Grade Six

 

Matter and Energy in Ecosystems I

 

Initial Understanding

           Define abiotic and biotic

           Define producers, consumers and decomposers

           Define food chains and food web

           Define community, population, habitat, ecosystems, and niches

 

Develop an Interpretation

           Identify abiotic and biotic factors in the environment

           Explain each level of the environmental organizational chart

           Compare the flow of energy through an ecosystem

           Define the major characteristics that define the various biomes

 

Making Connections

           Describe how producers, consumers (herbivores, carnivores, and scavengers), and decomposers are linked in a food web

           Describe the relationships between organismsÕ adaptations and their particular biome

           Construct a food chain and a food web

 

Critical Stance

         Defend how the elimination of one organism could affect the food chain/web

 

 

Matter and Energy in Ecosystems II

 

Initial Understanding

           Define the term ÒPlantÓ and list the plant parts

           Define the process of photosynthesis

 

Developing and Interpretation

           Illustrate the parts of a plant cell

           Construct a model of a flowering plant

           Illustrate the life cycle of a flowering plant

           Explain the role of photosynthesis as it relates to the oxygen and carbon dioxide cycle

 

Making Connections

           Explain the symbiotic relationship between insects and flowering plants

 

Critical Stance

           Defend the need to protect and conserve groundwater.

           Defend the need to protect and conserve tropical rainforests and other unique biomes.

 

Energy Transfer and Transformations

 

Initial Understanding

           Define ÔmatterÕ and then list the states of matter

           Define and label the parts of an atom

           Define the term ÔelementÕ

           Define the Periodic Table

 

Develop an Interpretation

           Illustrate the states of matter

           Construct a model of an atom

 

Making Connections

           Illustrate the use of common elements from the Periodic Table in everyday life

 

Critical Stance

           Advocate for or against the use of renewable energy

 

 

Properties of Matter

 

Initial Understanding

           Describe the properties of an atom.

           Describe the properties of common elements such as oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, iron and aluminum.

           Describe how the properties of simple compounds, such as water and table salt, are different from the properties of the elements of which they are made.

 

Develop an Interpretation

           Explain how mixtures can be separated by using the properties of the substances from which they are made, such as particle size, density, solubility and boiling point.

 

Making Connections

           Design a model of an atom

           Design a model of a molecule

           Discuss the difference between a molecule and an atom

 

Critical Stance

           Evaluate how the structure of matter affects the properties and uses of materials of a Styrofoam cup.

 

Forces and Motion I

 

Initial Understanding

           Define force, distance, and work

           Demonstrate how simple machines such as inclined planes, pulleys and levers are used to create mechanical advantage.

           Define potential energy

           Define kinetic energy

 

Develop an Interpretation

           Explain the relationship between force, distance and work, and use the relationship  (W=F x D) to calculate work done in lifting heavy objects.

           Compare how different types of stored (potential) energy can be used to make objects move.

 

Making Connections

           Design simple machines such as inclined planes, pulleys and levers

           Design a roller coaster to demonstrate potential and kinetic energy

 

Critical Stance

           Judge the best design for a ramp for handicap access.

 

Forces and Motion II

 

Initial Understanding

           Define average speed

           Define force

           Define mass

           Define inertia

           Define NewtonÕs 3 laws of motion

 

Develop an Interpretation

           Compare mass and weight

           Compare distance over time as it applies to rate

           Predict, based on NewtonÕs laws, the outcome of a

 

Making Connections

           Design a catapult to show NewtonÕs laws of motion

           Discuss the amount of force needed for a car, a human, and a cheetah to move one mile.

           Discuss inertia as it applies to a moving car as hitting a stationary wall.

 

Critical Stance

           Advocate for or against the mandatory use of seatbelts in cars.