Top Science 4PRIMARY

179225 _ 0001-0005.indd 1 23/05/11 15:26

UNIT TOPICS HaNdS ON! YOUr TUrN! I CaN OUr wOrld

1 Inside your body6

Nutrition and respiration. Blood circulation. Collecting data Reflect on the importance of blood donations

A healthy digestive system

2 Keeping healthy 16

Healthy habits prevent illness. Food and nutrients. A healthy diet. Interpreting a bar chart Good posture Identify healthy habits Clowns in hospital

3 Plants 28

Parts of plants. Plant nutrition. Plant reproduction. Make a bar chart Make a decision about protecting plants

Botanical gardens

4 Minerals, rocks and soil40

Rocks. Minerals. Soil. How to describe rocks

Making a mineral collection Choose the best soil for a plant

Protecting our soil

5 Ecosystems52

What is an ecosystem? Relationships in ecosystems. Protecting ecosystems.

Describing a nature reserve Behave properly in a nature reserve

We are all part of the Earth’s ecosystem

TERM REVISION

6 Matter66

Matter and its properties. Changes in matter. Materials. Classifying materials Choosing the right materials Choose the right material The three Rs

7 Forces and energy78

Forces. Energy. Uses of energy. Testing a hypothesis Sir Isaac Newton Save energy Consumption and energy

8 Light90

The propagation of light. Light and colours. Using a word processor Choose the best light bulb Perfect eyesight

9 Where we live100

Municipalities and comarcas. Autonomous Communities. How to read a political map Appreciate other Autonomous Communities

Different languages

10 Landscapes110

The relief of Spain. Rivers and climate. Flora and fauna. How to use the scale on a map

Draw a route on a sketch map

Making good use of technology

TERM REVISION

11 Population and traditions124

Population. Traditions and festivals. How to interpret a line graph Make a file card about population

Traditions with animals

12 Economic activities134

The primary sector in Spain. The secondary sector in Spain. The tertiary sector in Spain.

Road and transport networks From cotton to T-shirts Appreciate other people’s jobs

Equal jobs for men and women

13 Political institutions146

How the state is organised. How citizens participate. Declaration of the Rights of the Child

Write a code of conduct Respect for others

14 Life thousands of years ago 156

How primitive human beings lived. Roman times. Medieval times. Make a Roman mosaic Behave properly in a museum

Putting our heritage to good use

15 Life hundreds of years ago 168

The Age of Exploration. The Industrial Revolution. Life in present times.

Learn to write a biography Discover ways to get to know new places

The richness of diversity

TERM REVISION GLOSSARY

CONTENTS

2 two

179225 _ 0001-0005.indd 2 23/05/11 15:26

UNIT TOPICS HaNdS ON! YOUr TUrN! I CaN OUr wOrld

Inside your body6

Nutrition and respiration. Blood circulation. Collecting data Reflect on the importance of blood donations

A healthy digestive system

Keeping healthy 16

Healthy habits prevent illness. Food and nutrients. A healthy diet. Interpreting a bar chart Good posture Identify healthy habits Clowns in hospital

Plants 28

Parts of plants. Plant nutrition. Plant reproduction. Make a bar chart Make a decision about protecting plants

Botanical gardens

Minerals, rocks and soil40

Rocks. Minerals. Soil. How to describe rocks

Making a mineral collection Choose the best soil for a plant

Protecting our soil

Ecosystems52

What is an ecosystem? Relationships in ecosystems. Protecting ecosystems.

Describing a nature reserve Behave properly in a nature reserve

We are all part of the Earth’s ecosystem

TERM REVISION

Matter66

Matter and its properties. Changes in matter. Materials. Classifying materials Choosing the right materials Choose the right material The three Rs

Forces and energy78

Forces. Energy. Uses of energy. Testing a hypothesis Sir Isaac Newton Save energy Consumption and energy

Light90

The propagation of light. Light and colours. Using a word processor Choose the best light bulb Perfect eyesight

Where we live100

Municipalities and comarcas. Autonomous Communities. How to read a political map Appreciate other Autonomous Communities

Different languages

Landscapes110

The relief of Spain. Rivers and climate. Flora and fauna. How to use the scale on a map

Draw a route on a sketch map

Making good use of technology

TERM REVISION

Population and traditions124

Population. Traditions and festivals. How to interpret a line graph Make a file card about population

Traditions with animals

Economic activities134

The primary sector in Spain. The secondary sector in Spain. The tertiary sector in Spain.

