This week in Grade Four, we wrapped up our work inspired by the book The Barnabus Project . What began as a story about unique and unusual creatures quickly turned into a creative and scientific adventure of our own. Students began by designing their very own original critter. They carefully thought about what their creature would look like and how its body parts would help it survive. From sharp teeth designed for tearing food, to large eyes for spotting danger, to strong legs for climbing or escaping predators, students explored how structure and function work together. Using what we’ve been learning in Science about animal adaptations, they wrote detailed descriptive paragraphs explaining how their critter’s physical features supported its survival in its environment. We then stepped into the role of scientists. Instead of simply describing our critters, students wrote field notes as if they were observing them in their natural habitats. They carefully recorded behaviours, movemen...
In Science, our Grade 4 class has begun learning about the Earth’s spheres and how they are all connected. We are discovering that changes in one part of Earth can cause changes in many other parts as well! To begin our learning, we watched the video How the Wolves Changed the Water . This video helped us see how one animal can have a big impact on the land, plants, water, and even rivers. We talked about how wolves affected the biosphere , geosphere , and hydrosphere , and how everything worked together as a system. This helped us understand that Earth’s spheres do not work alone—they are connected. Next, we shifted our thinking to humans and discussed how people can also impact Earth’s spheres. We shared ideas about how human actions can change the land, air, water, plants, and animals. This led us into conversations about climate change and how changes in temperature can affect living things and environments around the world. To deepen our understanding, we began reading the ...