Samoa Year 4 Curriculum - Science

Strand 1: Nature of Science

This strand focuses on developing an understanding of science as a process and a way of thinking. It emphasizes "learning about science" and "doing science." Students will:

• Share ideas about how things work and how natural phenomena occur.
• Investigate their surroundings through observation, exploration, and experimentation.
• Develop explanations for their observations and compare them with existing scientific knowledge.
• Critique their own work and the work of others.
• Use tools and equipment to gather data and extend their senses.
• Design and conduct simple experiments to answer questions.
• Communicate their observations and findings in various ways, including verbally, pictorially, and in writing.
• Apply their scientific learning to everyday situations.

Strand 2: The World of Life

This strand explores living things, their structures, functions, and life processes. Students will:

• Recognize the key structures of plants and their functions in carrying out life processes.
• Group different types of plants according to their observable properties.
• Recognize the ways in which living things are important to each other and their environment.

Strand 3: The World and Beyond

This strand investigates the Earth, the solar system, and the universe. Students will:

• Recognize the different forces that shape the land, including natural events and human actions.
• Recognize the different timescales for changes that have formed the Earth.
• Recognize that people use the Earth's resources to stay alive, and that some of these resources are non-renewable.

Strand 4: The World of Materials

This strand focuses on the properties of materials and how they can be changed. Students will:

• Measure the properties of some common fabrics.
• Recognize that some changes brought about by heating and cooling are reversible, while others are permanent.
• Explore the uses of common materials and relate these to their observed properties.

Strand 5: The World of Physical Phenomena

This strand explores physical phenomena such as forces, motion, electricity, and heat. Students will:

• Recognize the effect of friction on the motion of objects.
• Recognize the effects of static electricity.
• Recognize the different ways that animals keep warm (or cool).