Embedded Files
Grade(s): 6
Length: two semesters
Course Overview:
Course Overview:
Sixth grade science focuses on Earth’s systems, astronomy, and gravity. In Earth’s systems, students will explore the history of our changing planet through impacts of water, rock, and soil cycles on Earth’s surface processes, and construct weather and climate observations to explain influences on Earth’s surface. In astronomy, the students will model the solar system to observe, describe, and predict the motion of various bodies in our solar system. In gravity, students will investigate Newton’s Third Law of Motion in relation to planetary motion. Throughout the year, interwoven into the curriculum content, students will design and conduct repeatable scientific investigations to continue to develop an awareness that different ways of thinking, curiosity, and the exploration of multiple paths are involved in scientific inquiry.
Adopted Textbook:
Adopted Textbook:
Into Science: Earth & Space Sciences. HMH, 2022
Volumes: Circulation of the Earth’s Air and Water, Weather and Climate, The Dynamic Earth, Earth’s Natural Hazards, Resources in Earth Systems, Human Impacts on Earth Systems, Patterns in the Solar System, The Solar System and Universe.
Units
Units
(Recommended Order)
Semester 1:
Semester 1:
Circulation of Earth’s Air and Water
Weather and Climate
The Dynamic Earth
Earth’s Natural Hazards
Resources in Earth’s Systems
Semester 2:
Semester 2:
Human Impacts on Earth’s Systems
Patterns in the Solar System
The Solar System and Universe
Performance Expectations*
Notes:
The Earth and Space Science Unit 4 “Earth through Time” book was intentionally skipped, as it is utilized by grade 7.
*Science process skills are best taught in context. Therefore, the performance expectations will be incorporated into the units below. Not all of these performance expectations will be incorporated into every activity; however, the opportunities to learn these skills will be provided throughout the course.
Unit 1: Circulation of Earth's Air & Water
Unit 1: Circulation of Earth's Air & Water
Timing: Semester 1, Quarter 1
Teaching Time Required: All estimated teaching times are based on a 45 minute period.
Textbook: Into Science book 1: Circulation of Earth’s Air and Water
Topic 1: Circulation in the Earth's Atmosphere
Topic 1: Circulation in the Earth's Atmosphere
Number of Days: 5 days
Objectives:
Identify and analyze movements of air masses from regions of high to low pressure (convection currents) and the effects on weather.
Key Vocabulary:
Convection
Coriolis Effect
Air Pressure
Atmosphere
Circulation
Density
Energy System
Resources and Materials:
Unit 1 (Book 1, p. 3A) Lesson 1: Circulation in the Earth’s Atmosphere
Topic 2: Circulation in the Earth's Oceans
Topic 2: Circulation in the Earth's Oceans
Number of Days: 5 days
Objectives:
Describe the effects of the ocean on Earth’s weather.
Key Vocabulary:
Ocean Current
Density
Salinity
Temperature
Resources and Materials:
Unit 1 (Book 1, 11A) Lesson 2: Circulation in Earth’s Oceans
Topic 3: The Water Cycle
Topic 3: The Water Cycle
Number of Days: 5.5 days
Objectives:
Describe and illustrate the water cycle, and the forces that drive it (gravity and sunlight).
Key Vocabulary:
Evaporation
Condensation
Transpiration
Crystallization
Precipitation
Runoff
Groundwater Flow
Resources and Materials:
Unit 1 (Book 1, 19A) Lesson 3: The Water Cycle
Unit Test/ Labs
Unit Test/ Labs
Number of Days: 2 days
Standards List: MS ESS2-4, MS ESS2-6
Unit 2: Weather and Climate
Unit 2: Weather and Climate
Timing: Semester 1, Quarter 1
Teaching Time Required: All estimated teaching times are based on a 45 minute period.
Textbook: Into Science Unit 2: Weather and Climate
Topic 1: Weather and Weather Prediction
Topic 1: Weather and Weather Prediction
Number of Days: 5.5 days
Objectives:
Identify and analyze movement of air masses from regions of high to low pressure (convection currents), and the effects on the weather.
Describe the effects of the ocean and the water cycle on the weather.
Key Vocabulary:
Weather
Air Mass
Front
Weather Forecast
Resources and Materials:
Unit 2 (Book 2, pg. 3A) Lesson 1: Weather and Weather Prediction
Topic 2: Influences on Climate
Topic 2: Influences on Climate
Number of Days: 6.5 days
Objectives:
Describe how unequal heating and the rotation of the Earth determines regional climates.
