Utah Elementary Science Core Curriculum

Fourth Grade

2003 TEST ITEM POOL

 

 

The items in this pool represent the work of many Utah science teachers.  The items are aligned to the 2003 Fourth Grade Science Core Curriculum.  All right to this pool are the property of the Utah State Office of Education.  Permission is granted to teachers, districts, or state agencies to use these items, provided they are not used in a manner that results in the distribution of items or instructional materials for profit.

 

The items in this pool will be refined each year.  If you find errors in the pool, we wish to correct them.  Please contact us. If you are interested in working with the refinement of this item pool, please contact USOE via email.

 

            Kevin King, Science Assessment Specialist                        kking@usoe.k12.ut.us

            Brett Moulding, Science Education Specialist                    bmouldin@usoe.k12.ut.us

 

 

STANDARD I:  Students will understand that water changes state as it moves through the water cycle.

 

Objective 1:  Describe the relationship between heat energy, evaporation and condensation of water on Earth.

Objective 2:  Describe the water cycle.

 

STANDARD II:  Students will understand that the elements of weather can be observed, measured, and recorded to make predictions and determine simple weather patterns.

 

            Objective 1:  Observe, measure, and record the basic elements of weather.

            Objective 2:  Interpret recorded weather data for simple patterns.

            Objective 3:  Evaluate weather predictions based upon observational data.

 

STANDARD III:  Students will understand the basic properties of rocks, the processes involved in the formation of soils, and the needs of plants provided by soil.

 

Objective 1:  Identify basic properties of minerals and rocks.

Objective 2:  Explain how the processes of weathering and erosion change and move materials that become soil.

Objective 3:  Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant growth.

 

STANDARD IV:  Students will understand how fossils are formed, where they may be found in Utah, and how they can be used to make inferences.

 

Objective 1:  Describe Utah fossils and explain how they were formed.

Objective 2:  Explain how fossils can be used to make inferences about past life, climate, geology, and environments.

 

STANDARD V:  Students will understand the physical characteristics of Utah's wetlands, forests, and deserts and identify common organisms for each environment.

 

Objective 1:  Describe the physical characteristics of Utah's wetlands, forests, and deserts.

Objective 2:  Describe the common plants and animals found in Utah environments and how these organisms have adapted to the environment in which they live.

Objective 3:  Use a simple scheme to classify Utah plants and animals.

Objective 4:  Observe and record the behavior of Utah animals.