Grade 4 Science SOL Standards

Networking and the Internet

Impacts of Computing

Data and Analysis

Cybersecurity

Computing Systems

Algorithms and Programming

Earth Resources

Earth and Space Systems

Living Systems and Processes

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Virginia: 1900 to Present

Civil War and Postwar Eras

Political Growth and Western Expansion: 1775 to the Mid-1800s

1607 through the American Revolution

Virginia’s Indigenous Peoples

Physical Geography

Skills

The student will construct sets of step-by-step instructions (algorithms) both independently and collaboratively

The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices by

using sequencing;

asking questions and defining problems

identify scientific and non-scientific questions

develop hypotheses as cause-and-effect relations

define a simple design problem that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process, or system

using loops;

planning and carrying out investigations

identify variables when planning an investigation

collaboratively plan and conduct investigations

use tools and/or materials to design and/or build a device that solves a specific problem

take metric measurements using appropriate tools

measure elapsed time

using variables to store and process data; and

interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating data

organize and represent data in bar graphs and line graphs

interpret and analyze data represented in bar graphs and line graphs

compare two different representations of the same data (e.g., a set of data displayed on a chart and a graph)

analyze data from tests of an object or tool to determine whether it works as intended

performing number calculations on variables (e.g., addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). [Related SOL: Math 4.4, 4.5, 4.6]

constructing and critiquing conclusions and explanations

use evidence (i.e., measurements, observations, patterns) to construct or support explanations and to make inferences

developing and using models

develop and/or use models to explain natural phenomena

identify limitations of models

obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

read and comprehend reading-level-appropriate texts and/or other reliable media

communicate scientific information, design ideas, and/or solutions with others

The student will identify and explain problems that relate to inappropriate use of computing devices and networks.

The student will create examples of strong passwords, explain why strong passwords should be used, and demonstrate proper use and protection of personal passwords.

The student will answer questions by using a computer to manipulate data in order for the student to draw conclusions and make predictions.

The student will create an artifact using computing systems to model the attributes and behaviors associated with a concept (e.g., solar system).

The student will use numeric values to represent non-numeric ideas in the computer (binary, ASCII, pixel attributes such as RGB).

The student will give examples of computing technologies that have changed the world and express how those technologies influence, and are influenced by, cultural practices.

The student will describe the positive and negative impacts of the pervasiveness of computers and computing in daily life (e.g., downloading videos and audio files, electronic appliances, wireless Internet, mobile computing devices, GPS systems, wearable computing).

The student will describe social and ethical issues that relate to computing devices and networks.

The student will identify and explain how information can be transmitted using computing devices via a network (e.g., email, images, and videos).

The student will construct programs to accomplish a task as a means of creative expression using a block or text based programming language, both independently and collaboratively

The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals have structures that distinguish them from one another and play vital roles in their ability to survive. Key ideas include

using sequencing;

the survival of plants and animals depends on photosynthesis;

using loops;

plants and animals have different structures and processes for obtaining energy; and

using variables; and

plants and animals have different structures and processes for creating offspring.

performing number calculations (e.g., addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) on variables. [Related SOL: Math 4.4, 4.5, 4.6]

The student will analyze, correct, and improve (debug) an algorithm that includes sequencing, events, loops and variables. [Related SOL areas – Math: Problem Solving, English: Editing]

The student will investigate and understand that organisms, including humans, interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem. Key ideas include

interrelationships exist in populations, communities, and ecosystems;

food webs show the flow of energy within an ecosystem;

changes in an organism's niche and habitat may occur at various stages in its life cycle; and

classification can be used to identify organisms.

The student will create a plan as part of the iterative design process, both independently and collaboratively using strategies such as pair programming (e.g., storyboard, flowchart, pseudo-code, story map). [Related SOL: English: 4.7d, f]

The student will investigate and understand that weather conditions and phenomena affect ecosystems and can be predicted. Key ideas include

weather measurements create a record that can be used to make weather predictions;

common and extreme weather events affect ecosystems; and

long term seasonal weather trends determine the climate of a region.

