UNIT 12 (NATURAL SCIENCE 4º)

UNIT 12

THINGS: WHAT THEY ARE LIKE AND HOW THEY CHANGE

v WHAT ARE THINGS MADE OF?

·         MATTER

Matter is everything which occupies space and has a weight, or mass.

Matter can be in one of these states:

-          Solid: usually have a fixed shape and stay the same size.

-          Liquid: adapt their shape but do not expand. They flow.

-          Gas: expand and are invisible.

Every object and substance around us is made of matter. Most of them are made of a mixture of different types of matter (components). Mixtures and their components can be visible  or invisible.

·         THERE ARE MANY MIXTURES IN NATURE

Many things in nature are mixtures:

-          Air is a mixture of gases: oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide…

-          Salt water is the water in seas and oceans, it contains salt.

-          Rocks are formed from minerals.

-          Milk contains water, sugars, proteins and fats.

·         MIXTURES CAN BE SEPARATED

A mixture can be separated into individual components.

How to separate mixtures

- Sieving using a sieve.

- Filtering using a filter.

v WHY DO THINGS MOVE?

·         FORCES CAUSE MOVEMENTS

A force is anything capable of moving a stationary object, or stopping a moving object.

An object can only move or stop if a force acts on it. If there is no force, the object cannot move.

·         SOME FORCES ACT THROUGH CONTACT

An object can move or change direction if someone or something touches it.

For example: a ball moves or change direction with the action of a racket, air, water…

·         SOME FORCES ACT AT A DISTANCE

Some forces act without touching the object:

-          Gravity: the Sun, the Earth and all celestial bodies exercise this force. All matter around them is attracted.

-          Magnetism: a magnet exercises a force at a distance. It attracts all objects around it that are made of iron.

v WHY DO THINGS DEFORM?

·         FORCES DEFORM THINGS

Solids can deform if a force acts on them. Some objects deform very little and can break and others deform and do not break.

·         RIGID AND DEFORMABLE MATERIALS

A rigid material is something which breaks and does not deform when a force acts on it. Ex: glass, granite, slate…

A deformable material is something which deforms and does not break when a force acts on it. Ex: plasticine, paper, rubber…

Deformable materials classify in two types:

-          Elastic: returns to its original shape when a force stops acting on it.

-          Plastic: stays deformed then a force stops acting on it.

UNIT 9 (SOCIAL SCIENCE 4º)

UNIT 9

THE ORGANISATION OF SPAIN

·         PROVINCES

A province is a group of communities related by geography and history. In Spain there are 50 provinces.

·         AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITIES

An autonomous community is a group of provinces, related by geography, history and language. Each autonomous community has a capital and a goverment.

In Spain there are 17 autonomous communities and two autonomous cities: Ceuta and Melilla.

The government of the  Spanish State is elected every four years in the general elections. Citizens elect the memebers of the Parliament. The Parliament is formed from:

-                     The Congress (makes the laws)

-                     The Senate (approves or rejects the laws)

The Congress elects the President of the goverment and he elects his ministers. The King appoints them.

·         SPAIN AND THE EUROPEAN UNION

Spain is in Europe and in the European Union. The organs of government of the European Union are: the European Parliament, the European Commision, Te Council of Europe and the European Courts of justice.

The advantages of being a memeber of the EU are:

-          There no borders between countries.

-          There is a common currency, the Euro.

-          The Union promotes economic equality between its members.

CITIZENS: RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS

·         We are citizens with rights

We have the right to:

-          Elect the members of the goverment.

-          Use public services.

-          An education (study).

-          Work.

-          Be protected by laws.

-          Have a place to live.

·         We are citizens with obligations

-          Respect publi welfare.

-          Contribute to maintaining public services (by paying taxes).

-          Collaborate in wellbeing and security.

-          Respect differences (political, cultural and religious)

UNIT 8 (SOCIAL SCIENCE 4º E.P.)