Road and transport networks From cotton to T-shirts Appreciate other people’s jobs

Equal jobs for men and women

Political institutions146

How the state is organised. How citizens participate. Declaration of the Rights of the Child

Write a code of conduct Respect for others

Life thousands of years ago 156

How primitive human beings lived. Roman times. Medieval times. Make a Roman mosaic Behave properly in a museum

Putting our heritage to good use

Life hundreds of years ago 168

The Age of Exploration. The Industrial Revolution. Life in present times.

Learn to write a biography Discover ways to get to know new places

The richness of diversity

TERM REVISION GLOSSARY

13 15 15

25 19 27 27

37 39 39

49 45 51 51

61 63 63

75 73 77 77

80 87 89 89

97 99 99

107 109 109

119 121 121

131 133 133

143 139 145 145

153 155 155

165 167 167

177 179 179

3three

179225 _ 0001-0005.indd 3 23/05/11 15:26

6 six

Freediving

Did you know that people breathe between

12 and 20 times every minute? Most people need

to take in air at least every 30 or 40 seconds.

Freediving is a watersport that consists of holding

your breath while diving underwater to great

depths. It is a highly dangerous sport and an

extreme test of lung capacity. Freediving needs

special training.

Herbert Nitsch is an Austrian freediver who set

the current world record for freediving. In 2007

he dived to the incredible depth of 214 metres. He

didn’t breathe in air for four minutes!

• What is freediving?

• Can you practise this sport without training?

• How often do people usually need to breathe?

• Why do divers need to go up to the surface of the water?

• How deep did Herbert Nitsch dive in 2007?

Inside your body1

THINK ABOUT

1.1

179225 _ 0006-0015.indd 6 23/05/11 15:15

7seven

1. Copy the pictures and label the parts of the body and the organs.

Outside your bodyThe main parts of your body are the head, the trunk and the limbs. The trunk is divided into two parts: the thorax and the abdomen.

Inside your bodyThere are different organs inside your body to make it work. Some organs are the muscles, the bones, the brain, the heart and the lungs.

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER?

IN THIS UNIT, YOU WILL…

• Describe the digestive process and the organs involved.

• Learn about the respiratory system, its function and its organs.

• Find out how the circulatory system works.

• Discover the functions of kidneys and how they work.

• Learn to collect and organise data.

• Understand the importance of blood donations.

arm

1.1

179225 _ 0006-0015.indd 7 23/05/11 15:15

eight8

Nutrition and respiration

The digestive processWe need to take in food for our body to function. Food travels through the different organs of the digestive system. In this process, it is broken down into small parts called nutrients that our body can absorb.

Digestion is the process that enables us to obtain nutrients from the food we eat. As a result of this process, nutrients pass into the blood.

Waste and undigested food are excreted from the body as faeces.

1

We need airIn addition to nutrients, we also need oxygen to live. Oxygen is a gas found in the air we breathe. Breathing is when our bodies obtain oxygen from the air and release carbon dioxide.

The respiratory system is the group of organs that carry out the function of breathing.

3

The respiratory systemAir takes the following path through our body:

When we breathe in, air enters the body through the nose or mouth.

Then it travels down a long tube called the trachea.

Next, it continues through two pipes called the bronchi to the lungs.

The lungs are the most important organs of the respiratory system. Here, oxygen passes from the air into the blood.

Finally, we breathe out to expel carbon dioxide.

4

The digestive systemThe digestive system is a long tube that starts in the mouth and ends in the anus.

Digestion begins when we chew food in our mouth and mix it with saliva.

This mixture goes down the oesophagus to the stomach.

In the stomach, it mixes with gastric juices.

