Structure and Function for 4th Grade

Are you covering structure and function in your 4th-grade science class?

You will LOVE this COMPLETE UNIT that fully addresses Life Science Standards for 4th grade! Students will learn that living things have different structures with specific functions. SEE step by step for Dissecting a Flower.

This unit is aligned with NGSS 4-LS1-1 and 4-LS1-2, CCSS RI.4.1, RI.4.3, and RI4.4, and Utah SEEd 4.1.1 & 4.1.2!

NGSS 4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

NGSS 4-LS1-2. Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.

The 4-LS1-2. Is especially difficult to address and it is fully met through the activities in this unit.

For NGSS 4th Grade

Next Generation Science Standards

Utah SEEd

Standard 4.1.1 Construct an explanation from the evidence that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. Emphasize how structures support an organism’s survival in its environment and how internal and external structures of plants and animals vary within the same and across multiple Utah environments. Examples of structures could include thorns on a stem to prevent predation or gills on a fish to allow it to breathe underwater. (LS1.A)

Standard 4.1.2 Develop and use a model of a system to describe how animals receive different types of information from their environment through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information. Emphasize how animals are able to use their perceptions and memories to guide their actions. Examples could include models that explain how animals sense and then respond to different aspects of their environment such as sounds, temperature, or smell. (LS1.D)

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This is a large unit with lots of activities. If you use my suggested schedule, this will cover 9 days in your science class! Fourth grade standards are so fun to address. Students love this unit on Waves.

Students will learn that animals and plants have internal and external structures and that they each serve a specific function. Want a hands-on STEM activity, try having students make Electrical Circuit Projects with Copper Tape!

They will also learn about structural and behavioral adaptations in animals.

So much is included in this unit!

There are three informative PowerPoint presentations:

There are five lesson plans in the 5-E format with response pages and worksheets.

They include reading comprehension questions, lab pages, interactive notebook flaps, graphic organizers, and a layered flipbook!

Informational Text Articles Fourth grade

Behavioral and Structural Adaptations 4th grade

There's a hands-on lab with clear directions on how to dissect a flower, label the parts, and understand the function of each part.

All you need to provide is one flower for each group of students!

This resource also addresses the tricky standard of NGSS 4-LS1-2. Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.

Students will also have the opportunity to use QR codes for some independent research on adaptations. Clickable links are provided if you do not have access to QR codes.

To wrap up the unit, I've included a true and false quiz for assessment.

Your time is precious - don't waste your free time creating your own unit on Structure and Function.

I've done the work for you!

This complete unit has almost 200 PERFECT reviews on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Check out a few of them:

The elephant article was excellent but I also thought the lab on dissecting a flower was broken down so easily, even telling me where to get inexpensive flowers! This resource helped me teach this challenging standard in an engaging way. Worth every penny!

I am thrilled with this unit. It is really well planned and easy for a teacher to implement. The directions were clear and the labs used low cost household materials.