Year 4 NERDC Basic Science Curriculum for Primary 4. Changes in Nature, Our Weather, Safety in Our Environment – Schemeofwork.com
THEME 1: LEARNING ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENT
Week 1
Topic: Changes in Nature
Performance objectives
- State the meaning of change
- Mention the changes they observe in their surrounding
- State the differences between temporary and permanent changes
- Give examples of temporary and permanent changes
Contents
- Types of changes:
- Temporary (reversible)
- Permanent (irreversible)
Teacher’s Activities
- Guides pupils to state the meaning of change
- Uses posters to initiate and guide class discussion on the changes that have taken place around them
- Carries out at least two class demonstrations to help pupils distinguish between temporary (reversible) and permanent (irreversible) changes
- Writes few notes on the chalkboard based on the activities above
Student’s Activities
- Participate in class discussion and group activities
- Observe and describe changes taking place in their surroundings, e.g. construction of new roads, sprouting of grass in the rainy season, burning of candles; melting of ice blocks; burning pieces of wood; Wetting a piece of cloth etc.
- Differentiate and group these changes as temporary and permanent changes
- Copy notes as written on the chalkboard
Teaching & Learning Material
- A poster showing changes occurring in school and home surroundings
- Immediate school surrounding
- Water
- Nails
- Candle
- Matches
- Wood
- Pieces of paper
- Container
- Pieces of cloth
Evaluation Guide
- State the meaning of change
- Describe two changes around them
- State two differences between temporary and permanent changes
- List four examples, each, of permanent and temporary changes
Week 2
Topic: Our Weather
Performance objectives
- State the meaning of weather
- Identify the factors affecting the weather
- Relate weather conditions to changes in these factors
- Name the standard weather instruments
- Improvise simple weather instruments
- Identify and write simple weather symbols
- Observe weather changes over a period of about three weeks
- Use the weather symbols to keep records of weather changes
- Prepare a weather chart
Contents
- Weather: meaning
- Factors affecting weather:
- Sun
- Cloud
- Wind
- temperature
- Moisture (rain)
- Weather instruments:
- Wind vane
- Rain gauge
- Thermometers
- Barometers
- Weather records e.g. for:
- Temperature,
- Rainfall
- Weather symbols.
- Sun,
- Rain,
- Cloud, etc
- Weather records
Teacher’s Activities
- States the meaning of weather.
- Guides pupils to discuss factors affecting weather and helps them to suggest how these factors determine weather changes
- Provides and uses pictures of standard instruments to help pupils identify and name standard weather instruments
- Arranges a visit to a meteorological station
- Guides pupils to improvise weather instruments
- Uses the chart to guide the pupils to identify and draw weather symbols
- Guides pupils to:
- make weather observations; and
- keep weather records
Student’s Activities
- Participate in class discussion and group activities
- Visit a meteorological station to observe and learn how to use some standard weather instruments
- Make improvised weather instruments
- Draw weather symbols
- Observe the weather and record their observations
- Make a weather chart of their observations
Teaching & Learning Material
- A chart showing the weather conditions
- A chart showing the weather instruments
- Various sizes of cans, sheets of metal (aluminum)
- Cutter
- Wires
- Stands
- Thermometer
- Tracing paper
- Graph sheet
- A chart showing the weather symbols
- Cardboard papers
- Colored Pencils
- Crayons
Evaluation Guide
- Define weather
- List two factors affecting the weather
- Describe the effect of changes in the factors
- Improvise simple weather instruments (wind vane)
- Draw weather symbols
- Keep weather records; (using personally improvised rain gauge)
- Prepare a weather chart to cover a period of 3 weeks
Week 3
Topic: Safety in Our Environment
Performance objectives
- State the meaning of safety and ‘right to life’
- List ways of keeping safe at:
- Home
- School
- On the road
- List simple safety devices
- State the advantages of road safety
Contents
- Meaning of safety: ’right to life’; right of everyone to use the road without being injured or killed
- Ways of keeping safe at: home
- School
- On the road
- Simple safety devices
- Advantages of road safety
Teacher’s Activities
- States the meaning of safety and ‘right to life’
- Guides pupils to discuss ways of keeping safe and participate actively in the discussion
- Guides pupils to list simple safety devices at home, school, on road (e.g. traffic lights, road signs, road markings like road/zebra crossing rules)
- Provides picture and charts on simple safety devices
- Initiates and Guides discussion on the advantages of road safety
Student’s Activities
- Participate in class discussions
- Make improvised simple safety devices
- Draw some safety devices, road signs/symbols
- Practice how to safely cross the road in class
Teaching & Learning Material
- Road Sign Chart
- Safety Devices
- Chart/ Pictures
- Fire Extinguisher
- Net (e.g. insecticide treated net)
- Shoe
- Water
- Sand bucket
Evaluation Guide
- State the meaning of ‘right to life’
- State the meaning of safety
- List some safety measures to take at home
- List the advantages of road safely
THEME 2: LIVING AND NON-LIVING THINGS
Week 1
Topic: Changes in Plants and Animals
Performance objectives
- Observe and describe changes in plants
- Record the changes observed
- Observe and describe changes in different animals
- Mention the names of the young ones of different animals
- State the major reasons for the observed changes
- Draw and label the life cycle of some common animals
Contents
- Changes in plants e.g. leaf fall, flower and fruits, etc
- Changes in animals:
- Names of the young ones of animals.
