New Mexico State Standards for Science: Grade 4

NM.I. Scientific Thinking and Practice: Understand the processes of scientific investigations and use inquiry and scientific ways of observing, experimenting, predicting, and validating to think critically.

I-A. Use scientific methods to observe, collect, record, analyze, predict, interpret, and determine reasonableness of data.

I-A.1a. Use instruments to perform investigations (e.g., timers, balances) and communicate findings. 4
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard I-A.1a.

I-A.2a. Differentiate observation from interpretation and understand that a scientific explanation comes in part from what is observed and in part from how the observation is interpreted. 4
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard I-A.2a.

I-A.3a. Conduct multiple trials to test a prediction, draw logical conclusions, and construct and interpret graphs from measurements. 4
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard I-A.3a.

I-A.4a. Collect data in an investigation using multiple techniques, including control groups, and analyze those data to determine what other investigations could be conducted to validate findings. 4
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard I-A.4a.

I-B. Use scientific thinking and knowledge and communicate findings.

I-B.1a. Communicate ideas and present findings about scientific investigations that are open to critique from others. 15
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard I-B.1a.

I-B.2a. Describe how scientific investigations may differ from one another (e.g., observations of nature, measurements of things changing over time). 10
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard I-B.2a.

I-B.3a. Understand how data are used to explain how a simple system functions (e.g., a thermometer to measure heat loss as water cools). 3
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard I-B.3a.

I-C. Use mathematical skills and vocabulary to analyze data, understand patterns and relationships, and communicate findings.

I-C.1a. Conduct multiple trials using simple mathematical techniques to make and test predictions. 10
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard I-C.1a.

I-C.2a. Use mathematical equations to formulate and justify predictions based on cause-and-effect relationships. 18
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard I-C.2a.

I-C.3a. Identify simple mathematical relationships in a scientific investigation (e.g., the relationship of the density of materials that will or will not float in water to the density of water). 13
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard I-C.3a.

NM.II. Content of Science: Earth and Space Science: Understand the structure of Earth, the solar system, and the universe, the interconnections among them, and the processes and interactions of Earth's systems.

II-A. Know the structure of the solar system and the objects in the universe.

II-A.1a. Understand that the number of stars visible through a telescope is much greater than the number visible to the naked eye. 4
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-A.1a.

II-A.2a. Know that there are various types of telescopes that use different forms of light to observe distant objects in the sky. 4
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-A.2a.

II-A.3a. Know that the pattern of stars (e.g., constellations) stays the same although they appear to move across the sky nightly due to Earth's rotation. 8
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-A.3a.

II-B. Know the structure and formation of Earth and its atmosphere and the processes that shape them.

II-B.1a. Know that the properties of rocks and minerals reflect the processes that shaped them (i.e., igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks). 13
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-B.1a.

II-B.2a. Describe how weather patterns generally move from west to east in the United States. 15
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-B.2a.

II-B.3a. Know that local weather information describes patterns of change over a period of time (e.g., temperature, precipitation symbols, cloud conditions, wind speed/direction). 5
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-B.3a.

II-B.4a. Demonstrate how electricity flows through a simple circuit (e.g., by constructing one). 5
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-B.4a.

II-C. Know the parts of the human body and their functions.

II-C.1a. Know that the human body has many parts that interact to function as systems (e.g., skeletal, muscular) and describe the parts and their specific functions in selected systems (e.g., the nose, lungs, and diaphragm in the respiratory system). 45
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-C.1a.

II-C.2a. Recognize that the human body is organized from cells, to tissues, to organs, to systems, to the organism. 46
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-C.2a.

II-C.3a. Describe that gravity exerts more force on objects with greater mass (e.g., it takes more force to hold up a heavy object than a lighter one). 1
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-C.3a.

II-C.4a. Describe how some forces act on contact and other forces act at a distance (e.g., a person pushing a rock versus gravity acting on a rock). 3
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-C.4a.

NM.II. Content of Science: Life Science: Understand the properties, structures, and processes of living things and the interdependence of living things and their environments.

II-A. Know that living things have diverse forms, structures, functions, and habitats.

II-A.1a. Explain that different living organisms have distinctive structures and body systems that serve specific functions (e.g., walking, flying, swimming). 97
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-A.1a.

II-A.2a. Know that humans and other living things have senses to help them detect stimuli, and that sensations (e.g., hunger) and stimuli (e.g., changes in the environment) influence the behavior of organisms. 17
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-A.2a.

II-A.3a. Describe how roots are associated with the intake of water and soil nutrients and green leaves are associated with making food from sunlight (photosynthesis). 9
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-A.3a.

II-A.4a. Describe the components of and relationships among organisms in a food chain (e.g., plants are the primary source of energy for living systems). 16
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-A.4a.

II-A.5a. Describe how all living things are made up of smaller units that are called cells. 10
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-A.5a.

II-B. Know that living things have similarities and differences and that living things change over time.

II-B.1a. Know that in any particular environment some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some survive less well, and others cannot survive at all. 21
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-B.1a.

II-B.2a. Know that a change in physical structure or behavior can improve an organism's chance of survival (e.g., a chameleon changes color, a turtle pulls its head into its shell, a plant grows toward the light). 3
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-B.2a.

II-B.3a. Describe how some living organisms have developed characteristics from generation to generation to improve chances of survival (e.g., spines on cacti, long beaks on hummingbirds, good eyesight on hawks). 6
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard II-B.3a.

NM.III. Science and Society: Understand how scientific discoveries, inventions, practices, and knowledge influence, and are influenced by, individuals and societies.

III-A. Describe how science influences decisions made by individuals and societies.

III-A.1a. Know that science has identified substances called pollutants that get into the environment and can be harmful to living things. 8
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard III-A.1a.

III-A.2a. Know that, through science and technology, a wide variety of materials not appearing in nature have become available (e.g., steel, plastic, nylon, fiber optics). 20
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard III-A.2a.

III-A.3a. Know that science has created ways to store and retrieve information (e.g., paper and ink, printing press, computers, CD ROMs) but that these are not perfect (e.g., faulty programming, defective hardware). 6
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard III-A.3a.

III-A.4a. Know that both men and women of all races and social backgrounds choose science as a career. 14
Suggested Titles for New Mexico Science State Standard III-A.4a.