainforests: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 32 | Session 1: Lesson 8.4 My Town’s Climate from a 30-Year Chart: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 8 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 33 | Session 1: Lesson 9.1 Backyard Weather Station: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 34 | Session 1: Lesson 9.2 Cloud Photo Log: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 35 | Session 1: Lesson 9.3 Storm Safety Walk: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 36 | Session 1: Lesson 9.4 Measuring a Creek: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 9 review and unit project |
Grading: Experiments (prediction, careful measuring, variable and control, and the improve-it step) 30%, Field notebook (dated pages, labeled tables and graphs, honest records) 20%, Practice and unit quizzes (50 points each) 25%, Unit projects 25%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69. Below 60: redo the experiment or quiz with help.