Welcome to 6th grade scienceCurriculum Outline
Unit One: Particulate Nature of Matter This is an introduction to the particulate nature of matter. Students will use the context of how smells travel to investigate the role of particles and their motion in explaining how matter behaves. Unit Two: Earth, Moon and Sun System The Sun-Earth-Moon system has patterns of motion that can explain what we see in our sky (moon phases & eclipses) and what we experience as seasons. In this unit, students will generate and examine several models to refine their understanding of scale and patterns. Unit Three: Earth Systems In this unit, students will examine geoscience processes and their effects on Earth's surface at varying times and spatial scales. Large scale changes in the Earth's crust require large scale energy transformations. Skill development includes identifying appropriate evidence to document and describe these changes. Students will develop and use models to explain these phenomena. Unit Four: Weather and Climate Students use storms as the context for exploring the effects of uneven heating and energy distribution in the atmosphere. They examine the role of ocean currents, the water cycle, and convection currents in redistributing energy throughout the earth systems. Unit Five: Human Impact Using a stream table, students explore different interactions between land and water. They learn how water shapes the land and, in turn, how land directs the flow of water. Students use these ideas to help them determine the extent of an groundwater contaminant and select an environmental clean up plan. Unit Six: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems Students consider what happens when a new species is introduced into an ecosystem as they model ecological relationships within an ecosystem, simulate the effect of competition, predation and other factors on population size, and investigate local ecosystems. |