Utah
Elementary Science Core Curriculum
Sixth
Grade
Adopted
by Utah State Board of Education
March
12, 2002
Science
is a way of knowing, a process for gaining knowledge and understanding of the
natural world. The Science Core Curriculum places emphasis on understanding and
using skills. Students should be active learners. It is not enough for students
to read about science; they must do science. They should observe, inquire,
question, formulate and test hypotheses, analyze data, report, and evaluate
findings. The students, as scientists, should have hands–on, active experiences
throughout the instruction of the science curriculum.
The
Elementary Science Core describes what students should know and be able to do at
the end of each of the K–6 grade levels. It was developed, critiqued, piloted,
and revised by a community of Utah science teachers, university science
educators, State Office of Education specialists, scientists, expert national
consultants, and an advisory committee representing a wide variety of people
from the community. The Core
reflects the current philosophy of science education that is expressed in
national documents developed by the American Association for the Advancement of
Science, the National Academies of Science. This Science Core has the endorsement of
the Utah Science Teachers Association.
The Core reflects high standards of achievement in science for all
students.
The
Core is designed to help teachers organize and deliver instruction.
The
Science Core Curriculum’s organization:
ü
Each
grade level begins with a brief course description.
ü
The
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILOs) describe the goals for science skills and
attitudes. They are found at the
beginning of each grade, and are an integral part of the Core that should be
included as part of instruction.
ü
The
SCIENCE BENCHMARKS describe the science content students should know. Each grade level has three to five
Science Benchmarks. The ILOs and
Benchmarks intersect in the Standards, Objectives and Indicators.
ü
A
STANDARD is a broad statement of what students are expected to understand.
Several Objectives are listed under each Standard.
ü
An
OBJECTIVE is a more focused description of what students need to know and be
able to do at the completion of instruction. If students have mastered the
Objectives associated with a given Standard, they are judged to have mastered
that Standard at that grade level. Several Indicators are described for each
Objective.
ü
An
INDICATOR is a measurable or observable student action that enables one to judge
whether a student has mastered a particular Objective. Indicators are not meant
to be classroom activities, but they can help guide classroom instruction.
Eight
Guidelines Were Used in Developing the Elementary Science
Core
Reflects
the Nature of Science: Science
is a way of knowing, a process of gaining knowledge and understanding of the
natural world. The Core is designed to produce an integrated set of Intended
Learning Outcomes (ILOs) for students. Please see the Intended Learning Outcomes
document for each grade level core.
As
described in these ILOs, students will:
1.
Use
science process and thinking skills.
2.
Manifest
science interests and attitudes.
3.
Understand
important science concepts and principles.
4.
Communicate
effectively using science language and reasoning.
5.
Demonstrate
awareness of the social and historical aspects of science.
6.
Understand
the nature of science.
Coherent:
The Core has been designed so that, wherever possible, the science ideas
taught within a particular grade level have a logical and natural
connection with each other and with those of earlier grades. Efforts have also
been made to select topics and skills that integrate well with one another and
with other subject areas appropriate to grade level. In addition, there is an
upward articulation of science concepts, skills, and content. This spiraling is intended to prepare
students to understand and use more complex science concepts and skills as they
advance through their science learning.
Developmentally
Appropriate: The Core takes into account the
psychological and social readiness of students. It builds from concrete
experiences to more abstract understandings. The Core describes science language
students should use that is appropriate to each grade level. A more extensive vocabulary should not
be emphasized. In the past, many
educators may have mistakenly thought that students understood abstract concepts
(such as the nature of the atom), because they repeated appropriate names and
vocabulary (such as electron and neutron). The Core resists the temptation to
tell about abstract concepts at inappropriate grade levels, but focuses on
providing experiences with concepts that students can explore and understand in
depth to build a foundation for future science learning.
Encourages
Good Teaching Practices:
It
is impossible to accomplish the full intent of the Core by lecturing and having
students read from textbooks. The Elementary Science Core emphasizes student
inquiry. Science process skills are central in each standard. Good science encourages students to gain
knowledge by doing science: observing, questioning, exploring, making and
testing hypotheses, comparing predictions, evaluating data, and communicating
conclusions. The Core is designed to encourage instruction with students working
in cooperative groups. Instruction
should connect lessons with students’ daily lives. The Core directs experiential
science instruction for all students, not just those who have traditionally
succeeded in science classes. The vignettes listed on the “Utah Science Home
Page” at http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/science
for each of the Core standards provide examples, based on actual practice, that
demonstrate that excellent teaching of the Science Core is
possible.
Comprehensive: The
Elementary Science Core does not cover all topics that have traditionally been
in the elementary science curriculum; however, it does provide a comprehensive
background in science. By emphasizing depth rather than breadth, the Core seeks
to empower students rather than intimidate them with a collection of isolated
and eminently forgettable facts. Teachers are free to add related concepts and
skills, but they are expected to teach all the standards and objectives
specified in the Core for their grade level.
Feasible:
Teachers and others who are familiar with
Utah students, classrooms, teachers, and schools have designed the Core. It can be taught with easily obtained
resources and materials. A Teacher Resource Book (TRB) is available for
elementary grades and has sample lessons on each topic for each grade level. The
TRB is a document that will grow as teachers add exemplary lessons aligned with
the new Core. The middle grade
levels have electronic textbooks available at the Utah State Office of
Education’s “Utah Science Home Page” at http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/science.
