Slow Changes of the Earth Activities for 4th Grade Science

Simplify your lesson planning with the Kesler Science Slow Changes of the Earth 4th Grade Complete 5E Lesson. This all-inclusive resource provides everything needed for an engaging, multi-day lesson on Earth's slow changes, minimizing prep time while empowering students to take charge of their learning.

Students will explore essential questions like, "How does Earth's surface change slowly over time?" and "What forces of nature cause slow changes?" The lesson offers differentiated materials to support diverse learning needs and includes multimodal learning activities to keep students engaged. Whether printable or digital, editable PowerPoints and Spanish translations make it easy to adapt for any classroom.

The lesson follows the 5E Model: Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation. Through student-led station labs, interactive notebooks, and projects, students investigate weathering, erosion, and deposition. Flexible assessments and extension activities ensure all students are supported and challenged, whether in-person or virtually.

The Kesler Science Slow Changes of the Earth Station Lab offers an engaging and student-directed learning experience for 4th graders. With eight differentiated activities and a bonus challenge station, students explore the slow processes shaping Earth's surface, such as weathering, erosion, and deposition by water, wind, and ice. This hands-on, modular setup allows students to take the lead in their learning while the teacher provides guidance.

The station lab includes diverse, multimodal ways for students to interact with content, such as experiments, readings, videos, and digital tools. Students can engage in activities like experimenting with weathering, reading about slow Earth changes, and analyzing videos, all tailored to various learning styles. Each station is equipped with task cards, signage, and resources for independent or group work.

To demonstrate what they've learned, students can organize, illustrate, write, and assess their understanding of slow Earth changes. The digital version makes this resource versatile for both in-person and virtual learning environments. Early finishers can also deepen their knowledge through creative mini-projects, reinforcing the lesson with additional challenges.

The Kesler Science Slow Changes of the Earth Student Choice Projects give 4th grade students the flexibility to select a project that aligns with their preferred output style. With six different student-led project options, plus a "design your own" choice, students can demonstrate their knowledge in creative ways. A grading rubric allows for assessment by teachers, peers, or the students themselves, and can be modified to meet specific grading needs.

These projects are designed to be multimodal, offering a variety of creative methods for students to show what they know. The resource includes nine project options and an editable rubric to assess key concepts like vocabulary, clarity, and accuracy. 

The projects are differentiated for students with varying needs, with two versions of the project page to accommodate both remediation and challenge. Most projects require basic classroom supplies and can be completed digitally, with additional crafting materials helpful for model-building.