UNIT 8: WE LIVE, WE WORK, WE HAVE FUN

THE POPULATION AND HOW IT CHANGES

·         Population

The population of a place is the people who live there. There are different categories:

-          Children: less tan 16 years old.

-          Adults: between 17 and 64 years old.

-          Old people: older tan 65 years old.

·         The population changes

Population changes because of:

-          Birth rate: is the number of people who are born. It increases the population.

-          Death rate: is the number of people who die. It decreases the population.

-          Immigration: is when people arrive from other countries. They are immigrants and it increases the population.

-          Emigration rate: is when people go t olive in another country. They are emigrants and it decreases the population.

HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS

·       Customs and traditions

A place has different customs that depend on:

-         The type of place

-         The climate.

-         The history and legends.

-         The work.

A tradition is a custom which passes down from generation to generation.

Some types of traditions are: gastronomy, holidays and festivals, traditional costumes and music, craft and sports.

WORK

·         People and work

Work is the combinatoion of the activities we do to obtain things we need or want. There are two types of work:

-          Ppaid work: people receive Money.

-          Unpaid work: people do not receive Money.

Population is divided into:

-          Active population: adults who are able to work. It includes:

§  Workers who do paid work.

§  Unemployed workers who do not have a job.

-          Inactive population: people who do unpaid work or who do not work. It includes:

§  Children, students, people who are retired ori ll people who can not work.

§  People who do unpaid work.

·         Types of work

There are three sectors:

-          The primary sector: workers obtain natural products (agricultura, stock farming, etc)

-          The secondary sector: workers transform natural products (craft and industry).

-          The tertiary sector: workers give services (education, transport, etc)

UNIT 7 NATURAL SCIENCE 4º

UNIT 7  -  WE INTERACT WITH THE WORLD

■ The interaction function in human beings

• How does our body react?

The interaction function uses three types of apparatus: receptors, controllers and effectors.

Receptors, controllers and effectors

The receptors

The receptors are the sense organs. They capture what is happening outside or inside our bodies and send the information to the controllers.

The controllers

The controllers are the organs of the nervous system: ● The brain is inside the skull. It receives information from the receptors, interprets the information and produces a response. It collects information in its memory and coordinates all the organs of the body. ● The spinal cord is inside the spinal column. It controls the organs of the body and produces quick and simple order and responses. ● The nerves connect the sense organs to the brain and spinal cord.

The effectors

The effectors are the organs which carry out the orders from the controllers.

• What else can we do?

Human beings are the animal with the most complex and advanced interaction function, because our brains are very developed.

Because of brain:

-  We have memory.

-  We can learn everything

-  We can communicate.

-  We have a highly developed sensibility.

-  We can have feelings for other people and notice feelings other people have for us.

■ How our senses work

• Senses and the senses organs

Sight and the eyes

The eyes are the sense organs of sight. They work like a camera:

·         Light enters through the pupil.

·         The lens focuses the light and forms an image on the retina.

·         The retina converts the image into signals which it sends to the brain through the optic nerve.

·         The brain interprets the signals and permits us to perceive the shape, colour, etc.

Hearing and the ears

The ears are the sense organs of hearing and they detect vibrations.

·         Vibrations enter through the auditory canal.

·         The eardrum vibrates and transmits the vibration to the cochlea.

·         The cochlea transforms the vibrations into signals and they are sent to the brain through the auditory nerve.

·         The brain interprets the signals as sounds.

Taste and the taste buds on the tongue

The taste buds are the sense organs of taste.

·         For each substance, the taste buds send different signals to the taste nerve.

·         The brain interprets these signals as different tastes.

Smell and nose

The nose is the sense organ of smell.

·         For each substance, the receptors in the nose send different signals to the brain through the olfactory nerve.

·         The brain interprets the signals as different smells.

Touch and receptors in the skin

Skin is the sense organ of touch. It contains a lot of receptors thatare sensitive to temperature and pressure.

·         When the receptors feel something, they send signals to the brain through the nerves.

