Shared Gizmo List: 4th Grade Geniuses

From fractions to far out planets, these Gizmos are great to use with your fourth graders.
4th Grade Science

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Shared by an elementary and middle school math and science teacher.

Multiplication

Order of Operations Select and evaluate the operations in an expression following the correct order of operations.
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Function Machines 1 (Functions and Tables) Drop a number into a function machine, and see what number comes out! You can use one of the six pre-set function machines, or program your own function rule into one of the blank machines. Stack up to three function machines together. Input and output can be recorded in a table and on a graph.
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Critter Count (Modeling Multiplication) Use groups of critters on leaves to model multiplication as repeated addition. Change the expression to change the number of groups or the number of critters per group. Display the critters either on leaves or as a rectangular array.
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Fractions

Fraction Garden (Comparing Fractions) Plant flowers in two gardens to help develop fraction sense. The two gardens act as number lines, from 0 to 1. Use the flowers in the gardens to compare fractions and to explore equivalent fractions. Chalk marks can be drawn to divide the garden into equal sections.
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Fraction, Decimal, Percent (Area and Grid Models) Model and compare fractions, decimals, and percents using area models. Each area model can have 10 or 100 sections and can be set to display a fraction, decimal, or percent. Click inside the area models to shade them. Compare the numbers visually or on a number line.
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Geometry

Fido's Flower Bed (Perimeter and Area) Construct models of gardens on a grid using squares of sod. Fence the gardens to find and compare perimeters. Work with pre-built gardens made of 36 squares each to compare perimeters of shapes with equal areas.
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Earth Science

Solar System Explore our solar system and learn the characteristics of each planet. Compare the sizes of planets and their distances from the Sun. Observe the speeds of planetary orbits and measure how long each planet takes to go around the Sun.
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Phases of Water Heat or cool a container of water and observe the phase changes that take place. Use a magnifying glass to observe water molecules as a solid, liquid, or gas. Compare the volumes of the three phases of water.
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Electricity

Circuit Builder Create circuits using batteries, light bulbs, switches, fuses, and a variety of materials. Examine series and parallel circuits, conductors and insulators, and the effects of battery voltage. Thousands of different circuits can be built with this Gizmo.
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Simple Machines

Ants on a Slant (Inclined Plane) Lift food using ants with the help of a slanted stick. The steepness of the stick, the number of ants, and the size of the item being lifted can be varied. Observe the effect of friction on sliding objects.
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Wheel and Axle Use a wheel and axle to move a heavy load. Find out how many athletes it takes to move the load under different conditions. The radii of the wheel and the axle can be adjusted to help study mechanical advantage.
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Pulleys Lift a variety of heavy objects (armchair, safe, piano) using pulleys and a rope. Systems of one, two, four, or six pulleys can be used. Up to six people can be used to pull on the rope, which adds force (effort).
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Levers Use a lever to lift a pig, turkey, or sheep. A strongman provides up to 1000 newtons of effort. The fulcrum, strongman, and animals can be moved to any position to create first-, second-, or third-class levers.
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Life Science

Digestive System Digestion is a complex process, involving a wide variety of organs and chemicals that work together to break down food, absorb nutrients, and eliminate wastes. But have you ever wondered what would happen if some of those organs were eliminated, or if the sequence was changed? Can the digestive system be improved? Find out by designing your own digestive system with the Digestive System Gizmo.
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Elapsed Time Calculate the difference between the times given by two analog clocks. Rotate the hands of the clocks to change the time and see how the calculation changes.
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Exponents and Power Rules Choose the correct steps to simplify expressions with exponents using the rules of exponents and powers. Use feedback to diagnose incorrect steps.
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Balancing Chemical Equations Balance and classify five types of chemical reactions: synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, and combustion. While balancing the reactions, the number of atoms on each side is presented as visual, histogram, and numerical data.
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Food Chain In this ecosystem consisting of hawks, snakes, rabbits and grass, the population of each species can be studied as part of a food chain. Disease can be introduced for any species, and the number of animals can be increased or decreased at any time, just like in the real world.
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Using Algebraic Equations Translate equations into English sentences and translate English sentences into equations. Read the equation or sentence and select word tiles or symbol tiles to form the corresponding sentence or equation.
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Hearing: Frequency and Volume Test your hearing range by listening to low-, medium-, and high-frequency sounds. Compare the relative loudness of sounds at each frequency to create an equal-loudness curve. In a quiet room, measure your threshold of audibility for each frequency, and compare your results to others. The volume of each sound can be adjusted.
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