Download Sixth Grade Science Standards Content Standard: Performance

Sixth Grade Science Standards
Content Standard:
Performance Expectations:
Enabling Knowledge:
6-8
PS3D
Describe how to demonstrate that
visible light from the Sun is made up of
different colors.
Draw and label a diagram showing that
for an object to be seen, light must
come directly from the object or from
an external source reflected from the
object, end enter the eye.
Students will understand that light is
one of nine forms of energy.
Visible light from the Sun is
made up of a mixture of all
colors of light. To see an
object, light emitted or
reflected by that object must
enter the eye.
(Enduring Understanding: Energy
and matter interact resulting in
energy transfers and transformations.
There are multiple forms of energy.)
(Forms of energy: kinetic energy;
potential energy; thermal or heat energy;
chemical energy; electrical energy;
electrochemical energy; electromagnetic
energy (light); sound energy; nuclear
energy.)
6-8
PS3F
Contrast a light wave with a sound
wave by identifying that both have
characteristic wavelengths, but light
waves can travel through a vacuum
while sound waves cannot.
Explain that sound is caused by a
vibrating object.
Energy can be transferred from
one place to another through
waves. Waves include
vibrations in materials. Sound
and earthquake waves are
examples. These and other
waves move at different speeds
in different materials.
(Enduring Understanding: Energy
and matter interact resulting in
energy transfers and transformations.
There are multiple forms of energy.)
Students will understand that visible
light is all the colors that we see.
Students will understand that light
enters the eye through emitted or
reflected sources.
Students will understand that
“roygbiv” are the primary colors
that make up all other colors.
Students will understand that energy
moves from one place to another in
waves.
Students will understand that waves
move by two types of vibration:
transverse and longitudinal
vibrations.
Students will understand that waves
move at different speeds, the closer
the waves the greater the frequency.
Students will understand that waves
move through different materials at
different speeds.
Sample Tasks:
6-8
ES1A
The Moon’s monthly cycle
of phases can be explained
by its changing relative
position as it orbits Earth. An
eclipse of the Moon occurs
when the Moon enters
Earth’s shadow. An eclipse
of the Sun occurs when the
Moon is between the Earth
and Sun, and the Moon’s
shadow falls on the Earth.
Use a physical model or diagram to
explain how the Moon’s changing
position in its orbit results in the
changing phases of the Moon as
observed from Earth. Explain how the
cause of an eclipse of the Moon is
different from the cause of the Moon’s
phases.
Earth is the third planet from
the sun in a system that
includes the Moon, the Sun,
seven other major planets
and their moons, and smaller
objects, such as asteroids,
plutoids, and comets. These
bodies differ in many
characteristics (e.g., size,
composition, relative
position).
(Enduring Understanding: Our Solar
System is held together by gravity.
Moon phases and eclipses are
explained.)
Students will understand that
because the Moon’s orbit around the
Earth is 27.3 days it is in positions
throughout that period where it is
between the Sun and the Earth.
Students will understand that at
other times the Earth is between the
Sun and Moon.
(Enduring Understanding: Our Solar
System is held together by gravity.
Moon phases and eclipses are
explained.)
6-8
ES1B
Students will understand that Moon
orbits the Earth in 27.3 days, it also
rotates on its axis in 27.3 days.
Students will understand that
eclipses happen when the Moon, or
the Earth, is between the Earth, or
the Moon, and the Sun.
Compare the relative sizes and
distances of the Sun, Moon, Earth,
other major planets, moons, asteroids,
plutoids, and comets.
Students will understand that our
solar system has a sun, planets,
moons, asteroids, plutoids, and
comets in constant motion.
Students will understand that a
plutoid is a celestial body that does
not meet the description of a planet
that is found beyond Neptune’s
orbit.
Students will understand that all the
celestial bodies listed above are of
various size, composition (what
they are made of), and relative
position to the sun.
6-8
ES1C
Most objects in the Solar
System are in regular and
predictable motion. These
motions explain such
phenomena as the day, the
year, phases of the moon, and
eclipses.
Use a simple physical model of the
Earth, Sun, Moon system or labeled
drawing to explain day and night,
phases of the Moon, and eclipses of the
Moon and Sun.
Gravity is the force that
keeps planets in orbit around
the Sun and governs the rest
of the motion in the Solar
System. Gravity alone holds
us to the Earth’s surface.
(Enduring Understanding: Our Solar
System is held together by gravity.
Moon phases and eclipses are
explained.)
Students will understand that that
pattern involves the object taking
days to orbit the Sun too years to
orbit the Sun.
