Grade 4 Science PA Core Standards

Nature and Characteristics of Technology and Engineering

Integration of Knowledge, Technologies, and Practices

Influence of Society on Technological Development

Impacts of Technology

History of Technology

Design in Technology and Engineering Education

Core Concepts of Technology and Engineering

Applying, Maintaining, and Assessing Technological Products and Systems

Technology and Engineering

Sustainability and Stewardship

Environmental Literacy Skills

Agricultural and Environmental Systems and Resources

Environmental Literacy and Sustainability

Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

Energy

Physical Science

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Life Science

Earth's Place in the Universe

Earth's Systems

Earth and Human Activity

Earth and Space Sciences

Nature and Characteristics of Technology and Engineering

Integration of Knowledge, Technologies, and Practices

Design and Design Thinking in Technology and Engineering Education

Applying, Maintaining, and Assessing Technological Products and Systems

Environmental Justice

Environmental Stewardship

Environmental Sustainability

Evaluating Solutions

Environmental Experiences

Investigating Environmental Issues

Watersheds and Wetlands

Environment and Society

Agricultural Systems

Human Impact on Earth Systems

Natural Hazards

Natural Resources

Biogeology

Weather and Climate

The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes

Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions

Earth Materials and Systems

The History of Planet Earth

Earth and the Solar System

The Universe and Its Stars

Information Technologies and Instrumentation

Electromagnetic Radiation

Wave Properties

Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life

Relationship Between Energy and Forces

Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer

Definitions of Energy

Types of Interactions

Forces and Motion

Nuclear Processes

Chemical Reactions

Structure and Properties of Matter

Biodiversity and Humans

Adaptation

Natural Selection

Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity

Variation of Traits

Inheritance of Traits

Social Interactions and Group Behavior

Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience

Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

Information Processing

Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms

Growth and Development of Organisms

Structure and Function

Life Science

Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Physical Science

Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.

Make and communicate observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.

Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.

Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move.

Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen.

Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Earth and Space Science

Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.

Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.

Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features.

Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.

Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Not applicable at this level.

Environmental Literacy & Sustainability

Analyze how living organisms, including humans, affect the environment in which they live, and how their environment affects them.

Make a claim about the environmental and social impacts of design solutions and civic actions, including their own actions.

Examine ways you influence your local environment and community by collecting and displaying data.

Develop a model to demonstrate how local environmental issues are connected to larger local environment and human systems.

Construct an argument to support whether action is needed on a selected environmental issue and propose possible solutions.

Critique ways that people depend on and change the environment.

Investigate how perspectives over the use of resources and the development of technology have changed over time and resulted in conflict over the development of societies and nations.

Refer to other standards in this document to build a learning progression.

Refer to other standards in this document to build a learning progression.

Technology & Engineering

Use appropriate symbols, numbers, and words to communicate key ideas about technological products and systems.

Create representations of the tools people made, how they cultivated to provide food, made clothing, and built shelters to protect themselves.

Examine information to assess the trade-offs to using a product or system.

Illustrate how, when parts of a system are missing, it may not work as planned.

Follow directions to complete a technological task.

Describe how a subsystem is a system that operates as a part of another larger system.

Predict how certain aspects of their daily lives would be different without given technologies.

Demonstrate how simple technologies are often combined to form more complex systems.

Explain why responsible use of technology requires sustainable management of resources.

Explain how solutions to problems are shaped by economic, political, and cultural forces.

Classify resources used to create technologies as either renewable or nonrenewable.

Compare how things found in nature differ from things that are human-made, noting differences and similarities in how they are produced and used.

Describe the helpful and harmful effects of technology.

Describe the unique relationship between science and technology, and how the natural world can contribute to the human-made world to foster innovation.

Determine factors that influence changes in a society's technological systems or infrastructure.

Differentiate between the role of scientists, engineers, technologists, and others in creating and maintaining technological systems.

Design solutions by safely using tools, materials, and skills.

Explain how technologies are developed or adapted when individual or societal needs and wants change.

Judge technologies to determine the best one to use to complete a given task or meet a need.

Demonstrate how tools and machines extend human capabilities, such as holding, lifting, carrying, fastening, separating, and computing.

Demonstrate essential skills of the engineering design process.

Identify why a product or system is not working properly.

Describe requirements of designing or making a product or system.

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of existing design solutions, including their own solutions.

Practice successful design skills.

Apply tools, techniques, and materials in a safe manner as part of the design process.

Illustrate that there are multiple approaches to design.

Apply universal principles and elements of design.

Evaluate designs based on criteria, constraints, and standards.

Interpret how good design improves the human condition.

Describe the properties of different materials.

Explain how various relationships can exist between technology and engineering and other content areas.

Identify the resources needed to get a technical job done, such as people, materials, capital, tools, machines, knowledge, energy, and time

Create a new product that improves someone's life.

Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.

Analyze how living organisms, including humans, affect the environment in which they live, and how their environment affects them.

Make a claim about the environmental and social impacts of design solutions and civic actions, including their own actions.

Investigate how perspectives over the use of resources and the development of technology have changed over time and resulted in conflict over the development of societies and nations.

Develop a model to demonstrate how local environmental issues are connected to larger local environment and human systems.

Critique ways that people depend on and change the environment.

Examine ways you influence your local environment and community by collecting and displaying data.

Construct an argument to support whether action is needed on a selected environmental issue and propose possible solutions.

Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.

Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.

Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.

Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features.

Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.

Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.

Make and communicate observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.

Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.

Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move.

Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen.

Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information.

Follow directions to complete a technological task.

Use appropriate symbols, numbers and words to communicate key ideas about technological products and systems.

Identify why a product or system is not working properly.

Examine information to assess the trade-offs of using a product or system.

Describe how a subsystem is a system that operates as a part of another larger system.

Illustrate how, when parts of a system are missing, it may not work as planned.

Identify the resources needed to get a technical job done, such as people, materials, capital, tools, machines, knowledge, energy, and time.

Describe the properties of different materials.

Demonstrate how tools and machines extend human capabilities, such as holding, lifting, carrying, fastening, separating, and computing.

Describe requirements of designing or making a product or system.

Create a new product that improves someone's life.

Illustrate that there are multiple approaches to design.

Demonstrate essential skills of the engineering design process.

Evaluate designs based on criteria, constraints, and standards.

Interpret how good design improves the human condition.

Apply universal principles and elements of design.

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of existing design solutions, including their own solutions.

Practice successful design skills.

Apply tools, techniques, and materials in a safe manner as part of the design process.

Create representations of the tools people made, how they cultivated to provide food, made clothing, and built shelters to protect themselves.

Describe the helpful and harmful effects of technology.

Judge technologies to determine the best one to use to complete a given task or meet a need.

Classify resources used to create technologies as either renewable or nonrenewable.

Explain why responsible use of technology requires sustainable management of resources.

Predict how certain aspects of their daily lives would be different without given technologies.

Demonstrate how simple technologies are often combined to form more complex systems.

Explain how various relationships can exist between technology and engineering and other content areas.

Compare how things found in nature differ from things that are human-made, noting differences and similarities in how they are produced and used.

Describe the unique relationship between science and technology, and how the natural world can contribute to the human-made world to foster innovation.

Differentiate between the role of scientists, engineers, technologists, and others in creating and maintaining technological systems.

Design solutions by safely using tools, materials, and skills.

Explain how solutions to problems are shaped by economic, political, and cultural forces.

Determine factors that influence changes in a society's technological systems or infrastructure.

Explain how technologies are developed or adapted when individual or societal needs and wants change.

Career, Community, and Family Connections

Personal Finance and Consumer Skills

Education and Early Childhood Development

Human Development, Family, and Relationships

Resource Management

Food Science and Nutrition

Demonstrate knowledge of techniques used to evaluate food in various forms.

Describe safe food-handling techniques

Establish factors that affect food choices.

Identify components of a wellbalanced meal.

Demonstrate measurement skills used in food preparation.

Describe the use of common cooking tools and equipment.

Understand and identify the physical changes that occur during food preparation.

Describe a well-balanced daily menu using the current USDA dietary guidelines.

Describe the relationship between food input and energy output.

Describe career choices within food services.

Explain the decision to use or not use resources based on resource availability and sustainability.

Develop planning skills to organize individual and family resources and responsibilities.

Explain the importance of organizing space for efficiency.

Identify information in care instructions, safety precautions, and recommended use of consumable goods.

Select clothing for specific tasks and/or environment.

Select proper laundering methods for clothing and other textiles.

Identify career choices in the field of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Compare how different cultures meet family responsibilities within various family structures.

Identify the characteristics of the stages of the family life cycle.

Describe positive and negative interactions within patterns of interpersonal communication.

Describe how areas of development impact human growth across the life cycle.

Identify career and work choices within family and human services.

Establish the characteristics of a healthy learning environment.

Identify health and safety needs for children at each stage of child development.

ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE POSITIVE AND SUPPORTIVE OF OTHERS.

IDENTIFY CAREER AND WORK CHOICES WITHIN EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD.

Explain consumer rights and responsibilities:

To be safe,

To be informed,

To be heard,

To choose,

To redress.

Define the difference between a short-term and long-term goal.

Explain the relationship between work and income within the family.

Identify the importance of routines and schedules while differentiating between shortand long-term goals.

Classify the components of effective teamwork and leadership.

Describe the roles of technology within the family and community in maintaining a safe and healthy living environment.

Identify the public and nonpublic services that are available to serve families within the community.