Nova Scotia

Life Science

• Learners will investigate a variety of local natural habitats.

  • Investigate characteristics of a variety of local habitats and the organisms that inhabit them

    • Classify fruits and vegetables as plant parts (4-F.1)
    • Identify plant parts and their functions (4-F.2)

  • Investigate factors necessary for survival of a plant or animal in a local habitat

    • Introduction to adaptations (4-G.1)
    • Animal adaptations: beaks, mouths and necks (4-G.2)
    • Animal adaptations: feet and limbs (4-G.3)
    • Animal adaptations: skins and body coverings (4-G.4)

  • Investigate the effect of changes in a habitat

• Learners will analyse interconnectiveness of and within local habitats, inclusive of a Mi'kmaw perspective.

  • Analyse relationships among organisms and the environment in a local habitat

  • Analyse food webs in a local habitat

    • Identify roles in food chains (4-I.3)
    • How does matter move in food chains? (4-I.4)
    • Interpret food webs (4-I.5)
    • Use food chains to predict changes in populations (5)

  • Investigate human impacts on local habitats

    • Science literacy: how can a community protect sea turtles? (4-J.1)

  • Investigate interconnectiveness of habitats

Physical Science

• Learners will investigate properties of light.

  • Investigate natural and artificial sources of light

  • Investigate how light is absorbed, transmitted, reflected and refracted

    • How do we see objects? (4-E.1)
    • How does light travel and interact with matter? (4-E.2)

  • Measure light using probeware

• Learners will investigate how light is used.

  • Investigate technologies that use light

  • Investigate optical devices

• Learners will investigate sound in the environment.

  • Investigate the impact of environmental factors on sound

  • Investigate devices that produce, amplify and receive sound

  • Measure sounds in the environment using probeware

• Learners will test how properties of sound change.

  • Investigate vibration as the source of sound

  • Test how various materials and states of matter absorb, reflect and transmit sound

  • Investigate how high pitched, low pitched, loud and soft sounds can be made

Earth and Space Science

• Learners will analyse rocks, minerals, and fossils in the local environment.

  • Investigate properties of rocks and minerals in the local environment

    • Identify minerals using properties (4-K.3)
    • Identify rocks using properties (4-K.4)

  • Investigate how fossils are formed

    • Introduction to fossils (4-L.1)
    • Identify and classify fossils (4-L.2)
    • Interpret evidence from fossils in rock layers (4-L.5)

  • Classify local rocks and minerals

    • Classify rocks and minerals by color, shape, and texture (4-K.1)
    • Classify rocks as igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic (4-K.6)

  • Analyse uses of rocks and minerals

• Learners will investigate how the Earth's surface changes over time.

  • Investigate how rocks change

    • How do sedimentary rocks form? (4-K.5)
    • How do rock layers form? (4-K.7)
    • Label parts of rock cycle diagrams (4-K.8)
    • Select parts of rock cycle diagrams (4-K.9)

  • Investigate erosion

    • Changes to Earth's surface: erosion (4-K.2)

  • Investigate human impacts on the rock cycle