Students will understand that many
of the objects also rotate on their
axis and may have objects that orbit
them in a regular pattern.
(Enduring Understanding: Our Solar
System is held together by gravity.
Moon phases and eclipses are
explained.)
6-8
ES1D
Students will understand that almost
all objects in our Solar System orbit
the Sun in a regular pattern.
Students will understand that
occurrences like the day, the year,
eclipses, and phases of the moon are
all results of regular and predictable
motion around a planet or the Sun.
Predict what would happen to an
orbiting object if gravity were
increased, decreased, or taken away.
Students will understand that
gravity is the strongest force in the
Solar System and Universe.
Students will understand that the
Sun has the greatest gravitational
force in our Solar System.
Students will understand that
Earth’s gravity is also strong as it
holds everything on its surface and
also keeps the moon in an orbit
around it.
6-8
ES1E
Our Sun is one of hundreds
of billions of stars in the
Milky Way galaxy. Many of
these stars have planets
orbiting around them. The
Milky Way galaxy is one of
hundreds of billions of
galaxies in the universe.
Deconstruct a physical model or
diagram showing Earth’s position in
the Solar System, the Solar System’s
position in the Milky Way, and the
Milky Way among other galaxies.
Students will understand that Sun is
a star and our Solar Systems
primary energy source.
Students will understand that our
Sun is just one of billions of stars
that make of the Milky Way Galaxy
Students will understand that there
are billions of Galaxies in the
universe.
(Enduring Understanding: Our Solar
System is held together by gravity.
Moon phases and eclipses are
explained.)
6-8
ES2A
The atmosphere is a mixture
of nitrogen, oxygen, and
trace gases that include
water vapor. The atmosphere
has different properties at
different elevations.
(Enduring Understanding: Earth is an
interacting system of solids, liquids,
and gases. Important Earth processes
include the water cycle and the rock
cycle.)
Students will understand that
gravity is the key component, or
force, that keeps all of the stars and
galaxies in form and place.
Describe the composition and
properties of the troposphere and
stratosphere.
Students will understand that
Earth’s atmosphere is made up of 5
layers, each with a different
composition of gases.
Students will understand that the
troposohere, the layer closest to the
Earth’s surface, is the most dense
and is composed of Nitrogen,
Oxygen, Water Vapor, Carbon
Dioxide, and other trace gases.
Students will understand that the
troposphere is also where almost all
weather occurs.
6-8
ES2D
Water is a solvent. As it
passes through the water
cycle, it dissolves minerals
and gases and carries them
to the oceans.
Distinguish between bodies of saltwater
and fresh water and explain how
saltwater became salty.
Students will understand that water
dissolves minerals out of the soil as
it passes through (like salt [NaCl]).
Students will understand that water
also dissolves and carries certain
gases with it as it passes through a
medium.(like Nitrogen [N] and
Oxygen [O]).
(Enduring Understanding: Earth is an
interacting system of solids, liquids,
and gases. Important Earth processes
include the water cycle and the rock
cycle.)
6-8
ES3B
Thousands of layers of
sedimentary rock provide
evidence that allows us to
determine the age of Earth’s
changing surface and to
estimate the age of fossils
found in the rocks.
(Enduring Understanding: Layers of
rock and different types of fossils
provide clues to how conditions on
Earth have changed over time.)
Students will understand that water
is considered the universal solvent.
Students will understand that both
gases and minerals are carried with
the moving water to other locations
like lakes, rivers, and oceans.
Explain how the age of landforms can
be estimated by studying the number
and thickness of rock layers, as well as
fossils found within rock layers.
Students will understand that fossils
are found in sedimentary rock
layers.
Students will understand that
sedimentary rock is formed when
sediments are washed or blown into
an area, then covered by repeated
events, until the cover becomes
large enough to create pressure that
lithifies the sediment beneath into
rock.
Students will understand that the
oldest sedimentary rock is found at
the deepest levels.
6-8
LS1A
All organisms are composed
of cells, which carry on the
many functions needed to
sustain life.
(Enduring Understanding: Cell type
and organization provide living
systems structure and function.)
6-8
LS1B
One-celled organisms must
contain parts to carry out all
life functions.
(Enduring Understanding: Cell type
and organization provide living
systems structure and function.)
Draw and describe observations made
with a microscope, showing that plants
and animals are made of cells, and
explain that cells are the fundamental
unit of life. Describe the functions
performed by cells to sustain a living
organism (e.g., division to produce
more cells, taking in nutrients,
releasing waste, using energy to do
work, and producing materials the
organism needs).
Students will understand that all
living organisms are composed of
one or more cells.