- Life cycle of insects;
- Other growth or developmental changes
Teacher’s Activities
- Guides pupils to observe changes in a growing plant and make a record of the observed changes
- Initiates and guides pupils’ discussion on other changes in plants e.g. leaf fall, thickening of tree bark as they grow older, etc
- Uses the chart to initiate class discussion on the life cycle of some insects
- Guides pupils to:
- identify and name the young ones of animals;
- describes the differences between these young ones and their adult members
- Guides pupils to draw the life cycles of insects
Student’s Activities
- Participate in class discussion on other changes that take place in plants
- Observe and describe changes in the life cycle of common animals e.g. housefly, cockroach, toad
- Identify and name the young ones of different animals
- Compare the young ones with their adults and state reasons for the observed differences
- Draw the life-cycle of some insects
Teaching & Learning Material
- Bean seeds
- Glass jars or empty tins
- Water
- Soil
- A picture of forest showing leaf fall
- A record paper
- A chart on the life cycle of some insects e.g. house fly
- Specimens of the young ones of some common animals e.g. cockroach, toad, housefly and their young ones e.g. nymph, tadpole respectively
Evaluation Guide
- List at least one change that could be observed in a plant as it grows
- Give the names of the young ones of the different animals
- Describe changes in different animals
- State the reasons for the observed changes
- Draw and label the life cycle of some common insects
Week 2
Topic: Human Body (The mouth)
Performance objectives
- Name the types of teeth in the mouth
- Locate the relative positions of teeth in the mouth
- Mention the uses of each type of teeth
- State the role of the tongue in feeding
- State the role of the lips in feeding
Contents
- The Teeth:
- Incisors
- Canines
- Premolars
- Molars
- The tongue
- The lips
Teacher’s Activities
- Shows pupils the types of teeth
- Initiates and guides class discussions on:
- The uses of the different types of teeth;
- The roles of the tongue and lips in feeding
Student’s Activities
- Work in pairs to identify and locate the types of teeth in their mouths
- Chew some pieces of bread, or garri, and:
- Note the type of teeth used for chewing.
- feel the texture of the food items before and after chewing
- Discuss the uses of the teeth, lips, tongue and saliva in feeding
Teaching & Learning Material
- Insects
- Pieces of bread
- Slices of boiled yam
- Mirror
- A chart of the human teeth
- Model of the Mouth
Evaluation Guide
- Name four different types of teeth in the mouth
- Identify and locate the position of each type of teeth in the mouth
- State the uses of the different types of teeth in feeding
- Describe the roles of the lips and tongue in feeding
Week 3
Topic: Water
Performance objectives
- Identify pure water as a liquid with no color, taste and odor
- Observe that heated water can disappear as steam
- Observe that steam can change back to water
- Observe that water can change to ice (solid)
Contents
- Differentiating water from other liquids
- Evaporation
- Condensation
- Freezing
Teacher’s Activities
- Displays water and other liquids in bowls in the class
- Demonstrates evaporation
- Demonstrates condensation
- Leads class discussion and initiates active participation of pupils
- Presents ice blocks to pupils and guide them to understand that the ice block is frozen water
Student’s Activities
- Observe water and other liquids displayed by teacher
- Observe teacher’s demonstration on evaporation
- Observe teacher’s demonstration on condensation
- Pupils participate actively, making suggestions
Teaching & Learning Material
- Water and other liquids
- Source of heat
- Containers for displaying and boiling water
- A cool flat surface
- Ice block
Evaluation Guide
- List two features that identify a liquid as water
- State at least one change that would be observed when water is heated
- State at least one change that would be observed when steam condenses
- State one change that would be observed when water freezes
Week 4
Topic: Water cycle
Performance objectives
Make a chart of water cycle
State the relationships between the formation of rain and water cycle
Contents
Water cycle
Rain formation
Teacher’s Activities
Leads class discussion on:
– The drying up of streams in the dry season.
– Rain formation and
– The water cycle
Student’s Activities
- Watch teacher’s demonstrations
- Observe dews on leaves and explain how they are formed
- Participate in class discussion
- Draw the water cycle
Teaching & Learning Material
A chart of the water cycle showing how cloud and rain are formed
Evaluation Guide
- Describe the process of rain formation
- Draw and label the water cycle
Week 5
Topic: Measuring liquids
Performance objectives
- Measure amounts of liquids accurately using graduated measuring cylinders, cups or jars
- State the metric unit of volume
- Improvise a measuring cylinder with estimated scales for volumes in metric system
Contents
Measuring the volume of liquids in:
– mm3
– cm3
Teacher’s Activities
- Provides pupils with measuring cylinders and graduated jars and cups
- Uses appropriate chart and guide pupils to take correct readings of liquids in the measuring cylinder
- Guides pupils to improvise measuring cylinders with estimated scales
- Display written volume of content in common soft drinks and juice drink packs (e.g. coke 35cl)
Student’s Activities
- Measure the volume of liquids in metric units
- Record their measurements correctly with units
- Improvise and calibrate measuring cylinders with scales estimated in metrics units
- Find equivalent volumes of market measures using standard calibrated instruments
- Finds out volumes of soft drinks and juice drinks on their packs
Teaching & Learning Material
- Measuring cylinders of different sizes
- Water
- Other liquids e.g. kerosene, oil, etc
- Empty jam jars
- Rulers
- Strips of paper
- Pens
- Notebooks
- Coke bottles
- Juice drink packs
Evaluation Guide
- Measure amount liquids accurately using graduated measuring cylinder
- State the metric of volume
- Improvise a measuring cylinder with estimated scales metric system
Year 4 NERDC Basic Science Curriculum for Primary 4. Changes in Nature, Our Weather, Safety in Our Environment – Schemeofwork.com
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