This correlation lists the recommended Gizmos for this state's curriculum standards. Click any Gizmo title below for more information.
ESS: : Earth and Space Science
1.1: : Earth’s Surface
4.ESS.1: : Earth’s surface has specific characteristics and landforms that can be identified.
4.ESS.1.b: : Earth’s surface can change due to erosion and deposition of soil, rock or sediment.
Erosion Rates
Explore erosion in a simulated 3D environment. Observe how the landscape evolves over time as it is shaped by the forces of flowing water. Vary the initial landscape, rock type, precipitation amount, average temperature, and vegetation and measure how each variable affects the rate of erosion and resulting landscape features.
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Explore how river erosion affects landscapes in the short term and over long periods of time. Describe the features of mountain streams and meandering rivers, and use a floating barrel to estimate current speed. Witness the changes that occur as mountain streams erode downward and meandering rivers erode from side to side.
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4.ESS.2: : The surface of Earth changes due to weathering.
Weathering
Weathering is the breakdown of rock at Earth's surface through physical or chemical means. Students will learn about the different types of mechanical and chemical weathering, then use a simulation to model the effects of weathering on different types of rocks in varying climate conditions.
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4.ESS.2.a: : Rocks change shape, size and/or form due to water or glacial movement, freeze and thaw, wind, plant growth, acid rain, pollution and catastrophic events such as earthquakes, flooding, and volcanic activity.
Weathering
Weathering is the breakdown of rock at Earth's surface through physical or chemical means. Students will learn about the different types of mechanical and chemical weathering, then use a simulation to model the effects of weathering on different types of rocks in varying climate conditions.
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4.LS.1: : Changes in an organism’s environment are sometimes beneficial to its survival and sometimes harmful.
4.LS.1.a: : Ecosystems can change gradually or dramatically. When the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce and others die or move to new locations.
Forest Ecosystem
Observe and manipulate the populations of four creatures (trees, deer, bears, and mushrooms) in a forest. Investigate the feeding relationships (food web) in the forest. Determine which creatures are producers, consumers, and decomposers. Pictographs and line graphs show changes in populations over time.
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4.LS.1.b: : Ecosystems are based on interrelationships among and between biotic and abiotic factors. These include the diversity of other organisms present, the availability of food and other resources, and the physical attributes of the environment.
Forest Ecosystem
Observe and manipulate the populations of four creatures (trees, deer, bears, and mushrooms) in a forest. Investigate the feeding relationships (food web) in the forest. Determine which creatures are producers, consumers, and decomposers. Pictographs and line graphs show changes in populations over time.
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4.PS.2: : Energy can be transferred from one location to another or can be transformed from one form to another.
4.PS.2.a: : Energy transfers from hot objects to cold objects as heat, resulting in a temperature change.
Conduction and Convection
Two flasks hold colored water, one yellow and the other blue. Set the starting temperature of each flask, choose a type of material to connect the flasks, and see how quickly the flasks heat up or cool down. The flasks can be connected with a hollow pipe, allowing the water in the flasks to mix, or a solid chunk that transfers heat but prevents mixing.
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Shine a powerful flashlight on a variety of materials, and measure how quickly each material heats up. See how the light angle, light color, type of material, and material color affect heating. A glass cover can be added to simulate a greenhouse.
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4.PS.2.b: : Electric circuits require a complete loop of conducting materials through which electrical energy can be transferred.
Circuit Builder
Create circuits using batteries, light bulbs, switches, fuses, and a variety of materials. Examine series and parallel circuits, conductors and insulators, and the effects of battery voltage. Thousands of different circuits can be built with this Gizmo.
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4.PS.2.c: : Electrical energy in circuits can be transformed to other forms of energy, including light, heat, sound and motion. Electricity and magnetism are closely related.
Circuit Builder
Create circuits using batteries, light bulbs, switches, fuses, and a variety of materials. Examine series and parallel circuits, conductors and insulators, and the effects of battery voltage. Thousands of different circuits can be built with this Gizmo.
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Students assume the role of a scientist trying to solve a real world problem. They use scientific practices to collect and analyze data, and form and test a hypothesis as they solve the problems.
