4th Grade Science with Mrs. Sheston

This year the students will work their way through several FOSS science kits including Energy, Environments, and Soil, Rocks and Landforms.  These kits provide the students with opportunities to investigate and learn about various science topics through hands-on learning.  During the week, we do experiments, discuss our findings, take notes, read science stories, and review key words and content.  Students keep a science notebook to record these notes, their observations from experiments, and written responses.  They are young scientists!


Energy
This unit will investigate energy, build electric circuits powered by D-cells, and explore electromagnetism.


FOSS Energy Module Glossary
NGSS Edition © 2016
absorb to take in or soak up  
accelerate to change an object’s speed
amplitude the height of the peaks in a wave form
attract to pull toward each other  
battery a source of stored chemical energy 
bulb base the area on a lightbulb where one of the filament support wires extends down to the metal bead 
bulb casing the inside of the metal screw case on a lightbulb where the second filament support wire connects
circuit a pathway for the flow of electricity 
closed circuit a complete circuit through which electricity flows 
code a set of signals that represents letters or words for sending messages 
coil a series of loops
collide to come into contact with another object 
collision when one object hits another object 
compass an instrument that uses a free-rotating magnetic needle to show direction
complete circuit a circuit with all the necessary connections 
component one item in a circuit 
compression sound waves that move back and forth through vibrations  
conductor a substance, commonly a metal such as copper or aluminum, through which electricity will flow
constraint a restriction or limitation 
contact point the place in a circuit where connections are made to allow electricity to flow  
core in an electromagnet the material around which a coil of insulated wire is wound (SRB, IG) crest the high point of a wave 
criteria a standard for evaluating or testing something 
cycle a set of events or actions that repeats 
D-cell a source of electricity; also known as a battery 
electric current the flow of electricity through a conductor 
electricity energy that flows through circuits and can produce heat, light, motion, and sound  
electromagnet a piece of iron that becomes a temporary magnet when electricity flows through an insulated wire wrapped around it 
electromagnetism a property of electric and magnetic fields that causes interactions with electric charges and currents
electron a tiny particle that has a negative charge and goes around the nucleus of an atom
energy the ability to do work
energy source a place where energy comes from, such as batteries, food, fuels, and the Sun 
engineer a scientist who designs ways to accomplish a goal or solve a problem 
filament the material in a lightbulb (usually a thin wire) that makes light when heated by an electric current
force a push or a pull 
fossil fuel the preserved remains of organisms that lived long ago and changed into oil, coal, and natural gas
frequency the speed at which something oscillates. High-frequency vibrations are rapid vibrations.
friction a force acting between surfaces passing each other; friction acts to resist motion
fuel a source of energy when burned  
generator a device that produces electricity from motion  
gravity a force that pulls objects toward each other 
heat observable evidence of energy  
incomplete circuit a circuit that has a break in it 
induced magnetism the influence of a magnetic field on a piece of iron, which makes the iron a temporary
magnet 
insulator a material that prevents the flow of electricity, commonly plastic, rubber, glass, or air 
interact to act on and be acted upon by one or more objects iron a metal that sticks to a magnet 
key a switch that completes the circuit in a telegraph system
kinetic energy energy that matter has because of its motion light observable evidence of energy 
lightbulb a filament held by two stiff wires and surrounded by a clear glass globe
light source anything that makes light, such as the Sun, a lightbulb, or a flame  
load a weight or resistance that is moved or overcome when work is done  
magnet an object that sticks to iron or steel  
magnetic field an invisible field around a magnet  
magnetism a property of certain kinds of materials that causes them to attract iron or steel
metal a conductor for electricity  
mirror a shiny surface that reflects light  
motion observable evidence of energy  
motor a device that produces motion from electricity  
newton (N) the standard unit for measuring force in the metric system  
north pole the end of a magnet that orients toward Earth’s magnetic north pole
open circuit an incomplete circuit through which electricity will not flow  
opposite different as in the two poles of magnets 
orient to position an object in a certain way 
oscillation a back-and-forth motion
oscilloscope an instrument that displays electric pulses as a wave form on a screen 
parallel circuit a circuit that has two or more pathways for current to flow  
peak the high point on a wave form  
permanent magnet an object that sticks to iron )
pitch how high or low a sound is (SRB) pole the end of a magnet )
potential energy energy that matter has because of its position   
predict to make an educated guess based on data or previous experience (IG) prism a piece of transparent material that separates light into a spectrum  
property something you can observe about an object, material, or system prototype the first attempt to build a product 
ray an electromagnetic wave of light
reflect to bounce back  
reflection the bouncing of light rays off an object
refract to change the speed and direction of travel
refraction the bending of light rays  
repel to push away from each other  
rivet a piece of iron or steel around which a coil is wound  
series circuit a circuit that has only one pathway for current to flow
shadow the dark area behind an object that blocks light 
shaft the part of a motor that rotates when energy is present 
short circuit an unintended pathway that allows current to flow from one terminal of an energy source directly
to the other terminal without passing through any other component 
sine wave a repeating s-shaped wave form
solar cell a silicon cell that converts sunlight into electric energy and is used as a power source
solution the “answer” to a problem. Engineers solve problems. 
sound observable evidence of energy 
sound source an object or material that vibrates in a way that sends oscillations through a medium
south pole the end of a magnet that orients toward Earth’s magnetic south pole
speed the rate at which an object changes position 
static electricity positive and negative electric charges that don’t move and are separated from each other
stationary not moving  
steel a material made mostly of iron 
stored energy energy available for use 
switch a device used to open and close circuits  
system a set of objects that are related in some way and can be isolated for study 
technology a modification of natural materials or processes done to satisfy human needs or desires
telegraph a device that uses an electromagnet to send coded messages by closing and opening an electric circuit
temporary magnet a piece of iron that behaves like a magnet only when it is surrounded by a magnetic field 
terminal the term used to refer to the ends of a battery 
tool any device used to perform a specific function 
transfer to move from one source to another  
transfer of energy what happens when objects collide and energy is transferred from the object with more energy to the object with less energy 
transmit to pass through  
trough the low point on a wave form 
vibration a quick back-and-forth movement 
wave a repeating pattern of motion (up and down or back and forth) 
wavelength the distance from the center of one peak to the center of the next peak on a wave form white light a mixture of all colors (wavelengths) of visible light 
wire a metal or other solid substance through which electric current moves 
work to use force to move an object or achieve another outcome (SRB)