BST: Basic Science Curriculum for Primary 4 (NERDC)

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Basic Science Curriculum schemeofwork.com

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

  1. State the meaning of change
  2. Mention the changes they observe in their surrounding
  3. State the differences between temporary and permanent changes
  4. Give examples of temporary and permanent changes

Contents

  1. Types of changes:
    • Temporary (reversible)
    • Permanent (irreversible)

Teacher’s Activities        

  1. Guides pupils to state the meaning of change
  2. Uses posters to initiate and guide class discussion on the changes that have taken place around them
  3. Carries out at least two class demonstrations to help pupils distinguish between temporary (reversible) and permanent (irreversible) changes
  4. Writes few notes on the chalkboard based on the activities above

Student’s Activities

  1. Participate in class discussion and group activities
  2. 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.
  3. Differentiate and group these changes as temporary and permanent changes
  4. Copy notes as written on the chalkboard

Teaching & Learning Material  

  1. A poster showing changes occurring in school and home surroundings
  2. Immediate school surrounding
  3. Water
  4. Nails
  5. Candle
  6. Matches
  7. Wood
  8. Pieces of paper
  9. Container
  10. Pieces of cloth

Evaluation Guide

  1. State the meaning of change
  2. Describe two changes around them
  3. State two differences between temporary and permanent changes
  4. List four examples, each, of permanent and temporary changes

Week 2

Topic: Our Weather       

Performance objectives

  1. State the meaning of weather
  2. Identify the factors affecting the weather
  3. Relate weather conditions to changes in these factors
  4. Name the standard weather instruments
  5. Improvise simple weather instruments
  6. Identify and write simple weather symbols
  7. Observe weather changes over a period of about three weeks
  8. Use the weather symbols to keep records of weather changes
  9. Prepare a weather chart

Contents

  1. Weather: meaning
  2. Factors affecting weather:
    • Sun
    • Cloud
    • Wind
    • temperature
    • Moisture (rain)
  3. Weather instruments:
    • Wind vane
    • Rain gauge
    • Thermometers
    • Barometers
  4. Weather records e.g. for:
    • Temperature,
    • Rainfall
  5. Weather symbols.
    • Sun,
    • Rain,
    • Cloud, etc
  6. Weather records

Teacher’s Activities        

  1. States the meaning of weather.
  2. Guides pupils to discuss factors affecting weather and helps them to suggest how these factors determine weather changes
  3. Provides and uses pictures of standard instruments to help pupils identify and name standard weather instruments
  4. Arranges a visit to a meteorological station
  5. Guides pupils to improvise weather instruments
  6. Uses the chart to guide the pupils to identify and draw weather symbols
  7. Guides pupils to:
    • make weather observations; and
    • keep weather records

Student’s Activities

  1. Participate in class discussion and group activities
  2. Visit a meteorological station to observe and learn how to use some standard weather instruments
  3. Make improvised weather instruments
  4. Draw weather symbols
  5. Observe the weather and record their observations
  6. Make a weather chart of their observations

Teaching & Learning Material  

  1. A chart showing the weather conditions
  2. A chart showing the weather instruments
  3. Various sizes of cans, sheets of metal (aluminum)
  4. Cutter
  5. Wires
  6. Stands
  7. Thermometer
  8. Tracing paper
  9. Graph sheet
  10. A chart showing the weather symbols
  11. Cardboard papers
  12. Colored Pencils
  13. Crayons

Evaluation Guide

  1. Define weather
  2. List two factors affecting the weather
  3. Describe the effect of changes in the factors
  4. Improvise simple weather instruments (wind vane)
  5. Draw weather symbols
  6. Keep weather records; (using personally improvised rain gauge)
  7. Prepare a weather chart to cover a period of 3 weeks

Week 3

Topic: Safety in Our Environment

Performance objectives

  1. State the meaning of safety and ‘right to life’
  2. List ways of keeping safe at:
    • Home
    • School
    • On the road
  3. List simple safety devices
  4. State the advantages of road safety

Contents

  1. Meaning of safety: ’right to life’; right of everyone to use the road without being injured or killed
  2. Ways of keeping safe at: home
    • School
    • On the road
  3. Simple safety devices
  4. Advantages of road safety

Teacher’s Activities        

  1. States the meaning of safety and ‘right to life’
  2. Guides pupils to discuss ways of keeping safe and participate actively in the discussion
  3. 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)
  4. Provides picture and charts on simple safety devices
  5. Initiates and Guides discussion on the advantages of road safety

Student’s Activities

  1. Participate in class discussions
  2. Make improvised simple safety devices
  3. Draw some safety devices, road signs/symbols
  4. Practice how to safely cross the road in class