·         The brain interprets the signals as cold, heat, pain, etc.

NATURAL SCIENCE 4º (UNIT 5 - ECOSYSTEMS)

UNIT 5:  ECOSYSTEMS

■ What is an ecosystem?

● Living things and their surroundings

Where living things live is their habitat.

Each habitat has different physical conditions.

Living things have characteristics and adaptations which permit them to survive in their habitat.

An ecosystem is the combination of a habitat, the living things which live there, and the interaction between them.

● Protecting Ecosystems

In an ecosystem everything is connected and in equilibrium. To protect ecosystems we create protected areas. In these areas is forbidden to pick the plants and flowers, hunt the animals, steal the baby animals, drop litter, etc.

This means that the equilibrium of the ecosystem is not broken.

■ Survival in an ecosystem

● Living things must feed

Living things in and ecosystem must feed to obtain energy and carry out their vital functions.

Living things in food chains:

1. The producers of food

Plants and algae are the producers which use the light from The Sun to transform inorganic substances (water, carbon dioxide) into organic substances, which are their food. This process is photosynthesis.

2. The consumers of food.

They are animals. They feed on plants and algae and other animals. They use the food to obtain energy and grow.

3. The decomposers of food.

They are fungi and bacteria. They obtain energy to live and grow by decomposing the organic substances of other living things. They release inorganic substances which can be used again by the producers of food.

  

● Living things and their adaptations

Every living thing has adaptations which help it to survive and reproduce in its ecosystem.

Adaptations like:

*  A cactus is adapted to living in a desert with little water. Its stem is thick and contains lots of water. It loses little water through evaporation because its leaves are prickles, which are impermeable.

*  A fish is adapted to breathe underwater because of its gills. The gills take oxygen from the water. It is also adapted to swim underwater, because its limbs are fins.

*  A mantis is adapted to live and feed in plants. It is the same colour as the plant and it has spines on its legs to help catch its food.

*  A seal is adapted to live in the polar seas. It has a thick layer of fat to keep it warm and feet like fins to swim.

UNIT 6 LIVING THINGS AND HOW WE USE THEM (4º E.P.)

UNIT 6

LIVING THINGS AND HOW WE USE THEM

■ Human beings and other living things

• Primitive societies and other living things

 In primitive societies, human beings:

*  Collected fruit, roots, leaves, grain, etc.

*  Hunted and fished with simple tools.

*  Cut wood to make fire.

• The development of agriculture and fishing

Later, human beings..

*  They learnt to cultivate plants for food.

*  They domesticated animals for their meat, milk, eggs, wool, skin, etc.

*  They used animals for transport and for ploughing fields.

*  They invented more efficient ways of fishing with nets.

Fishing can take place in rivers, which is fluvial fishing, or in the sea, which is maritime fishing. Today, fish are also cultivated in special water farms; this is called aquaculture.

• Modern society and other living things

Today, the population of the world is very large and we cultivate on a massive scale.

We damage the environment and cause some problems. The problems of modern society are:

-  We cut down forests.

-  We cultivate land so intensively that the soil becomes infertile.

-  We use too many fertilizers and pesticides which pollute the soil and the water.

-  Agriculture and stock farming can change or destroy ecosystems.

-  We fish so much that in many places the fish are running out.

-  Some stocks farms produce waste which is very polluting.

■ Agriculture

• Types of crop farming

*  Cereals like wheat, maize and rice.

*  Fruit and vegetables. We cultivate fruit trees in orchards

*  Vines and olive trees.

*  Crops with industrial uses. We also cultivate sunflowers, sugar beet and cotton. They are used to supply the industries which produce oils, sugar and textiles.

■ Stock farming

• Types of stock farming

*  Sheep and goat farming (ganado ovino). We farm sheep and goats for their meat, milk, wool and skin.

*  Cattle farming (ganado vacuno). We farm cows and bulls for their meat, milk and skin.

*  Pig farming (ganado porcino). We farm pigs for their meat which we eat fresh or cured.

