CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY

Science CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY

Skills Builder 4
Science
Skills Builder

E
Cambridge Primary Science Skills Builder Activity Books are the latest addition to the
Cambridge Primary Science course. This is a flexible and engaging course written specifically for the
Cambridge Primary Science Curriculum Framework Stages to 6. The course is based on an enquiry-led

4
approach focussed on making the pupils think and work scientifically, understanding key concepts and using
scientific research methods to find answers to questions. The language throughout the course is pitched to

PL
EAL / ESL learners with illustrations and diagrams supporting visual understanding and learning.

The Skills Builder Activity Books are carefully designed to provide consolidation activities for children who need
extra teaching and learning opportunities in order to meet the required standard for success in the Cambridge
Primary framework. It also focusses on ESL children who are still finding their scientific literacy is a barrier to
success in science.

Skills Builder Activity Book 4 consists of:

This resource is endorsed for learner support
A full range of activities which support the full breadth of by Cambridge International Examinations
the Cambridge Primary Curriculum Science at Grade 4

M
Carefully levelled activities which help gently raise a child’s ✓ Provides
 learner support as part of a set of
science literacy, understanding and performance to match resources for the Cambridge Primary Science
that of their peers curriculum framework from 2011
Helpful guidance and tips to help teachers or parents
explain key scientific methods and concepts before each ✓ Has
 passed Cambridge’s rigorous
quality-assurance process
exercise.

SA
For the first time, this flexible resource offers motivational ✓ Developed by subject experts
parents the Cambridge way for Science work at home.
✓ For Cambridge schools worldwide

Cambridge University Press works with Cambridge International Examinations and

experienced authors, to produce high-quality endorsed textbooks and software that
support Cambridge Teachers and encourage Cambridge Learners.
Visit education.cambridge.org/cambridgeprimary for information on our full range
of Cambridge Primary titles.
Fiona Baxter and Liz Dilley
Contents
Introduction 4
1 Humans and animals 5
1.1 Skeletons 6
1.2 The human skeleton 7
1.4 Skeletons and movement 9
1.6 How medicines work 11
2 Living things and environments 14

E
2.1 Amazing birds 15
2.2 A habitat for snails 17
2.4 Identification keys 18

2.7 Wonderful water

PL
2.5 Identifying invertebrates

2.8 Recycling can save the Earth

3 Solids, liquids and gases
3.1 Matter
3.3 How do solids, liquids and gases behave?
3.4 Melting, freezing and boiling
20
22
23
24
25
26
28
M
3.6 Melting and boiling points 31
4 Sound 33
4.1 Sound travels through materials 34
4.3 How sound travels 36
SA

