USGS Education
| USGS Education Home / California Education Standards / California Resources Grade Four Science Content Standards |
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| Physical Science 1b. Students know how to build a simple compass and use it to detect magnetic effects, including Earth's magnetic field. |
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A Brief Introduction to Geomagnetism This is a technical resource for geomagnetism research, but has excellent graphics and an extensive links page to educational resources that deal with Earth's magnetic field. Journey Along a Field Line A sixteen-page comic book about the Earth's magnetic field. Travel down through the interior of the earth then back up into the ionosphere to learn how the magnetic field works. |
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| Earth Sciences 4a. Students know how to differentiate among igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks by referring to their properties and methods of formation (rock cycle). |
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| Rocks and Geology of the San Francisco Bay Region http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/bulletin/b2195/ This guide provides an overview of California geology, the rock cycle, and description and illustrations of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks found in the Coast Ranges of California. Collecting Rocks http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/collect1/collectgip.html This basic guide provides information about starting and maintaining a rock collection. Rocks and Minerals http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/docs/parks/rxmin/index.html This website provides introductory information about rocks and minerals with a glossary of commonly-used geology terms. Fossils, Rocks, and Time http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/fossils/contents.html This general guide provides an overview of geologic time and the use of fossils to determine the age of layers in the earth. |
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| 5a. Students know some changes in the earth are due to slow processes, such as erosion, and some changes are due to rapid processes, such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. | ||
| Surviving a Tsunami-Lessons from Chile, Hawaii, and Japan This on-line publication describes the causes and impacts of large tsunamis, with examples from around the Pacific Rim. Earthquakes - For Kids This website is rich with facts, information, and activities related to earthquakes, and has links to teacher resources, and much more... Volcano Resources for Educators The Landslide Handbook--A Guide to Understanding Landslides A 129-page booklet containing many illustrations and photographs that are simple and easy to understand. Covers the definition of a landslide, the different basic types, where they occur, what causes them, effects and consequences, and the interrelationship of landlides with other hazards. Also includes safety information and landslide mitigation concepts. Landslide Types and Processes (Fact Sheet) Landslide Hazards Riding The Storm - Landslide Danger in the San Francisco Bay Area A one-hour film produced in 2006 about landslide science and landslide hazards in the San Francisco Bay Area. Focus is on a catastrophic 1982 rainstorm that triggered 18,000 landslides. An 11-minute "trailer" of the film in AVI or MP4 format is also available. |
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| 5b. Students know natural processes, including freezing and thawing and the growth of roots, cause rocks to break down into smaller pieces. | ||
| What's the Difference between Weathering and Erosion? http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/docs/parks/misc/gweaero.html This short discussion answers this commonly asked question... |
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| 5c. Students know moving water erodes landforms, reshaping the land by taking it away from some places and depositing it as pebbles, sand, silt and mud in other places (weathering, transport, and deposition). | ||
Sediment and Erosion, Transport and Deposition http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/Sediment/description_sediment.html Shifting Shoals and Shattered Rocks-How Man Has Transformed the Floor of West-Central San Francisco Bay http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2004/c1259/ This website shows the examples of erosional and depositional features on the bottom of San Francisco Bay.
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Life Sciences2. All organisms need energy and matter to live and grow. As a basis for understanding this concept: a. Students know plants are the primary source of matter and energy entering most food chains. b. Students know producers and consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers) are related in food chains and food webs and may compete with each other for resources in an ecosystem. c. Students know decomposers, including many fungi, insects, and microorganisms, recycle matter from dead plants and animals. 3. Living organisms depend on one another and on their environment for survival. As a basis for understanding this concept: a. Students know ecosystems can be characterized by their living and nonliving components. b. Students know that in any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. c. Students know many plants depend on animals for pollination and seed dispersal, and animals depend on plants for food and shelter. d. Students know that most microorganisms do not cause disease and that many are beneficial. |
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://education.usgs.gov/california/grade_4_science.htm
Page Contact Information: ecolvard@usgs.gov
Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 14-Oct-2009 14:53:06 EDT