Key Vocabulary:
Climate
Resources and Materials:
Unit 2 (Book 2, pg. 11A) Lesson 2: Influences on Climate
Unit Test/ Labs
Unit Test/ Labs
Number of Days: 2.5 days
Standards List: MS-ESS2-5, MS-ESS2-5
Unit 3: The Dynamic Earth
Unit 3: The Dynamic Earth
Timing: Semester 1, Quarter 2
Teaching Time Required: All estimated teaching times are based on a 45 minute period.
Textbook: Into Science Unit 3
Topic 1: Geologic Change and Surface Processes
Topic 1: Geologic Change and Surface Processes
Number of Days: 5.5 days
Objectives:
Explain how geoscience processes have changed the Earth’s surface at varying times and spatial scales.
Key Vocabulary:
Weathering
Sediment
Erosion
Deposition
Resources and Materials:
Unit 3: Lesson 1 Geologic Change and Surface Processes
Topic 2: The Rock Cycle
Topic 2: The Rock Cycle
Number of Days: 6.5 days
Objectives:
Know that sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks contain evidence of the minerals, temperatures, and the forces that created them.
Key Vocabulary:
Mineral
Igneous Rock
Sedimentary Rock
Metamorphic Rock
Rock Cycle
Resources and Materials:
Unit 3: Lesson 2 The Rock Cycle
Topic 3: Earth's Plates
Topic 3: Earth's Plates
Number of Days: 5.5 days
Objectives:
Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions.
Key Vocabulary:
Tectonic Plate
Plate Tectonics
Convection Current
Resources and Materials:
Unit 3: Lesson 3 Earth's Plates
Unit Test/ Labs
Unit Test/ Labs
Number of Days: 2.5 days
Standards List: MS ESS2-1, MS ESS2-2, MS ESS2-3
Unit 4: Earth's Natural Hazards
Unit 4: Earth's Natural Hazards
Timing: Semester 1, Quarter 2
Teaching Time Required: All estimated teaching times are based on a 45 minute period.
Textbook: Into Science Unit 5
Topic 1: Natural Hazard Prediction
Topic 1: Natural Hazard Prediction
Number of Days: 5.5 days
Objectives:
Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events.
Key Vocabulary:
Natural Disaster
Natural Hazard
Historical
Interpret
Likelihood
Monitor
Prediction
Resources and Materials:
Unit 5 Lesson 1: Natural Hazard Prediction p. 3A
Topic 2: Reducing the Effects of Natural Hazards
Topic 2: Reducing the Effects of Natural Hazards
Number of Days: 5.5 days
Objectives:
Define criteria and constraints of model for mitigating natural hazards.
Key Vocabulary:
Mitigation
Constraint
Criterion
Engineering Design Process
Preparation
Recovery
Response
Solution
Technology
Resources and Materials:
Unit 5 Lesson 2: Engineer it: Reducing the Effects of Natural Hazards p. 11A
Unit Test/ Labs
Unit Test/ Labs
Number of Days: 2.5 days
Standards List: MS-ESS3-2, MS-ETS1-1
Unit 5: Resources in Earth's Systems
Unit 5: Resources in Earth's Systems
Timing: Semester 2, Quarter 3
Teaching Time Required: All estimated teaching times are based on a 45 minute period.
Textbook: Into Science Unit 6
Topic 1: Natural Resources
Topic 1: Natural Resources
Number of Days: 5.5 days
Objectives:
Construct an evidence-based explanation of the formation of natural resources (such as oil, propane, and natural gas) are the result of past geoscience processes.
Gather information and explain how synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
Key Vocabulary:
Natural Resources
Renewable Resource
Nonrenewable Resource
Resources and Materials:
Unit 6 Lesson 1: Natural Resources
Topic 2: Human Population & Resource Use
Topic 2: Human Population & Resource Use
Number of Days: 5 days
Objectives:
Construct an argument, supported by evidence, for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.
Key Vocabulary:
Per Capita Consumption
Population
Resources and Materials:
Unit 6 Lesson 2: Human Population and Resource Use
Topic 3: Resource Use and Earth's Systems
Topic 3: Resource Use and Earth's Systems
Number of Days: 5.5 days
Objectives:
Construct an argument, supported by evidence, for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems
Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
Key Vocabulary:
Pollution
Deforestation
Extinction
Greenhouse Gas
Resource Use
Resources and Materials:
Unit 6 Lesson 3: Resource Use and Earth’s Systems
Unit Test/ Labs
Unit Test/ Labs
Number of Days: 2.5 days
Standards List: MS ESS3-1, MS ESS3-2
Unit 6: Human Impacts on Earth's Systems
Unit 6: Human Impacts on Earth's Systems
Timing: Semester 2, Quarter 3
Teaching Time Required: All estimated teaching times are based on a 45 minute period.