Next, the mixture passes into the small intestine as a thick liquid. Here, nutrients are absorbed and pass into the blood.

Any undigested food and waste continue on to the large intestine, where water is absorbed and faeces are formed.

Finally, faeces are excreted through the anus.

2

Food contains nutrients as well as other substances.

food

nutrients waste

The digestive system.

mouth

stomach

large intestine

small intestine

oesophagus

anus

1.2

1.3

179225 _ 0006-0015.indd 8 23/05/11 15:15

9nine

We need airIn addition to nutrients, we also need oxygen to live. Oxygen is a gas found in the air we breathe. Breathing is when our bodies obtain oxygen from the air and release carbon dioxide.

The respiratory system is the group of organs that carry out the function of breathing.

3

The respiratory systemAir takes the following path through our body:

When we breathe in, air enters the body through the nose or mouth.

Then it travels down a long tube called the trachea.

Next, it continues through two pipes called the bronchi to the lungs.

The lungs are the most important organs of the respiratory system. Here, oxygen passes from the air into the blood.

Finally, we breathe out to expel carbon dioxide.

4

oesophagus

air

oxygen

For every 100 parts air there are 21 parts oxygen.

trachea

Diagram of the respiratory system.

bronchi

lungs

Questions

1. What does the digestive system do? And the respiratory system?

2. Put in order the sequence of organs in the digestive process.

oesophagus – small intestine – stomach – anus – mouth – large intestine

3. Is this sentence true? Explain.

The respiratory system makes it possible for air to pass into our body.

4. Is it possible to live in a space that does not contain any air? Explain.

1.3

179225 _ 0006-0015.indd 9 23/05/11 15:15

10 ten

ExcretionOur body produces waste substances that can make us ill. Blood is continuously collecting waste from all parts of the body. For this reason, blood has to be cleaned.

Excretion is the process in which blood is cleaned and waste substances are eliminated. The excretory system is responsible for this process.

The kidneys are the organs that filter blood and remove waste substances from it. They produce urine, which is a mixture of waste substances and water.

Urine is stored in the bladder until it is expelled from the body.

3

Blood vesselsBlood vessels are hollow tubes that are distributed throughout our body and circulate our blood. An adult’s body has about four to six litres of blood in this closed circuit.

There are three types of blood vessels:

Arteries and veins are thick. Arteries carry blood away from the heart to other organs. Veins carry blood back to the heart.

Capillaries connect veins and arteries. They are thin and fragile: that is why you bleed when you have a cut in any part of your body.

1

Blood circulationBlood is continuously moving inside our body. This movement is called blood circulation. Blood circulation is the process by which blood flows to distribute oxygen and nutrients to different parts of the body and carries away waste substances.

The circulatory system is formed by:

Blood: a red liquid which transports substances throughout the body.

Blood vessels: arteries, veins and capillaries.

The heart: an organ made up of muscles that are working all the time. The heart is connected to the blood vessels and pumps blood through them to all parts of the body.

2

Blood circulation

heart

blood vessels

Blood. A ten year old boy has about two litres of blood in his body.

The heart. The heart is situated in the thorax, between the lungs.

1.4

179225 _ 0006-0015.indd 10 23/05/11 15:15

11eleven

ExcretionOur body produces waste substances that can make us ill. Blood is continuously collecting waste from all parts of the body. For this reason, blood has to be cleaned.

Excretion is the process in which blood is cleaned and waste substances are eliminated. The excretory system is responsible for this process.

The kidneys are the organs that filter blood and remove waste substances from it. They produce urine, which is a mixture of waste substances and water.

Urine is stored in the bladder until it is expelled from the body.

3

kidneys

bladder

The kidneys. Are the kidneys found in the thorax or the abdomen?

Questions

1. Which of these drawings represents the circulatory system? Explain your answer.

2. Explain the function of the kidneys.

3. Look at the photos. Put your fingers on your wrist or your neck until you find your pulse. Take your pulse for one minute when you are relaxed. Now, jump six times and take your pulse again. What is the difference? Why do you think this happens?

