4-ESS3-1 lessons
Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels come from natural resources and that their use affects the environment.
The Next Generation Science Standards code 4-ESS3-1 asks students to: “Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels come from natural resources and that their use affects the environment.” These Fieldbook lessons teach it hands-on, with everyday materials, a printable teacher guide and a student sheet.
Earth Day Investigations: Make Your School Better Grades 4–6 · partly supports this standard
- Is our classroom wasting electricity? 45–60 min
Students audit their classroom's lights and devices, check which are left on when nobody needs them, and read wattage labels to estimate the energy wasted in a school year. They finish with a poster or letter recommending one easy change.
Power Up: Where Electricity Comes From Grade 6
- Where does our classroom's electricity come from? 50–60 min
Students trace the classroom light switch back to a power plant, then look up the real mix of energy sources for their own province or state and turn it into a 100-square chart. They explain why different places make electricity in different ways.
- Why don't we use solar power everywhere? 50–60 min
Students shine a flashlight onto grid paper at different angles and through 'clouds' to see why sunlight is weaker in winter, then compare day lengths for their own town. They weigh solar power's strengths and limits like an energy planner.
NGSS is used as written in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, so the code 4-ESS3-1 matches there. Other states word and number their own versions: see curriculum alignment for your state's codes.
More NGSS standards for Grade 4
All standards we teach · Curriculum alignment by state and province
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