Teaching & Learning Material  

  1. Road Sign Chart
  2. Safety Devices
  3. Chart/ Pictures
  4. Fire Extinguisher
  5. Net (e.g. insecticide treated net)
  6. Shoe
  7. Water
  8. Sand bucket

Evaluation Guide

  1. State the meaning of ‘right to life’
  2. State the meaning of safety
  3. List some safety measures to take at home
  4. List the advantages of road safely

THEME 2: LIVING AND NON-LIVING THINGS

Week 1

Topic: Changes in Plants and Animals

Performance objectives

  1. Observe and describe changes in plants
  2. Record the changes observed
  3. Observe and describe changes in different animals
  4. Mention the names of the young ones of different animals
  5. State the major reasons for the observed changes
  6. Draw and label the life cycle of some common animals

Contents

  1. Changes in plants e.g. leaf fall, flower and fruits, etc
  2. Changes in animals:
    • Names of the young ones of animals.
    • Life cycle of insects;
    • Other growth or developmental changes

Teacher’s Activities        

  1. Guides pupils to observe changes in a growing plant and make a record of the observed changes
  2. Initiates and guides pupils’ discussion on other changes in plants e.g. leaf fall, thickening of tree bark as they grow older, etc
  3. Uses the chart to initiate class discussion on the life cycle of some insects
  4. Guides pupils to:
    • identify and name the young ones of animals;
    • describes the differences between these young ones and their adult members
  5. Guides pupils to draw the life cycles of insects

Student’s Activities

  1. Participate in class discussion on other changes that take place in plants
  2. Observe and describe changes in the life cycle of common animals e.g. housefly, cockroach, toad
  3. Identify and name the young ones of different animals
  4. Compare the young ones with their adults and state reasons for the observed differences
  5. Draw the life-cycle of some insects

Teaching & Learning Material  

  1. Bean seeds
  2. Glass jars or empty tins
  3. Water
  4. Soil
  5. A picture of forest showing leaf fall
  6. A record paper
  7. A chart on the life cycle of some insects e.g. house fly
  8. 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

  1. List at least one change that could be observed in a plant as it grows
  2. Give the names of the young ones of the different animals
  3. Describe changes in different animals
  4. State the reasons for the observed changes
  5. Draw and label the life cycle of some common insects

Week 2

Topic: Human Body (The mouth)

Performance objectives

  1. Name the types of teeth in the mouth
  2. Locate the relative positions of teeth in the mouth
  3. Mention the uses of each type of teeth
  4. State the role of the tongue in feeding
  5. State the role of the lips in feeding

Contents

  1. The Teeth:
    • Incisors
    • Canines
    • Premolars
    • Molars
  2. The tongue
  3. The lips

Teacher’s Activities  

  1. Shows pupils the types of teeth
  2. 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

  1. Work in pairs to identify and locate the types of teeth in their mouths
  2. 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
  3. Discuss the uses of the teeth, lips, tongue and saliva in feeding

Teaching & Learning Material  

  1. Insects
  2. Pieces of bread
  3. Slices of boiled yam
  4. Mirror
  5. A chart of the human teeth
  6. Model of the Mouth

Evaluation Guide

  1. Name four different types of teeth in the mouth
  2. Identify and locate the position of each type of teeth in the mouth
  3. State the uses of the different types of teeth in feeding
  4. Describe the roles of the lips and tongue in feeding

Week 3

Topic: Water

Performance objectives

  1. Identify pure water as a liquid with no color, taste and odor
  2. Observe that heated water can disappear as steam
  3. Observe that steam can change back to water
  4. Observe that water can change to ice (solid)

Contents

  1. Differentiating water from other liquids
  2. Evaporation
  3. Condensation
  4. Freezing

Teacher’s Activities        

  1. Displays water and other liquids in bowls in the class
  2. Demonstrates evaporation
  3. Demonstrates condensation
  4. Leads class discussion and initiates active participation of pupils
  5. Presents ice blocks to pupils and guide them to understand that the ice block is frozen water

Student’s Activities

  1. Observe water and other liquids displayed by teacher
  2. Observe teacher’s demonstration on evaporation
  3. Observe teacher’s demonstration on condensation
  4. Pupils participate actively, making suggestions

Teaching & Learning Material  

  1. Water and other liquids
  2. Source of heat
  3. Containers for displaying and boiling water
  4. A cool flat surface
  5. Ice block

Evaluation Guide

  1. List two features that identify a liquid as water
  2. State at least one change that would be observed when water is heated
  3. State at least one change that would be observed when steam condenses
  4. 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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