Grade 4 Science: Materials and Changes
Free Grade 4 Science unit on Materials and Changes: 10 lessons in order, starting with Properties of materials. Includes practice questions and answer keys.
10 lessons in this unit
Properties of materials
Learn to describe and test materials by hardness, flexibility, transparency, magnetism, conductivity and absorbency, and choose materials for purposes.
Lesson 2Solids, liquids, and gases
Learn the particle model of the three states: how particles are arranged and move in solids, liquids and gases, and explain properties such as shape, volume and compressibility.
Lesson 3Heating and cooling
Learn that heating raises temperature, cooling lowers it, heat flows from hot to cold, and investigate cooling of warm water in different containers using safe thermometers.
Lesson 4Melting
Learn that melting is a solid turning into a liquid when heated, that every pure substance has a melting point, and investigate melting of ice, butter and chocolate safely.
Lesson 5Freezing
Learn that freezing is a liquid turning into a solid when cooled, that water expands as it freezes, and investigate freezing times of different liquids.
Lesson 6Evaporation
Learn that evaporation is a liquid turning into a gas at its surface below boiling point, and investigate factors that speed it up such as heat, wind and surface area.
Lesson 7Condensation
Learn that condensation is a gas turning into a liquid when it cools, observe it on cold surfaces, and link it to dew, clouds and mist.
Lesson 8Dissolving
Learn that some solids dissolve in water to make a solution, that others do not, and investigate how temperature and stirring change how fast sugar dissolves.
Lesson 9Reversible changes
Learn that reversible changes can be undone, such as melting, freezing, dissolving and evaporating, and compare them with irreversible changes such as burning and cooking.
Lesson 10Everyday material changes
Learn to spot material changes in cooking, cleaning, building, farming and recycling, explain each as reversible or irreversible, and apply the ideas to real problems.