The student will classify and arrange a group of items based on the attributes or actions. [Related SOL: Science 4.1.b]

The student will investigate and understand that the planets have characteristics and a specific place in the solar system. Key ideas include

planets rotate on their axes and revolve around the sun;

planets have characteristics and a specific order in the solar system; and

the sizes of the sun and planets can be compared to one another.

The student will break down (decompose) a larger problem into smaller sub-problems, both independently and collaboratively. [Related SOL: Math 4.4d]

The student will investigate and understand that there are relationships among Earth, the moon, and the sun. Key relationships include

the motions of Earth, the moon, and the sun;

the causes for Earth's seasons;

the causes for the four major phases of the moon and the relationship to the tide cycles; and

the relative size, position, age and makeup of Earth, the moon, and the sun.

The student will give credit to sources when borrowing or changing ideas (e.g., using information, pictures created by others, using music created by others, remixing programming projects).

The student will investigate and understand that the ocean environment has characteristics. Key characteristics include

geology of the ocean floor;

physical properties and movement of ocean water; and

interaction of organisms in the ocean.

The student will model how a computing system works including input and output, processors and sensors.

The student will investigate and understand that Virginia has important natural resources. Key resources include

watersheds and water;

plants and animals;

minerals, rocks, and ores; and

forests, soil, and land.

The student will identify, using accurate terminology, simple hardware and software problems that may occur during use, and apply strategies for solving problems (e.g., rebooting the device, checking for power, checking for network availability, closing and reopening an app).

The student will apply history and social science skills to the content by

analyzing and interpreting information sources, including but not limited to artifacts, primary and secondary sources, charts, graphs, and diagrams

applying geographic skills to identify and understand geographic features and connections

developing questions, enhancing curiosity, and engaging in critical thinking and analysis

using evidence to construct timelines, classify events, and distinguish fact from opinion

comparing and contrasting people, places, and events

identifying cause-and-effect relationships to clarify and explain content

using economic decision-making models to make informed economic decisions and to explain the incentives and consequences of a specific choice

practicing civility, respect, hard work, honesty, trustworthiness, and responsible citizenship skills

developing products that reflect an understanding of content

The student will apply history and social science skills to explain the relationship between physical geography and the lives of Virginia’s peoples, past and present by

locating Virginia and its bordering states on maps of the United States and North America

locating and describing the relative location and physical characteristics of Virginia's five geographic regions on a map

locating, identifying, and describing the impact of Virginia’s bodies of water on its history, economy, and culture

The student will apply history and social science skills to understand the role Virginians played in American history during World War I and World War II by

examining how key leaders and citizens prepared for wartime

describing the contributions made by military veterans and Medal of Honor recipients

The student will apply history and social science skills to understand the Civil Rights Movement in Virginia by

explaining the social and political events connected to disenfranchisement of African American voters in Virginia in the early 20th century, desegregation, court decisions, and Massive Resistance, with emphasis on the role of Virginians in the Supreme Court cases, including, but not limited to Brown v. Board of Education

investigating the political, social, and economic effects of choices made during the Civil Rights Era by Virginians including, but not limited to Maggie Walker, Robert Russa Moton, Barbara Johns, Samuel Wilbert Tucker, Oliver W. Hill, Sr., Irene Morgan, Arthur R. Ashe, A. Linwood Holton, Jr., and L. Douglas Wilder

The student will use history and social science skills to recognize why Virginia is known as the “Mother of Presidents”.

The student will apply history and social science skills to explain Virginia’s role in the global economy in the 21st Century by

examining major products and industries important to Virginia

examining the impact of the ideas, innovations, and advancements of Virginians on a global market

The student will apply history and social science skills to describe the Indigenous nations of Virginia past and present by

describing how archaeologists have recovered artifacts from important places in the history of Indigenous people, including, but not limited to Werowocomoco

describing Virginia’s three most prominent Indigenous language groups (i.e., the Algonquian, the Siouan, and the Iroquoian)

describing the diversity among the Indigenous nations

describing the relationships and interactions of Virginia’s Indigenous Peoples and their environment, circa 1600

describing the lives and cultures of Virginia’s Indigenous Peoples leading to the present day