A B

1.4

179225 _ 0006-0015.indd 11 23/05/11 15:15

12 twelve

Copy and complete the sentences.2

Correct these false sentences.3

Copy and complete the text.4

a. In the .......... food is broken down into small parts called .......... .

b. Undigested food forms .......... .

c. Air contains a gas necessary for living things called .......... .

d. Oxygen passes to our body through the .......... which are organs in the .......... .

a. Blood is inside some organs like the stomach.

b. The heart stops moving to rest.

c. The heart heats blood.

d. The heart cleans blood and produces urine.

Blood is contained in the .......... . The thick ones are the .......... and the .......... . The .......... are thin and fragile.

.......... is the movement of blood throughout our body. The .......... is the organ that makes blood circulation possible.

anus lungs

stomach trachea

intestines mouth bronchi

faeces lungs respiratory system nutrients digestive system oxygen

circulation arteries heart blood vessels veins capillaries

Activities

Copy the drawings and label them.1

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

179225 _ 0006-0015.indd 12 23/05/11 15:15

13thirteen

Hands on!

Collecting data

Scientists, doctors and many other people need to collect data. They need to write down what they observe, for example, the temperature of a patient.

Michael is ill in hospital. The nurse takes his temperature with a thermometer three times a day and writes it down in a notebook. Then, she informs the doctor. The doctor prescribes medicines so that Michael gets better.

Monday: 39 ºC 39 ºC 38 ºC

Tuesday: 38 ºC 38 ºC 37 ºC

Wednesday: 38 ºC 37 ºC 37 ºC

Do this experiment to collect data about breathing:

– Materials: a clock with a second hand or a stopwatch; a sheet of paper.

– Sit down and relax. Count how many times you take in air in one minute. Write it down.

– Now, run fast for a minute. Sit down and count how many times you breathe in air in one minute. Write it down.

– Rest for five minutes and repeat the process.

– Use a table like this to record the results.

Breaths per minute

When relaxed

After running for a minute

After resting for five minutes

Write a report with the following sections:

a. A description of the experiment. b. The results obtained.

179225 _ 0006-0015.indd 13 23/05/11 15:15

I can

14 fourteen

Read the summary. 1

Copy and complete. Use the information from the summary.2

Revision

Inside your bodyThe digestive system breaks down food into small parts called nutrients that our body can absorb. The digestive system is a long tube that starts in the mouth and finishes in the anus. Other organs of the digestive system are the stomach, the small intestine and the large intestine.

The respiratory system is the group of organs that helps our body obtain oxygen from the air. The trachea, the bronchi and the lungs are the main organs.

The circulatory system moves the blood inside our body. The heart pumps the blood through the blood vessels.

The excretory system cleans the blood. The kidneys produce urine.

INSIDE YOUR BODY

The digestive system

Some organs are:

The respiratory system

Some organs are:

The circulatory system

Some parts are:

………………………

………………………………

veins

………………………

1.5

179225 _ 0006-0015.indd 14 23/05/11 15:15

I can

15fifteen

Reflect on the importance of blood donations

Sometimes hospitals need blood for surgery when people have accidents or they are very ill. Blood donors are healthy people, over eighteen years old, who donate half a litre of their blood. This blood can save many lives. The blood is analysed and stored in a blood bank until it is needed. After a blood donation, the volunteer receives some food and drink to recover quickly.

Donating blood is a generous contribution. It is not dangerous and only takes half an hour!

What is a blood donor?

What is the donor’s blood used for?

Make a poster to promote blood donations. Explain why it is important to be a donor.

A healthy digestive system

To keep the digestive system healthy, we should take care of our teeth and eat food that is rich in fibre.

To avoid getting cavities in our teeth, we should brush them after every meal. We should not eat too many sweets, and we should visit the dentist every six months.

Fibre helps food travel through the digestive system. We should eat foods rich in fibre, such as fruit, vegetables, pulses and wholemeal bread.

Peter likes eating lots of sweets and cakes. Explain why this is not healthy for his digestive system. What habits are good for him? Explain why.

OUR WORLD

179225 _ 0006-0015.indd 15 23/05/11 15:15