Science Expectations


(First Nine Weeks)



4th Grade
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Students will:

  • Compare the different structures and functions of plants and animals that contribute to the growth, survival and reproduction of the organisms
  • Make inferences about the relationship between structure and function in organisms

Each plant or animal has structures that serve different functions in growth, survival and reproduction. For example, humans have distinct body structures for walking, holding, seeing and talking. Evidence about the relationship between structure and function should be used to make inferences and draw conclusions.
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Students should understand that things in the environment are classified as living, nonliving and once living. Living things differ from nonliving things. Organisms are classified into groups by using various characteristics (e.g., body coverings, body structures).
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Students will:

  • Compare a variety of life cycles of plants and animals in order to classify and make inferences about an organism

Plants and animals have life cycles that include the beginning of life, growth and development, reproduction and death. The details of a life cycle are different for different organisms. Models of organisms’ life cycles should be used to classify and make inferences about an organism.
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Students will identify some characteristics of organisms that are passed from the parents and others that are learned from interactions with the environment.

Observations of plants and animals yield the conclusion that organisms closely resemble their parents at some time in their life cycle. Some characteristics (e.g., the color of flowers, the number appendages) are passed to offspring. Other characteristics are learned from interactions with the environment such as the ability to ride a bicycle, and these cannot be passed on to the next generation. Explorations related to inherited versus learned characteristics should offer opportunities to collect data and draw conclusions about various groups of organisms.