Spain 4º de Primaria School Syllabus - Natural Science

This syllabus is based on the "Operación Mundo Ciencias de la Naturaleza 4º Primaria Anaya" textbook.

Unit 1: Discovering Living Things

• What is a living being?: Differentiating living beings from inert matter through the vital functions: nutrition, interaction, and reproduction. Exploring the two types of nutrition: heterotrophic and autotrophic.
• What are living beings made of?: Introduction to cells as the basic units of life. Exploring cell structure: membrane, cytoplasm, and internal components. Understanding the levels of organization: cells, tissues, organs, systems, and organisms.
• Classifying living beings: Overview of the five kingdoms classification: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.
• What are plants like?: Characteristics of plants, their organs (roots, stem, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds), and their classification (with and without flowers and seeds).
• How do plants nourish themselves?: The process of photosynthesis, including the absorption of water and minerals, the production of sap, and respiration.
• How do plants reproduce?: Asexual reproduction (stolons, bulbs, tubers, and cuttings) and sexual reproduction (flowers, pollination, fertilization, seeds, and fruits).
• How do plants interact?: Examples of plant responses to environmental stimuli, such as light, touch, and seasonal changes.

Unit 2: Discovering Animals

• What are animals like?: Characteristics of animals, their nutrition (herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores), interaction (sense organs and responses), and reproduction.
• How do humans carry out vital functions?: Human body systems and their functions.

Unit 3: Discovering Rocks and Landforms

• The Earth: a layered planet: Structure of the Earth.
• Rocks: Much more than pebbles: Types of rocks and their formation.
• Looking for rocks in the landscape: Identifying rocks in different environments.
• Does the Earth’s surface change?: Geological processes and landform formation.

Unit 4: Caring for Nature

• We are part of an ecosystem: Definition of an ecosystem, its components (living beings, physical environment, and relationships), and concepts of community, population, species, and adaptation.
• How do ecosystems work?: Food chains and food webs. Producers, consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores), and decomposers.
• The great diversity of ecosystems: Types of ecosystems: terrestrial, aquatic, mixed, natural, and humanized. Examples: coastal, pond, prairie, forest, and cultivated ecosystems.
• Using ecosystems: Natural resources and their uses: air, land, food, water, raw materials, and well-being.
• Are we misusing ecosystems?: Environmental problems: resource depletion, pollution, land occupation, and introduction of exotic species.
• What are the consequences of ecosystem misuse?: Loss of biodiversity, desertification, and climate change.
• Let's use ecosystems sustainably: Sustainable resource management and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).