Grade 4 Topics

Grade 4

Workshops

Description

CT Standards

Fun-damental Forces

Students will find out what makes the world go ‘round in an entertaining introduction to the concepts and basics of forces. Children will encounter and experiment using their own force of gravity. Students will visit work stations to learn and experiment with gravity, precession, centrifugal force, and centripetal force. The gyroscope, a hot-wheels loop-to-loop, and our very own centrifuge will enable students to both explore and apply the concepts they’ve learned.

4.1

Owl Discoveries

Students will learn about owls and their habitats. By looking at the Northern Spotted Owl, the Burrowing Owl, and the Elf Owl students will learn how human activity and choices impact their habitat. Students will also explore the prey of owls by dissecting an owl pellet and identifying the contents and determining the animals that the bones and fur come from.

4.2

Mineral Mania

Students are provided with an introduction to geology, including an understanding of the geological formation processes, classification systems, identification methods, and physical properties of rocks and minerals. Egg models will help the students understand the layers of the earth and they will learn how volcano eruptions create igneous rock. Panning for gems the students can take home is the culmination of this learning experience.

4.3

Black & Blue Oceans

Environmental issues relating to water affect all our lives and students will examine these as they explore an oil spill and its impact on nature. Students will use oil and feathers to see how birds are impacted by the spill. Then students will try a variety of different materials to clean up oil and experiment with the challenges that face environmentalists after a tanker oil spill.

4.3

Watts-Up

The class will observe and learn the basic properties of static electricity in a series of demonstrations which lay the foundation for both an explanation and demonstration of lightening formation. Using a Van de Graff generator and a few simple materials, the instructor will demonstrate the ability of and electric field to light up a fluorescent tube, the process of grounding, To top it all off, we will take volunteers with a good hair day and turn it into a bad hair day!

4.4