Community Unit School District 200 s5

COMMUNITY UNIT SCHOOL DISTRICT 200

Science Curriculum Philosophy

We believe that science education allows all students to experience the richness and excitement of knowing about and understanding the natural world. Through the use of appropriate scientific processes and principles, students will understand how science applies to everyday life. Students will also use appropriate technology during inquiry as they become critical thinkers so that they become contributing members of society.

SIXTH GRADE

1.  Subject Expectation
(State Goal 11) / The student will understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments, and solve problems.
Essential Learning 1
(Learning Standard A) / Know and apply the concepts, principles, and processes of scientific inquiry

Critical Content

/

111.A.3a

/ a. formulate hypotheses that can be tested by collecting data
·  follow procedures relating to safe scientific investigation including formulating hypothesis, controlling variables, collecting, recording and analyzing data, interpreting and displaying results
·  analyze patterns in experimental data to support or negate
a hypotheses
/

11.A.3b

/ b. conduct scientific experiments that control all but one
variable
·  identify constants and variables in an experiment

11.A.3c

/ c. collect and record data accurately using consistent
measuring and recording techniques and media
·  recognize the Metric System as the basis for scientific measurement and be able to collect data using measurement tools.
·  length, volume, mass, and temperature
Essential Learning 2
(Learning Standard B) / Know and apply the concepts, principles, and processes of
technological design
Critical Content /

11.B.3a

/ a. identify an actual design problem and establish criteria
for determining the success of a solution

11.B.3b

/ b. sketch, propose, and compare design solutions to the
problem considering available materials, tools, cost
effectiveness, and safety

11.B.3c

/ c. select the most appropriate design and build a prototype
or simulation
11.B.3d
/ d. test the prototype using available materials, instruments,
and technology and record the data
11.B.3e
/ e. evaluate the test results based on established criteria
(note sources of error and recommend improvements)
11.B.3f / f. using available technology, report the relative success of
the design based on the text results
Essential Learning 3 * / Use reading and writing strategies to comprehend expository materials

Critical Content * a. activate background information using pre-reading strategies

such as

- brainstorming

- previewing

- predicting

- surveying using skimming and scanning

- setting a purpose

* b. recognize the organizing principles of a text in order to aid

comprehension and recall:

- format features within a text

· identify heading to determine the ordinance

hierarchy of ideas

· discern where a section of text starts and stops - using organizational visual cues

· distinguish headings from boldfaced

vocabulary words

· identify features unusual to the specific text

*skill pages

*captions

*review section

*adjunct pages of information

*charts

*graphs

· use the front and end matter of text

*glossary

*table of contents

- knowledge of the interrelationship among ideas

· enumeration (listing)

· time order (chronology)

· comparison/contrast

· cause/effect

· problem/solution

* c. adjust one’s reading rate to the reading task:

- skimming

- scanning

- retelling

* d. develop and apply appropriate strategies during reading to

understand expository text:

·  monitoring for meaning-knowing when you know,

knowing when you don’t know

·  using and creating schema-making connections between the new and the known, building and activating background knowledge

·  asking questions-generating questions before, during, and after reading that lead you deeper into the text

·  determining importance-deciding what matters most, what is worth remembering

·  inferring-combining background knowledge with information from the text to predict, conclude, make judgments, interpret

·  using sensory and emotional images-creating mental images to deepen and stretch meaning

·  synthesizing-creating an evolution of meaning by combining understanding with knowledge from other texts/sources

·  use vocabulary strategies to determine text meaning

· context clues

· word recognition strategies using knowledge

of prefixes, suffixes, and word roots

· glossary usage

* e. check for understanding of expository text after reading, using various

strategies such as

- summarize information in internal, oral, or written

formats

- paraphrase information in oral or written formats

- make generalizations from text in oral or written

formats

- form reasoned arguments/judgments from text in oral

or written formats

- decide what’s important information in a text

- follow written multiple step instructions or procedures

- make simple inferences

- differentiate between fact and opinion

* f. produce written products for a variety of purposes and audiences such as

- note taking

- outlining

- summarizing

- research reports

- expository essays

- persuasive essays

- narrative essays

- journaling

- illustrating

- formulate answers to open-ended questions

Essential Learning 4 * / Access, use, and evaluate information from a variety of sources

