By the end of fourth grade, students will develop the abilities needed to do scientific inquiry. Students blow into a straw to observe the pitch of the sound produced. Then students form a hypothesis about how the length of the straw will affect the pitch of the sound. Students test their hypotheses Students will observe a pencil using the senses of sight, touch, hearing, and smell. Students will record their observations, then observe the pencil after changes take place.
Students then use a hand lens and a tape measure to make further observations.
Students collect data on the hair color and eye color of their classmates. Students chart the data they have collected and draw inferences from their data. Students write a hypothesis about the strength of two magnets. Then, students design an experiment to test their hypothesis, using the number of paper clips that the magnet will pick up as the testable variable. Students perform their experiment, record and interpret their data, and state a conclusion about which magnet is stronger.