4.4 Loud and soft sounds 37

4.5 Sound volume 38
4.7 High and low sounds 40
4.8 Pitch on percussion instruments 42
4.9 Having fun with wind instruments 43
5 Electricity and magnetism 44
5.2 Components and a simple circuit 45
5.3 Switches 46
5.6 Mains electricity 47
5.7 Magnets in everyday life 48
5.8 Magnetic poles 50
Answers 52
Glossary 58
 Introduction
This series of primary science activity books
complements Cambridge Primary Science and
promotes, through practice, learner confidence
and depth of knowledge in the skills of scientific
enquiry (SE) and key scientific vocabulary and
concepts. These activity books will:
• enhance and extend learners’ scientific
knowledge and facts
• promote scientific enquiry skills and learning
in order to think like a scientist
• advance each learner’s knowledge and use
of scientific vocabulary and concepts in their
correct context.
The Skills Builder activity books consolidate core
PL
topics that learners have already covered in the
classroom, providing those learners with that
extra reinforcement of SE skills, vocabulary topic
knowledge and understanding. They have been
written with a focus on scientific literacy with ESL/
EAL learners in mind.
How to use the activity books
M
These activity books have been designed for use
by individual learners, either in the classroom or
at home. As teachers and as parents, you can
decide how and when they are used by your
learner to best improve their progress. The Skills
Builder activity books target specific topics
SA
(lessons) from Grades 1–6 from all the units
covered in Cambridge Primary Science. This
targeted approach has been carefully designed
to consolidate topics where help is most needed.
How to use the units
Unit introduction
Each unit starts with an introduction for you as
the teacher or parent. It clearly sets out which topics
are covered in the unit and the learning objectives
of the activities in each section. This is where you
can work with learners to select all, most or just
one of the sections according to individual needs.
The introduction also provides advice and tips
on how best to support the learner in the skills
of scientific enquiry and in the practice of key
scientific vocabulary.
4 Introduction
Sections
Each section matches a corresponding lesson in
the main series. Sections contain write-in activities
that are supported by:
• Key words – key vocabulary for the topic, also
highlighted in bold in the sections
• Key facts – a short fact to support the activities
where relevant
• Look and learn – where needed, activities
E
are supported with scientific exemplars for
extra support of how to treat a concept or
scientific method
• Remember – tips for the learner to steer them
in the right direction.
How to approach the write-in activities
Teachers and parents are advised to provide students
with a blank A5 notebook at the start of each grade
for learners to use alongside these activity books.
Most activities will provide enough space for the
answers required. However, some learner responses –
especially to enquiry-type questions – may require
more space for notes. Keeping notes and plans
models how scientists work and encourages learners
to explore and record their thinking, leaving the
activity books for the final, more focused answers.
Think about it questions
Each unit also contains some questions for discussion
at home with parents, or at school. Although learners
will record the outcomes of their discussions in
the activity book, these questions are intended to
encourage the students to think more deeply.
Self-assessment
Each section in the unit ends with a self-assessment
opportunity for learners: empty circles with short
learning statements. Teachers or parents can ask
learners to complete the circles in a number of
ways, depending on their age and preference,
e.g. with faces, traffic light colours or numbers. The
completed self-assessments provide teachers with a
clearer understanding of how best to progress and
support individual learners.
Glossary of key words and concepts
At the end of each activity book there is a glossary
of key scientific words and concepts arranged by
unit. Learners are regularly reminded to practise
saying these words out loud and in sentences to
improve communication skills in scientific literacy.
1 Humans and animals

What learners will practise and reinforce

The activities in this Skills Builder unit give learners further practice
in the following topics in the Learner’s Book and Activity Book:

Topic In this topic, learners will:

E
identify animals with a skeleton and name parts of
1.1 Skeletons
the human skeleton
know that there are different types of bones in the
1.2 The human skeleton

1.3 Why do we need a

skeleton?
1.4 Skeletons and
movement
1.5 Drugs as medicines
PLhuman skeleton

see Challenge, Section 1.3

show how muscles contract and relax to make

us move
see Challenge, Section 1.5
M
understand that medicines work by killing germs and
1.6 How medicines work
identify safe ways to take medicines
SA

Help your learner

In this unit, learners will practise collecting evidence in a

variety of contexts (Section 1.6). To help them: TEACHING TIP

Ask learners to look at

1 Show learners different medicines at home. Talk about
this unit’s key words and
what symptoms they treat and how to use them. This
concepts in the glossary.
will help them to understand why, how and when we
Learners will remember
take medicines.
key words better if they
2 Make sure learners know they must never take medicine say them aloud and use
unless you or the doctor tell them to. them in sentences.

1 Humans and animals

5
 1 .1 Skeletons skeleton, bones

Skeleton or no skeleton?
1 Look at the pictures. Put a tick (✔) in the box next to the animals that
have a skeleton. Put a cross (✗) in the box next to the animals that do
not have a skeleton.

E
2

3
PL
What are the bones in your head called?
_______________________________________________________________________
What are the bones in your chest called?
M
_______________________________________________________________________
4 What is the row of bones in your back called?
_______________________________________________________________________
SA

5 What is a single bone in your back called?

_______________________________________________________________________

CHECK YOUR LEARNING

I can identify animals that have a skeleton.

I can name some of the bones in the human body.

6 1.1 Skeletons
 1 .2 The human skeleton irregular, spine

skull
Name the bones of
the skeleton
Look at the drawing of jaw bone
the human skeleton.
Six of the bones do not ear
shoulder bones
have the right names. blade

E
vertebra
elbow

thumb bone

finger bones
PL hip bone

rib
M
wrist
collar bone
SA

1 Put a cross (✗)) next to the shin bone

six incorrect names.

knee cap

thigh bone

ankle

toe bone 1 Humans and animals

7
 2 Complete the table. Write down the incorrect names in the first column.
Then write the correct names in the second column.