Draw and describe observations made
with a microscope, showing that a
single-celled organism (e.g.,
paramecium) contains parts used for all
life functions.
Students will understand that onecelled organisms must have internal
organelles to help it exist.
Students will understand that cells
carry out very specific functions in a
living organism.
Students will understand that
without certain organelles it would
not be able to engulf and digest
food, it would not be able to
reproduce itself, and would not be
able to move.
Students will understand that there
are two types of one-celled
organisms: eukaryotes (ameoba)
and prokaryotes (bacteria).
6-8
LS1C
Multicellular organisms have
specialized cells that perform
different functions. These
cells join together to form
tissues that give organs their
structure and enable the
organs to perform specialized
functions within organ
systems.
(Enduring Understanding: Cell type
and organization provide living
systems structure and function.)
6-8
LS1D
Both plant and animal cells
must carry on life functions,
so they have parts in
common, such as nuclei,
cytoplasm, cell membranes,
and mitochondria. But plants
have specialized cell parts,
such as chloroplasts and cell
walls, because they are
producers and do not move.
(Enduring Understanding: Cell type
and organization provide living
systems structure and function.)
Relate the structure of a specialized cell
(i.e., nerve and muscle cells) to the
function that the cell performs. Explain
the relationship between tissues that
make up individual organs and the
functions the organ performs (e.g.,
valves in the heart control blood flow,
air sacs in the lungs maximize surface
area for transfer of gases). Describe the
components and functions of the
digestive, circulatory, and respiratory
systems in humans, and how these
systems interact.
Students will understand that each
and every cell in a multicellular
organism has a specific function in
building and maintaining a given
organ in an organisms system.
Use labeled diagrams or models to
illustrate similarities and differences
between plant and animal cell
structures and describe their functions
(e.g., both have nuclei, cytoplasm, cell
membranes, and mitochondria, while
only plants have chloroplasts and cell
walls).
Students will understand that all
plants and animals live because of
certain organelles found within each
cell.
Students will understand that cells
form tissues that help create the
organs of the organism.
Students will understand that from
the inception of the organism, each
cell has a specific destiny in the
building of an organisms organ
systems.
Students will understand that some
of the organelles are the same in
both plants and animals. (nucleus,
mitochondria, cytoplasm, cell
membrane, etc)
Students will understand that plant
cells have some different organelles
that distinguish it. (cell wall,
chloroplasts)
Students will understand that animal
cells have some different organelles
that distinguish it. (centrioles,
lysosomes)
6-8
LS1E
In classifying organisms,
scientists consider both
internal and external
structures and behaviors.
Use a classification key to identify
organisms, noting use of both internal
and external structures as well as
behaviors.
Students will understand that living
organisms are classified using their
internal and external structures.
Students will understand that living
organisms are classified using their
behaviors.
Students will understand that all
living organisms are identified using
a classification key.
(Enduring Understanding: Cell type
and organization provide living
systems structure and function.)
6-8
LS1F
Lifestyle choices and living
environments can damage
structures at any level of
organization of the human
body and can significantly
harm the whole organism.
(Enduring Understanding: Cell type
and organization provide living
systems structure and function.)
Evaluate how lifestyle choices and
living environments (e.g., tobacco,
drug, and alcohol use, amount of
exercise, quality of air, and kinds of
food) affect parts of the human body
and the organism as a whole.
Students will understand that
breathing polluted air, eating fatty
foods, and not exercising can affect
a person’s body in harmful ways.
Students will understand that
smoking and the drinking of alcohol
also have harmful effects on the
human body.
Students will understand that
negative lifestyles and poor living
environments are usually
detrimental to the human body.
6-8
LS2C
The major source of energy
for ecosystems on Earth’s
surface is sunlight. Producers
(plants) transform the energy
of sunlight into the chemical
energy of food through
photosynthesis. This food
energy is used by plants,
animals, and all other
organisms to carry on life
processes. Nearly all
organisms on the surface of
Earth depend on this energy
source.
(Enduring Understanding: Energy
flows through ecosystems from a
primary source through all living
organisms.)
Explain how energy from the Sun is
transformed through photosynthesis to
produce chemical energy in food.
Explain that plants are the only
organisms that make their own food.
Animals cannot survive without plants
because animals, including humans, get
food by eating plants or other animals
that eat plants.
Students will understand that the
Sun provides almost all of the
energy needed by an ecosystem.
Students will understand that plants
use the energy of sunlight to create
chemical energy of food (glucose
from photosynthesis).
Students will understand that all
living organisms rely on the basic
chemical food energy created by
plants.