Science

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Autumn Term – Materials and Sound

Look around you—everything you see is made of something! Your chair might be made of wood, your clothes of soft cotton, and your window of clear glass. These are called materials, and each one has special properties that make it useful. Some materials are hard, some are bendy, some float, and some sink! Scientists study materials to understand how they work and to create amazing new things. We will be exploring the fascinating world of materials, starting with the examining the differences between solids, liquids and gases.

How do we hear sound? We will:

• identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating.

• recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear.

• find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it.

• find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it.

• recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases.

Spring Term – Teeth and Digestion

In Year 4 science, pupils explore the fascinating journey food takes through the human body, beginning with teeth and ending with digestion. This unit helps children understand how their own bodies work and why it is important to look after them.

We begin by learning about teeth. Children identify the different types of human teeth—incisors, canines, premolars, and molars—and discover the specific job each one does. They learn how teeth help us bite, tear, and grind food so it is ready to be swallowed. Pupils also explore why good dental hygiene is essential and how diet and daily habits can affect the health of our teeth.

Building on this, we move on to digestion. Children learn about the main parts of the digestive system and the role each plays in breaking down food and absorbing nutrients. Through discussion, diagrams, and simple investigations, they find out how food travels from the mouth to the stomach and intestines, and how nutrients are carried around the body to keep us healthy.

This topic encourages curiosity and scientific thinking, while also linking science to everyday life. By the end of the unit, pupils have a clear understanding of how teeth and digestion work together to keep our bodies functioning properly.

Summer Term – Living Things and their Habitats and Electricity

In Year 4 science, pupils explore the diversity of living things and the environments in which they live, before moving on to investigate how electricity works in everyday life. These units encourage curiosity, observation, and practical scientific enquiry.

We begin with living things and their habitats. Children learn how to group living organisms in a variety of ways, exploring similarities and differences between plants, animals, and microorganisms. They use classification keys to help identify and name living things in their local environment. Pupils also discover how environments can change and how this can sometimes pose dangers to living things. Through discussion and outdoor learning opportunities, children develop an understanding of how plants and animals depend on each other within habitats.

Building on this, we move on to electricity. Pupils learn how to construct simple electrical circuits using components such as cells, wires, bulbs, switches, and buzzers. They investigate how circuits work and identify whether a circuit will light a bulb or not. Children explore the role of conductors and insulators and begin to understand how electricity flows through a circuit. Through hands-on investigations, they develop problem-solving skills and learn how to work scientifically by testing and refining their ideas.

These topics help children make sense of the world around them, linking scientific learning to real-life experiences while developing key skills in enquiry, observation, and reasoning.