Incorrect names Correct names

E
3

short flat long

PL
Use the words in the word box to complete the sentences about bones.

irregular bone skeleton

M
We have a strong frame inside our bodies called a _________________.
This frame is made of _______________. The skull is made of
________________ bones. We find __________________ bones
SA

in our arms and legs and _________________ bones in our fingers

and toes. The bones of the spine are _______________________.

CHECK YOUR LEARNING

I can name some of the bones of the human skeleton.

I can identify different types of bones in the skeleton.

8 1.2 The human skeleton

 1 .4 Skeletons and movement muscles, contracts, relaxes

Look and learn KEY FACTS

Your skeleton supports your body. It gets bigger The main functions
as you grow. Choose a bone that can be easily
measured, such as your lower arm or your shin
of the skeleton are
bone. Write down how long it is. Now measure growth, movement,
the same bone on someone younger than support and protection.
you. Also measure the same bone on an adult.

E
What is the difference in size? If you took the
same measurements in a year’s time, how will
they have changed on each person?

1
PL
Explain the way that muscles work
Complete the sentences to explain the way the muscles
in your arm work. Use each of the words in the box once.
M
pairs contracts relaxes shorter longer
SA

When I lift a weight, the muscle at the front of my arm _________________

and gets _________________. The muscle at the back of my arm
_________________ and gets _________________. This shows that
muscles work in ________________.

Remember:

Muscles are needed for movement. Try lifting a weight such as

book or school bag. Feel how the muscles in your arm change
as your arm moves upwards.

1 Humans and animals

9
 2 Label the diagram to show what happens to your arm muscles
when you lower your arm.

E
arm drops

PL
M
SA

Remember:

The skeleton cannot move on its own. There are muscles

attached to the bones of the skeleton. Muscles work by
pulling on the bones they are joined to.

CHECK YOUR LEARNING

I can explain the way muscles contract and relax to make the body move.
I can show on a diagram how muscles work.

10 1.4 Skeletons and movement

 1 .6 How medicines work symptoms, prescribes, medicine, cure, germs, treat

Describe the way different medicines work

Umar, Zara and Nor are at the
clinic with their mother, Mrs
Suppiah. The children have
different symptoms. Umar has
a bad cough. Zara has a sore

E
throat. Little Nor has insect bites
on her arms and legs which itch.
She wants to scratch them all
the time.
The children see Dr Tan. She
examines each child. Then she
PL
prescribes a different medicine for each child.
M
We need to kill the
germs causing your sore
That’s a nasty throat, Zara. Take one of these Mum will rub
SA

cough, Umar. This pills with a glass of water twice a this ointment on Make sure Zara
medicine will cure it. day – once after breakfast and your bites to stop them takes her medicine
Take two of these cupfuls once before you go to sleep itching. Try not to for the whole five
three times a day. at night. scratch them, Nor. days, even if she
feels better.

1 Humans and animals

11
 Answer these questions.
1 Draw lines linking each child with their symptoms.

Umar sore throat

Zara itchy skin

Nor cough

E
2 Draw lines linking each symptom with the medicine that Dr Tan gives
the child.

sore throat

itchy skin

cough
PL ointment

cough medicine

pills
M
3 How many times a day must Zara take her medicine?
_______________________________________________________________________
SA

4 What advice does Dr Tan give Nor?

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
5 What advice does Dr Tan give Mrs Suppiah?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

12 1.6 How medicines work

6 a) Write down the name of one medicine you have taken.
_______________________________________________________________________
b) What illness did the medicine treat?
_______________________________________________________________________
c) How often did you take the medicine?
_______________________________________________________________________
d) Did the medicine cure your illness?

E
_______________________________________________________________________

7 Think about it!

PL
Ask an adult at home to show you some medicines. Write down their
names. What illnesses do you think they treat? Read the labels and see
how you must take the medicine.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
M
CHECK YOUR LEARNING

I know that we take medicine to treat an illness.

SA

I know that it is important to follow the instructions

for taking medicine.

1 Humans and animals

13