Grade 4 Science IRP Coverage

Skills:

  1. Analyze simple food chains.
  2. Record observations and investigations using a variety of mediums, such as journals, words, charts, and graphs.
  3. Predict the effect of a change in the environment to the habitat and the organisms living there.
  4. Construct a simple food chain.
  5. Design a simple, local habitat improvement plan that shows which plants and animals benefit from the plan. *

Knowledge:

  1. Living things find in particular environments the items and conditions they need to grow and survive.
  2. Living things interact with one another in many ways and may depend on each other for food and shelter.
  3. Changes in habitat can affect the survival of an individual organism, or an entire species.
  4. Food chains play an important role in population changes.

Additional Learning Outcomes

Skills:

  1. Compile observations and data into the format of a field journal which we provide for each student.
  2. Follow instructions to use scientific instrumentation in order to test for various elements of stream water quality.
  3. Demonstrate the processes involved in depleting dissolved oxygen content in the stream.
  4. Demonstrate a basic salmon food chain.
  5. Catch, observe, draw and identify important stream invertebrates.
  6. Create a plan to enhance the salmon habitat for a previously degraded area. *

Values:

  1. Express an interest in and appreciation of the complex systems which support salmon in local streams.
  2. Demonstrate a desire to care for salmon through stream side restoration and planning, as well as via everyday habits and activities. *

Knowledge:

  1. Salmon are a very unique fish, with a complex life cycle in which they exist in salt and freshwater.
  2. Salmon in the Salmon River are mostly fry - the river and its tributaries provide a nursery system for these young fish.
  3. Salmon and humans both need good habitat, with water, air, food and shelter.
  4. Good stream water quality requires a fairly neutral pH, cool water temperature, high dissolved oxygen content, clean gravelly substrate, low turbidity and low pollution.
  5. Food chains allow humans and other creatures (e.g. salmon) to obtain energy.
  6. Salmon fry eat mostly stream invertebrates.
  7. Some invertebrates aren't eaten by salmon, but their presence in the stream indicates good water quality for salmon and other creatures.

* This learning outcome can be accomplished through the synthesis activities and projects completed after the field trip is over.