Critical Content a. self-select appropriate research materials

b. recognize and understand the function of parts of a book and use

appropriately such as

- table of contents

- index

- glossary

- timeline

* c. locate and organize information using a variety of resources

such as

- encyclopedia

- periodicals

- non-fiction books

- computer technology

- videos

- newspaper

- Internet

- community resources such as speakers and museums

2. Subject Expectation
(State Goal 12) / The student will understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical, and earth/space sciences.
Essential Learning 1
(Learning Standard A) / Know and apply concepts that explain how living things
function, adapt, and change
Critical Content 12.A.3c
12.A.3c
12.A.3c / a. compare and contrast how different forms and structures reflect
different functions such as similarities and differences among animals
that fly, walk, or swim
b. identify features of invertebrate animals and be able to classify using
a dichotomist key
c. compare and contrast features of invertebrate animals and relate to
their survival potential in their habitat
Essential Learning 2
(Learning Standard B) / Know and apply concepts that describe how living things
interact with each other and with their environment

Critical Content 12.B.3a

/ a. identify and classify biotic and abiotic factors in an environment
that affect population density, habitat, and placement of organisms
in an energy pyramid
12.B.3a / b. identify and collect data on biotic and abiotic factors in different
habitats such as temperature, soil, oxygen and nitrogen content,
water, light carbon dioxide, and different species of organism
12.B.3b / c. identify the three main cycles necessary for life as the CO2,
N2, and H2O cycles
12.B.3a / d. identify an organism as a producer or consumer
12.B.3a / e. identify a consumer organism as an herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, or decomposer
12.B.3a / f. construct an energy pyramid from a food web and compare population density at each level
12.B.3a / g. distinguish between symbiotic relationships including: parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism
12.B.3a / h. map and differentiate between major biomes of the world based upon geographic and climate conditions
12.B.3b / i. compare and assess features of organisms for their adaptive, competitive and survival potential such as appendages, reproductive rates, camouflage, and defensive structures
12.B.3a / j. discuss population dynamics including predator-prey relationships, reproductive rates, carrying capacity, shelter, limiting factors, fluctuation, and competition for resources
12.B.3b / k. compare/contrast adaptations of animals that make them better suited to survive in their habitat/niche such as camouflage, appendages, defensive structures, and locomotion, etc.
Essential Learning 3
(Learning Standard C) / Know and apply concepts that describe properties of matter and energy and the interactions between them
Critical Content / 12.C.3a
12.C.3a
12.C.3a
12.C.3a / a. explain interactions of energy with matter including
changes of state and conservation of mass and energy
b. define and distinguish the properties of mass, weight, volume,
and density
c. compare and contrast matter and energy
d. apply scientific inquiries or technological designs to explain the
nature of light qualitatively
·  identify that light is a form of energy and recognize its
measurable properties such as waves, particles (photons),
frequency, wavelength, velocity, and amplitude
·  investigate the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EM Spectrum) and identify visible light as one small part of it
·  experiment with light interacting with matter using prisms,
mirrors, lenses, and filters (reflection, refraction)
·  differentiate between pigments and the colors of visible light and analyze how light is interpreted by the eye
Essential Learning 4
(Learning Standard D) / Know and apply the concepts that describe force
and motion and the principles that explain them
Critical Content 12.D.3b / a. explain the factors that affect the gravitational forces on objects
such as changes in mass and distance
·  define gravity
Essential Learning 5
(Learning Standard E) / Know and apply concepts that describe the features and processes of the
Earth and its resources
Critical Content 12.E.3a / a. analyze and explain large-scale dynamic forces, events, and
processes that affect the Earth’s land, water, and atmospheric systems
such as jet stream, hurricanes, and plate tectonics
·  explain the water cycle in the context of the global atmosphere
and ocean system as well as its interaction with the land
·  discuss the distribution of earth’s water such as 97%
ocean/salt water, 2% frozen water and 1% fresh water and
land vs. atmosphere vs. groundwater
·  investigate interaction of water and earth’s surface such as
ground water, surface water,and river erosion
·  describe the atmosphere as a system of layers based on physical
characteristics
·  identify how the earth’s rotation (Coriolis effect) causes
predictable wind patterns
12.E.3b / ·  describe patterns of atmospheric movement and how they
influence weather such as jet stream, cyclonic storms, and ocean
currents
·  recognize that oceans have a major effect on climate because
water holds and distributes large amounts of heat