The student will apply history and social science skills to explain the causes and effects of events associated with the first permanent English settlement in North America by

explaining the reasons for English colonization

describing the economic and geographic influences on the decision to settle at Jamestown

describing the importance of the Virginia Company of London Charter (April 10, 1606) in establishing the Jamestown colony

describing the interactions between the English colonists and the Indigenous Peoples, including the role of the Powhatan in the survival of the colonists

describing the hardships faced by settlers at Jamestown and the changes that took place to ensure survival, including, but not limited to trade with the Powhatan, the leadership of Captain John Smith, land ownership, and the successful commercial cultivation of tobacco

analyzing the impact of the arrival of Africans and women to the Jamestown settlement

identifying the significance of establishing the General Assembly (1619), the first representative legislative body in English America

The student will apply history and social science skills to understand life in the Virginia colony by

explaining the importance and influence of agriculture

examining how colonial Virginia reflected the culture of Indigenous Peoples, European (English, Scots-Irish, German) immigrants, and Africans

distinguishing between indentured servants and enslaved people, including how European countries traded for, transported, and sold Africans to be enslaved to British North America beginning in the 17th century

describing the laws that established race-based enslavement

explaining the reasons for the relocation of Virginia’s capital from Jamestown to Williamsburg

describing ways people exchanged goods and services in Colonial Virginia

The student will apply history and social science skills to explain Virginia and Virginians’ role during the American Revolution by

explaining the principles and events that convinced the colonists to declare independence and go to war with Great Britain, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence

examining the important contributions, leadership, and experiences of Virginians during the war, including, but not limited to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, James Madison, James Armistead Lafayette, Indigenous Peoples, women, and free and enslaved Blacks

identifying the reasons for the relocation of Virginia’s capital from Williamsburg to Richmond

identifying the importance of the American victory at Yorktown

The student will apply history and social science skills to explain the establishment and growth of the new American nation with emphasis on the role of Virginians and events in Virginia during the 18th and 19th centuries by

explaining the roles of George Washington (“Father of Our Country”), James Madison (“Father of the Constitution”), and Patrick Henry (“Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech)

explaining the development of founding Virginia documents, including the Virginia Declaration of Rights (George Mason) and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (Thomas Jefferson)

describing how principles of these founding Virginia documents inspired the Declaration of Independence, the Virginia Constitution, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights

explaining how geographical features and technological advances impacted the western movement in the first half of the 1800s

explaining the causes and events of Nat Turner’s Rebellion and how it impacted the institution of slavery

The students will apply history and social science skills to understand the key people, events, and issues of the Civil War and Virginia’s role by

explaining the role of John Brown and the impact of the raid at Harper’s Ferry

describing how the institution of slavery was the cause of the Civil War, and secondary factors that contributed to the secession of the southern states

explaining the significance of the Underground Railroad and the contributions of Harriet Tubman

explaining major events and issues that divided Virginians and led to secession, war, and the creation of West Virginia

identifying major battles that took place in Virginia

identifying and explaining the leadership roles of Virginians, including, but not limited to Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Robert E. Lee, William Harvey Carney, Winfield Scott, and Powhatan Beaty

evaluating the experiences and contributions of Indigenous Peoples and enslaved and free Blacks and their allies during the war, including, but not limited to Elizabeth Van Lew and Mary Bowser

The student will apply history and social science skills to explain the reconstruction of Virginia following the Civil War by

describing what the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution accomplished

examining the effects of Reconstruction on life in Virginia

describing the role that the “Freedmen’s Schools” played in the lives of African Americans in Virginia after the Civil War

discussing the election of African American leader John Mercer to Congress in 1890

describing the effect of the Supreme Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson

analyzing the effects of segregation and “Jim Crow” laws on life in Virginia

The student will apply history and social science skills to understand the ways in which Virginia became interconnected and diverse by

explaining the importance of railroads, waterways, new industries, and the growth of cities to Virginia’s economic development in the late 1800s

explaining the economic and social transition from a rural society to a more urban society