Ontario-aligned · Grade 4

Grade 4 Science curriculum practice

Life systems, matter and energy, structures and mechanisms, and Earth and space practice based on the Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum. Brightwick breaks the roadmap into short, focused goals that children can practise independently and revisit when a concept needs more time.

4: Curriculum strands
6: Topics
30: Lesson goals

Roadmap status: lesson availability grows throughout early access. This page shows the complete set of learning goals Brightwick is working toward; some lessons may still be in review. See our mapping and approval method →

Science strand

Life Systems

Habitats and Communities

Where living things make their homes, and how they depend on each other.

Learning goals

What Is a Habitat?Identify a habitat as the place that provides the food, water, shelter, and space a plant or animal needs.
Living Things Depend on Each OtherDescribe ways plants and animals in a community depend on one another to meet their needs.
Producers, Consumers, and DecomposersClassify organisms as producers, consumers, or decomposers based on how they get their food.
Food ChainsOrder the flow of energy in a simple food chain from the sun to plants to animals.
Adaptations for SurvivalDescribe structural and behavioural adaptations that help plants and animals survive in their habitats.

Changing Habitats

How habitats change — naturally and because of people — and what that means for living things.

Learning goals

Habitats Through the SeasonsDescribe how animals cope with seasonal change through migration, hibernation, and other behaviours.
When Habitats ChangeDescribe natural events and human activities that change habitats, and their effects on living things.
Endangered and ExtinctExplain what endangered, threatened, and extinct mean, with examples of Canadian species.
Habitat Loss and PeopleDescribe how human activities like clearing land and building roads affect habitats and communities.
Protecting HabitatsIdentify ways people protect and restore habitats, such as parks, reserves, and replanting.

Science strand

Matter and Energy

Light

Where light comes from, how it travels, and how it behaves when it hits things.

Learning goals

Sources of LightDistinguish objects that emit their own light from objects that reflect light, and classify light sources as natural or artificial.
How Light TravelsExplain that light travels in straight lines, and use this to explain how shadows form.
ReflectionDescribe how light bounces off surfaces, and why smooth shiny surfaces like mirrors give clear reflections.
Bending LightDescribe how light bends when it passes from one material to another, as in water and lenses.
Transparent, Translucent, OpaqueClassify materials by how much light passes through them.

Sound

Vibrations we can hear — how sound is made, travels, and is used.

Learning goals

Sound Comes from VibrationsExplain that sound is produced by vibrating objects, with everyday examples.
How Sound TravelsDescribe how sound travels through solids, liquids, and gases, and why it needs a material to travel through.
Pitch and LoudnessRelate pitch to how fast something vibrates and loudness to how strong the vibration is.
Hearing SoundDescribe how the ear receives sound, and identify ways to protect hearing from loud noises.
Echoes and Using SoundDescribe how echoes form and how people and animals use sound, from musical instruments to sonar and bat echolocation.

Science strand

Structures and Mechanisms

Pulleys and Gears

Machines that change the speed, force, and direction of motion.

Learning goals

Machines That Help Us Move ThingsExplain that pulleys and gears help people by changing the direction, speed, or force of motion.
Fixed and Movable PulleysCompare fixed and movable pulleys and what each one changes about a lifting job.
Pulley SystemsDescribe how combining pulleys lets people lift heavy loads with less force.
How Gears WorkExplain how the teeth of meshing gears transfer motion and reverse turning direction.
Gearing Up and DownDescribe how gears of different sizes trade speed for force, using examples like bicycles.

Science strand

Earth and Space Systems

Rocks and Minerals

What rocks and minerals are, how they form, and how people use them.

Learning goals

Minerals: Earth's Building BlocksDescribe minerals as the building blocks of rocks, identified by properties like hardness, colour, and lustre.
Three Types of RocksClassify rocks as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic based on how each type forms.
The Rock CycleDescribe how rocks slowly change from one type to another through the rock cycle.
Weathering and ErosionExplain how rocks are broken down by weathering and carried away by erosion.
How People Use Rocks and MineralsIdentify uses of rocks and minerals in everyday life, and describe the effects of mining on the environment.

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Curriculum reference: official Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum ↗