Grade 6 Science 

In this unit, students will develop foundational skills for thinking and working like scientists. They will learn laboratory-safety procedures, practice using scientific equipment, and conduct investigations by asking questions, making observations, collecting data, and developing evidence-based explanations. Students will also create and evaluate scientific models and use the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning framework to communicate scientific arguments. Throughout the unit, they will engage in the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices while strengthening collaboration, problem-solving, and scientific communication skills.

In this unit, students will use bottle ecosystems as an anchoring phenomenon to investigate how matter and energy move through living systems. They will observe interactions among producers, consumers, decomposers, and abiotic factors and develop models explaining how organisms obtain resources. Students will trace energy through food webs, examine how matter cycles, and use evidence to explain how changes in one part of an ecosystem can affect the entire system.

In this unit, students will investigate how energy is transferred through conduction, convection, radiation, and the motion of objects. Using real-world phenomena and hands-on investigations, students will develop models to explain how energy flows into, out of, and within systems. Students will analyze how particle motion affects thermal energy transfer and examine how energy can be transformed from one form to another while remaining conserved within a system. Throughout the unit, students will use evidence to explain patterns of energy movement and apply their understanding to design and build a cooler that utilizes insulative or conductive properties of different materials. 

In this unit, students will investigate the factors that influence weather and climate, including the interactions among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and Earth's surface. Through the analysis of weather data, maps, and forecasting models, students will explore how unequal heating of Earth's surface drives air movement, cloud formation, and weather patterns. Students will examine the role of water in the atmosphere and investigate how weather conditions can be predicted based on observable patterns and trends. Students will also distinguish between weather and climate, helping students understand how long-term patterns influence ecosystems and human activities. 

In this unit, students will investigate how human activities influence Earth's climate, natural resources, and ecosystems. Through the analysis of environmental data, students will examine evidence for climate change and explore the roles of fossil fuel use, land-use changes, resource consumption, and pollution in altering Earth's systems. Students will evaluate the impacts of these changes on ecosystems and human communities while considering the benefits and limitations of various solutions. Using scientific evidence, students will design and assess strategies that reduce environmental impacts and promote sustainability. Students will use scientific evidence to make informed decisions about environmental stewardship.