Hands-On Science and Technology for Ontario, Grade 4

Jennifer E. Lawson, PhD, is the creator of the Hands-On books published by Portage & Main Press. As senior writer and editor for the series, she has contributed to more than 50 publications for teachers and students. Jennifer provides professional development workshops for educators locally, nationally, and virtually, and is a Workplace Wellness Advisor. Her most recent book is a collective effort called Teacher, Take Care: A Guide to Well-Being and Workplace Wellness for Educators. She is also one of the founders of Mission to Mexico, an organization that supports schools in some of the most impoverished communities in Puerto Vallarta. Throughout her extensive career in education, Jennifer has worked as a classroom teacher, resource and special education teacher, consultant, principal, university instructor, and school trustee. She lives with her family in Winnipeg, Manitoba.For over 20 years, Kellie Ierullo (she, her, hers) has been an educator with the Toronto District School Board including as a classroom teacher, special education teacher, and now as a teacher-librarian, technology chair and science/STEM lead educator. Kellie is passionate about helping teachers engage students through meaningful coding and STEM activities and encouraging students to move beyond navigating technology to creating it for themselves. Kellie lives in Woodbridge, Ontario with her family.Jennifer H. Manitowabi (she/her/hers) is an Ojibway educator and PhD student at Lakehead University. Throughout her career in education in both Canada and the US, she has worked as a bus driver, classroom teacher, principal, and education director. Jennifer encourages all teachers to incorporate Indigenous worldviews into their lessons and find opportunities to build relationships with the First Nations of Turtle Island. Jennifer is a member of Lac Seul First Nation, where she currently resides, and can often be found creating artwork that celebrates her culture.

• Introduction to Hands-On Science and Technology for Ontario, Grade 4Introduction to Hands-On Science and Technology 2 Program Introduction 2 The Inquiry Approach to Science and Technology 2 21st Century Teaching and Learning 3 The Goals of the Science and Technology Program 3 Hands-On Science and Technology Strands and Expectations 4 Hands-On Science and Technology Fundamental Concepts and Big Ideas 4 Hands-On Science and Technology Program Principles 4 Infusing Indigenous Perspectives 5 Cultural Connections 6 Land-Based Learning 7 Technology 7 Sustainability 7 Program Implementation 7 Program Resources 7 Classroom Environment 11 Planning Units--Timelines 11 Classroom Management 11 Classroom Safety 12 Scientific Inquiry Skills: Guidelines for Teachers 12 Observing 12 Questioning 12 Exploring 12 Classifying 13 Measuring 13 Communicating, Analyzing, and Interpreting 13 Predicting 15 Inferring 15 Inquiry Through Investigation and Experiments 16 Inquiry Through Research 16 Online Considerations 17 Addressing Students' Literacy Needs 17 Technological Problem Solving 17 Makerspace 18 The Hands-On Science and Technology Assessment Plan 20Assessment for Learning 21 Assessment as Learning 21 Assessment of Learning 22 Performance Assessment 23 Portfolios 23 Evidence of Student Achievement Levels for Evaluation 24 Important Note to Teachers 24 References 25 Assessment Reproducibles 26 Achievement Chart for Science & Technology 41 Unit 1: Habitats and Communities 43Introduction 44 Unit Overview 48 Curriculum Correlation 49 Resources for Students 51 1 What Do We Know About Habitats and Communities? 55 2 Why Do Plants and Animals Live in Certain Habitats? 63 3 Which Organisms Are Found in Our Local Habitats? 68 4 How Can We Measure Populations in a Habitat? 74 5 How Do Plants and Animals Adapt to Survive in Their Environment? 79 6 What Relationships Occur Between Populations Within a Community? 86 7 What Are the Characteristics of Herbivores, Carnivores, and Omnivores? 91 8 What Are the Relationships Between Predators, Prey, and Scavengers? 96 9 What Are the Characteristics of Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers? 100 10 What Is a Food Chain? 106 11 What Is a Food Web? 111 12 How Are Plants and Animals Important to Humans and to the Environment? 115 13 How Can We Create Living Habitats? 120 14 What Are Some Natural and Human Impacts on Organisms in the Environment? 123 15 Inquiry Project: What Can I Do to Protect Habitats and Communities? 128 Unit 2: Pulleys and Gears 133Introduction 134 Unit Overview 138 Curriculum Correlation 139 Resources for Students 140 1 What Do We Know About Forces and Machines? 143 2 How Do Wheels and Axles Work? 148 3 How Do Gears Help Make Work Easier? 154 4 What Can We Learn About Gears and Direction of Movement? 159 5 How Can We Design and Construct Devices With Working Gears? 165 6 How Does a Single-Fixed Pulley Make Work Easier? 168 7 How Do Movable and Compound Pulleys Make Work Easier? 173 8 How Can We Design and Construct a Working Pulley System? 180 9 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Machines With Pulleys and Gears? 184 10 Inquiry Project: How Can We Design and Build a System of Pulleys and Gears for a Specific Purpose? 188 Unit 3: Light and Sound 191Introduction 192 Unit Overview 197 Curriculum Correlation 198 Resources for Students 199 1 What Do We Know About Light? 203 2 How Does Light Travel? 208 3 How Does Light Reflect? 213 4 How Well Does Light Pass Through Different Materials? 218 5 How Can We See Light’ s Many Colours? 222 6 How Has Light Technology Changed Over Time? 226 7 Inquiry Project: How Can I Design and Construct an Optical Device to Transmit and Reflect Light? 230 8 What Do We Want to Learn About Sound? 234 9 How Is Sound Created? 239 10 What Is Pitch? 244 11 How Do Sound Waves Travel? 249 12 Which Materials Are Insulators or Conductors of Sound? 253 13 How Can We Amplify Sound? 257 14 How Do We Hear Sound, and How Can We Protect Our Sense of Hearing? 261 15 How Do Musical Instruments Use Sound Energy? 267 16 How Can We Design and Construct Musical Instruments Using Various Materials? 272 17 Inquiry Project: What Can We Learn About Sound Technology? 278 Unit 4: Rocks and Minerals 281Introduction 282 Unit Overview 285 Curriculum Correlation 286 Resources for Students 287 1 What Do We Know About Rocks and Minerals? 289 2 How Can We Compare and Classify Rocks and Minerals? 295 3 How Can Minerals Be Classified? 299 4 How Are Different Types of Rock Formed? 304 5 What Are Some Uses for Rocks and Minerals? 313 6 How Are Fossils Formed? 319 7 Inquiry Project: How Are Rocks and Minerals Mined From the Earth? 324 8 How Does Mining Impact Habitats and Communities? 327 References 332 Appendix: Image Banks 333About the Contributors 342