b.   describe interactions between solid earth, oceans, atmosphere and

organisms that have resulted in ongoing change of Earth

such as erosion, El Nino
·  define and compare the characteristics of global biomes
·  predict and map global biomes
Essential Learning 6
(Learning Standard F) / Know and apply concepts that explain the composition and
structure of the universe and Earth’s place in it
Critical Content 12.F.3a / a. simulate, analyze, and explain the effects of gravitational force in the solar
system such as orbital shape and speed, tides, spherical shape of the
planets, and moons
·  explain how gravity affects the motion of the planets in the Solar System such as orbital shape, speed, tides, moons, and satellites
·  motion is regular and predictable which explains days, months, years, and moon phases
·  model the spatial relationship of the earth and moon and explain moon phases and earth tides and eclipses
·  model earth-sun-moon such as tilt and speed to explain the seasonal patterns on earth
·  compare seasonal climates in major regions of the globe, considering effects of latitude, altitude, and geography such as
·  higher altitude generally means colder temperatures and lower
air pressure
·  places along the equator have a 12-hour day and a 12-hour
night every day of the year and do not have strict seasons
·  places along latitudes between the equator and one of the
earth’s poles have seasons and differing amounts of daylight
throughout the year: they have a longest day, a shortest day,
and two equinoxes on which the daylight lasts for 12 hours
·  places along the Arctic and Antarctic circles have one day of
exactly 24-hours of daylight and one day of exactly 24-hour
darkness each year
·  understand that the causes of the earth’s seasons and the change in the amount of daylight throughout the year is the tilt of its axis of ratio with respect to the plane of its orbit
/ ·  its relative position to the sun
·  the orientation of its axis of ration
·  some circle of latitude, identify the following:
·  the season of the year (if the circle of latitude is other than the
equator)
·  whether there is more daylight or more dark hours at that
time of year
·  understand why the seasons and daylight hours in opposite
hemispheres are opposite to each other

12.F.3b

/ b. describe the organization and physical characteristics of the solar system
such as sun, planets, satellites, asteroids, and comets
·  describe the organization and compare characteristics of planets in the
in the solar system
Essential Learning 7 * / Use reading and writing strategies to comprehend expository materials
Critical Content * / Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 3
Essential Learning 8 * / Access, use, and evaluate information from a variety of sources
Critical Content * / Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 4
3. Subject Expectation
(State Goal 13) / The student will understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts.
Essential Learning 1
(Learning Standard A) / Know and apply the accepted practices of science
Critical Content /

13.A.3a

/ a.  identify and reduce potential hazards in science activities such as ventilation, and handling chemicals
Essential Learning 2
(Learning Standard B) / Know and apply concepts that describe the interaction between science, technology and society
Critical Content /

13.B.3e

/ a.  identify advantages and disadvantages of natural resource conservation and management programs such as stream monitoring, bass in the class or other ecology program

13.B.3f

/ b.  apply classroom-developed criteria to determine the effects of policies on local science and technology issues such as energy consumption, landfills, and water quality
Essential Learning 3 * / Use reading and writing strategies to comprehend expository materials
Critical Content / Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 3
Essential Learning 4 * / Access, use, and evaluate information from a variety of sources
Critical Content / Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 4

Board Approved 2-25-09

Science: Grade 6

Note: such as = an example used for clarification, but not a mandatory concept

including = a mandatory concept 1