Textbook: Into Science Unit 7
Topic 1: Reducing Human Impacts on the Environment
Topic 1: Reducing Human Impacts on the Environment
Number of Days: 8.5 days
Objectives:
Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing human impact on the environment.
Key Vocabulary:
Resources and Materials:
Unit 7: Lesson 1 Engineer It: Reducing Human Impacts on the Environment.
Topic 2: Climate Change
Topic 2: Climate Change
Number of Days: 5.5 days
Objectives:
Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
Key Vocabulary:
Greenhouse Effect
Resources and Materials:
Unit 7: Lesson 2 Climate Change
Unit Test/ Labs
Unit Test/ Labs
Number of Days: 2.5 days
Standards List: MS-ESS3-3, MS-ESS3-5, MS-ETS1-2
Unit 7: Patterns in the Solar System
Unit 7: Patterns in the Solar System
Timing: Semester 2, Quarter 4
Teaching Time Required: All estimated teaching times are based on a 45 minute period.
Textbook: Into Science Unit 8
Topic 1: Earth - Sun - Moon System
Topic 1: Earth - Sun - Moon System
Number of Days: 7 days
Objectives:
Develop and use a model of the Earth-Sun-Moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, and eclipses of the sun and moon.
Key Vocabulary:
Orbit
Phase
Eclipse
Resources and Materials:
Unit 8 Lesson 1: The Earth-Sun-Moon System, pg. 3A
Topic 2: Seasons
Topic 2: Seasons
Number of Days: 6 days
Objectives:
Develop and use a model of the Earth-Sun-Moon system to describe the seasons.
Key Vocabulary:
Season
Resources and Materials:
Unit 8 Lesson 2: Seasons, pg. 15A
Unit Test/ Labs
Unit Test/ Labs
Number of Days: 2.5 days
Standards List: MS-ESS1-1
Unit 8: The Solar System & Universe
Unit 8: The Solar System & Universe
Timing: Semester 2, Quarter 4
Teaching Time Required: All estimated teaching times are based on a 45 minute period.
Textbook: Into Science Unit 9: The Solar System and Universe
Topic 1: Earth & the Solar System
Topic 1: Earth & the Solar System
Number of Days: 5 days
Objectives:
Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.
Key Vocabulary:
Asteroid
Comet
Dwarf Planet
Meteoroid
Parallax
Moon
Telescope
Heliocentric
Retrograde
Transit
Resources and Materials:
Unit 9 Lesson 1: Earth and the Solar System
Topic 2: Gravity & the Universe
Topic 2: Gravity & the Universe
Number of Days: 6.5 days
Objectives:
Describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.
Key Vocabulary:
Orbit
Chemical Composition
Condense
Density
Inertia
Projectile
Protoplanetary Disk
Satellite
Velocity
Speed
Resources and Materials:
Unit 9 Lesson 2: Gravity and the Universe
Topic 3: Modeling in Space Science
Topic 3: Modeling in Space Science
Number of Days: 6.5 days
Objectives:
Construct and present arguments to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on masses of interacting objects.
Key Vocabulary:
Astronomical Unit
Galaxy
Light-Year
Universe Diameter
Distinguish Location
Order of Magnitude
Ratio
Scale
Resources and Materials:
Unit 9 Lesson 3: Modeling in Space Science
Unit Test/ Labs
Unit Test/ Labs
Number of Days: 2.5 days
Standards List: MS ESS1-2, MS ESS1-3, MS PS2-4
Scientific Process Skills
Scientific Process Skills
Timing: All year
Teaching Time Required: Varies
Textbook: Embedded throughout
Objectives
Objectives
Ask questions, predict, observe, describe, measure, classify, make generalizations, infer, and communicate.
Plan and carry out scientific investigations of various types (such as systematic observations or experiments), identify variables, collect and organize data, interpret data in charts, tables, and graphics, analyze information, make predictions, and defend conclusions.
Select appropriate tools for collecting qualitative and quantitative data and record measurements (volume, mass, distance) in metric units.
Develop a model describing phenomenon.
Conduct research to learn how the local environment is used by a variety of competing interests (e.g. competition for habitat/resources, tourism, oil, mining companies, and hunting groups).
Use standard safety practices for all classroom laboratory and field investigations.
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