pdf CurioSteps STEM (Grade 4): *My Connected World* (CurioSteps STEM Series)

Grade 4 is where science starts to connect. Children move beyond learning isolated facts and begin understanding how systems work together. Habitats become networks of living things, rocks become part of Earth's continuous cycle, machines become tools that change force and motion, and light and sound reveal how the world works around us.

My Connected World is Book 4 in the CurioSteps STEM Series, a twelve-book journey from Grades 1–12 created by Francis Mushi, PhD, MBA. Designed for children ages 9–10, this engaging, full-colour workbook brings Grade 4 science to life through hands-on investigation, critical thinking, creativity, and fun.

Using the unique S.P.A.R.K. Learning Model, every chapter guides children through five simple steps:

• See It – Observe and explore
• Predict It – Make a scientific prediction
• Act It Out – Complete a hands-on activity
• Reason It – Discover the science behind it
• Keep It – Reflect, draw, write, and share

Across 28 chapters and 5 curriculum-aligned units, children explore:

• Asking testable questions
• Fair tests and variables
• Measuring and recording data
• Coding with loops

• Living things and their needs
• Producers, consumers, and decomposers
• Food chains and food webs
• Adaptations and conservation

• Mineral properties and hardness
• Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks
• Weathering and erosion
• The rock cycle

• Simple machines
• Levers, ramps, wedges, and pulleys
• Gears and gear trains
• Engineering design and improvement

• Light sources and shadows
• Reflection and transparency
• Vibrations and sound
• Pitch and volume

Children learn alongside five recurring characters: Nova, Bolt, Squeaky, Bot, and Dr. Sam, who appear throughout the CurioSteps series. A unique feature in every chapter is “Bot’s Silly Mistake,” where children identify and correct a science error, strengthening their understanding through problem solving.

To keep learners motivated, the book includes:

• 34 collectible badges
• 139 star points
• A Curiosity Passport
• A game in every chapter
• Family STEM Missions
• Choose-Your-Path activities
• A Championship Challenge and certificate

The book also features 6 hands-on investigations using common household materials, including building a habitat in a jar, creating simple pulleys, testing mineral hardness, modeling erosion, and exploring sound vibrations.

Additional resources include:

• Design Sketchbook pages
• Habitat Watch journal
• STEM scavenger hunts
• A 33-word science glossary
• Full answer key
• Ontario curriculum mapping
• STEM career profiles

Aligned with the Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum (2022), My Connected World helps children build scientific thinking, creativity, problem-solving skills, and confidence through meaningful hands-on learning.

More than a workbook, it is an invitation to explore, question, discover, and think like a scientist.

CurioSteps STEM Series • Grades 1–12 • Building Future Innovators, One Step at a Time.