Grade 4 · Life Science · FireFlash pack
Follow how animals sense clues and respond.
An owl hears a rustle under the leaves, and a bat finds its way by listening for echoes. Animal Senses follows six animals as they take in clues from the world around them, then builds a model of how a clue becomes an action.
Already have an unlock code? Unlock this pack, then open it in FireFlash.
What students investigate
Each animal shows one sense at work. A mule deer notices movement by sight, an owl finds nearby animals by hearing, a salmon follows familiar stream odors, a gray seal feels water movement with its whiskers, some bats locate objects by returning echoes, and a shark senses nearby water changes with its lateral line.
Then students put the pieces together. A deer can receive several kinds of clues at once, a model connects sensing, the brain and an action, and changing a clue can change what the model predicts. The last card uses evidence to test an explanation of what an animal did.
Who it is for
Animal Senses is written for Grade 4 life science. It follows Structures & Functions, which looks at the body parts animals use, and connects to Light & Reflection through how eyes receive light.
Words like echolocation and lateral line are taught with a picture of the animal before any question asks about them.
What students learn
10 learning ideas, one at a time. Each one is a silent animated Learn card, then Review and Mastery questions.
- A mule deer can use sight to notice movement.
- An owl can use hearing to find nearby animals.
- A salmon can use familiar stream odors as clues.
- A gray seal can sense water movement with whiskers.
- Some bats use returning echoes to locate objects.
- A shark can sense nearby water changes with its lateral line.
- A deer can receive several kinds of sensory clues.
- A model can connect sensing, brain processing, and action.
- Changing a clue can change what a model predicts.
- Evidence helps test explanations of animal behavior.
Science words in this pack
Each word is taught on its Learn card, then used again in Review and Mastery.
- sight
- hearing
- odor
- whiskers
- echo
- echolocation
- lateral line
- clue
- model
- brain
- predict
- evidence
Inside the pack
How it works in class
- Learn. 10 silent whiteboard animations, one idea per card. No audio, so it works on a classroom screen or a quiet device.
- Review. 30 practice questions with feedback. Ideas a student misses come back.
- Mastery. 30 questions to show what each student knows on their own.
- Certificate. A student who finishes can print a certificate or save it as a PDF. It shows first-try Review and Mastery results and the ideas that needed a retry.
Standards connections
These cards support parts of the following NGSS performance expectations. They do not replace hands-on investigations.
- 4-LS1-2 — core ideas
Questions teachers ask
Which animals does it use?
A mule deer, an owl, a salmon, a gray seal, a bat and a shark.
Does it explain how the brain works?
At a Grade 4 level. A simple model shows a sense taking in a clue, the brain processing it, and the animal responding.
How do I open it after buying?
Enter your unlock code on the Unlock page, then share the pack with students from Share with students.
Get Animal Senses
Already have an unlock code? Unlock this pack, then open it in FireFlash.