*  Poultry farming (ganado avícola). We farm chickens and ducks for their meat and eggs.

*  Other types of stock farming. We also farm rabbits, pheasants and even exotic animals like ostriches.

NATURAL SCIENCE. UNIT 4:  ANIMALS AND PLANTS

The vital functions in animals

There are three vital functions: nutrition, interaction and reproduction.

● The nutrition function

* Animals eat and digest food.

* Animals breathe by using oxygen from water or air.

* By combining oxygen and the substances from food, animals obtain energy to live and make other substances to grow.

* Animals excrete waste products from their bodies, through sweat, urine, faeces, etc.

● The interaction function

They all have parts of their bodies which help them detect and react to changes.

Most animals have: sense organs, a nervous system and a locomotor system.

● The reproduction function

Reproduction in animals is sexual because it involves two different sexes: the male and the female.

Most animals are unisexual, only one sex:

* Male: they produce sperm.

* Female: they produce ovules.

Some animals, like snails, have two sexes. They are hermaphrodites.

The stages in animal reproduction are:

* Fertilization: it is the union of an ovule and a sperm. The result of the union is called zygote. The embryo grows from the zygote.

* The development of the embryo: in viviparous animals the embryo grows in the mother’s womb. It is called gestation. In oviparous animals the embryo grows inside an egg. It is called incubation.

* Birth: Oviparous animals hatch from eggs. Viviparous animals are born from their mother’s womb.

Plants: nutrition and interaction

● The nutrition function

* Plants absorb water and minerals and these rise to the leaves. Leaves absorb carbon dioxide.

In the leaves, plants make photosynthesis. They use The Sun’s energy, the water and carbon dioxide to make their own food.

* Like animals, plants take oxygen. They combine the food with oxygen to obtain energy and to create substances to grow.

* Plants excrete waste products from their bodies. For example, they excrete oxygen.

● The interaction function

Plants do not have sense organs, a nervous system or a locomotor system.

Despite this, plants react to changes in light, temperature, humidity, etc.

● The parts of a plant and their functions

* The roots grow downwards. They have small hairs that absorb water and minerals. The water and minerals rise up the plant.

* Leaves and photosynthesis. Leaves are generally flat and green. Photosynthesis takes places in the leaves:

- The leaves receive the mixture of water and minerals.

- The leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the air.

- Using The Sun’s energy, water and minerals combined with carbon dioxide and form the substances which are the plant’s food, a liquid called sap.

* The stem and the circulation of sap. The stem grows upwards and supports the branches and leaves. The substances the plant needs circulate through the stem:

- Water and minerals move from the roots to leaves.

- Sap moves from the leaves to other parts of the plant.

Plants: reproduction

● Sexual reproduction

The reproduction of plants is sexual because there are both male and female reproductive organs.

Most plants have reproductive organs in their flowers:

- The stamens are the male organs of the flower. They produce grains of pollen.

- The pistil is the female organ of the flower. It produces and contains ovules.

Most plants have flowers with both stamens and pistil. Some plants have male flowers (with stamens) and female flowers (with pistil).

In most flowers, the stamen and pistil are surrounded by special leaves: the petals of the corolla and the sepals of the calyx.

● The reproduction function in plants

There are different stages:

* Pollination. Wind or insects carry the pollen from the stamen of one plant to the pistils of another.

The union of a grain of pollen and the ovule of the pistil is fertilization.

* The formation of the seed and fruit. The fertilized ovule becomes the seed. The pistil grows and becomes the fruit.

The seeds are usually inside the fruit. Fruit can be hard, like walnut, or soft, like an orange, an apple.

* Dispersal of seeds and germination. Some fruits open to disperse their seeds. Others are eaten by animals, which excrete the seeds with their faeces.

When a seed lands in soil with the right conditions it germinates: a new plant grows (the embryo grows with roots and a stem with leaves). At first it feeds on substances in the seed and then it begins to make its own food.