Useful
and Relevant: This
curriculum relates directly to student needs and interests. It is grounded in
the natural world in which we live. Relevance of science to other endeavors
enables students to transfer skills gained from science instruction into their
other school subjects and into their lives outside the
classroom.
Encourages
Good Assessment Practices:
Student achievement of the standards and objectives in this Core are best
assessed using a variety of assessment instruments. One’s purpose should be
clearly in mind as assessment is planned and implemented. Performance tests are
particularly appropriate to evaluate student mastery of science processes and
problem-solving skills. Teachers should use a variety of classroom assessment
approaches in conjunction with standard assessment instruments to inform their
instruction. Sample test items, keyed to each Core Standard, may be located on
the Utah Science Home Page. Observation of students engaged in science
activities is highly recommended as a way to assess students’ skills as well as
attitudes in science. The nature of
the questions posed by students provides important evidence of students’
understanding of science.
Elementary
school reaches the greatest number of students for a longer period of time
during the most formative years of the school experience. Effective elementary
science instruction engages students actively in enjoyable learning
experiences. Science instruction
should be as thrilling an experience for a child as seeing a rainbow, growing a
flower, or holding a toad. Science is not just for those who have traditionally
succeeded in the subject, and it is not just for those who will choose
science–related careers. In a world of rapidly expanding knowledge and
technology, all students must gain the skills they will need to understand and
function responsibly and successfully in the world. The Core provides skills in
a context that enables students to experience the joy of doing
science.
The
theme for Sixth Grade Science is Scale, with Relative Position as
an underlying concept. Sixth graders should begin to relate to the incredible
size and distance of objects in the solar system, galaxy, and universe, as well
as compare their world to the miniscule scale of microorganisms. Students will
also understand how relative position affects such events as the appearance of
the moon and the changing of the seasons. Students will experiment with heat,
light, and sound, and begin to understand concepts of
energy.
Students should begin to design and perform experiments and value inquiry as the fundamental scientific process. They should be encouraged to maintain an open and questioning mind as they plan and conduct experiments. They should be helped and encouraged to pose their own questions about objects, events, processes, and results. They should have the opportunity to plan and conduct their own experiments, and come to their own conclusions as they read, observe, compare, describe, infer, and draw conclusions. The results of their experiments need to be compared for reasonableness to multiple sources of information. It is important for students at this age to begin to formalize the processes of science and be able to identify the variables in a formal experiment.
Good science instruction
requires hands–on science investigations in which student inquiry is an
important goal. Teachers should
provide opportunities for all students to experience many things. Sixth graders
should experience the excitement of locating the North Star and Little Dipper,
and the wonders of gazing into the night sky. They should find the fascination of
peering into the world of microorganisms, experimenting and watching them as
they move and feed and reproduce. Students should come to enjoy science as a
process of discovering the natural world.
Science Core concepts should
be integrated with concepts and skills from other curriculum areas. Reading,
writing, and mathematics skills should be emphasized as integral to the
instruction of science. Technology
issues and the nature of science are significant components of this Core. Personal relevance of science in
students’ lives is always an important part of helping students to value
science, and should be emphasized at this grade level.
This Core was designed using
the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Project 2061:
Benchmarks For Science Literacy and the National Academy of Science’s
National Science Education Standards as guides to determine appropriate
content and skills.
The
sixth grade Science Core has three online resources designed to help with
classroom instruction; they include Teacher Resource Book –a set of
lesson plans, assessment items and science information specific to sixth grade;
Sci-ber Text –an electronic science textbook specific to the Utah Core;
and the science test item pool.
This pool includes multiple-choice questions, performance tasks, and
interpretive items aligned to the standards and objectives of the sixth grade
Science Core. These resources are
all available on the Utah Science Home Page at http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/science
.
SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS
The
hands–on nature of this science curriculum increases the need for teachers to
use appropriate precautions in the classroom and field. Proper handling and disposal of
microorganisms is crucial for a safe classroom. Teachers must adhere to the
published guidelines for the proper use of animals, equipment, and chemicals in
the classroom. These guidelines are available on the Utah Science Home
Page.
Intended Learning Outcomes for Sixth
Grade Science
The
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) describe the skills and attitudes students
should learn as a result of science instruction. They are an essential part of the
Science Core Curriculum and provide teachers with a standard for evaluation of
student learning in science.
Instruction should include significant science experiences that lead to
student understanding using the ILOs.
The main intent of science
instruction in Utah is that students will value and use science as a process of
obtaining knowledge based upon observable evidence.
By
the end of sixth grade students will be able to:
1. Use Science Process and Thinking
Skills
a.
Observe simple objects,
patterns, and events, and report their observations.
b.
Sort and sequence data
according to criteria given.
c.
Given the appropriate
instrument, measure length, temperature, volume, and mass in metric units as
specified.
d.
Compare things, processes,
and events.
e.
Use classification
systems.
f.
Plan and conduct simple
experiments.
g.
Formulate simple research
questions.
h.
Predict results of
investigations based on prior data.
i.
Use data to construct a
reasonable conclusion.
2. Manifest Scientific Attitudes and
Interests
a.
Demonstrate a sense of
curiosity about nature.
b.
Voluntarily read and look at
books and other materials about science.
c.
Pose science questions about
objects, events, and processes.
d.
Maintain an open and
questioning mind toward new ideas and alternative points of
view.
e.
Seek and weigh evidence
before drawing conclusions.
f.
Accept and use scientific
evidence to help resolve ecological problems.
3. Understand Science Concepts and
Principles
a.
Know and explain science
information specified for the grade level.
b.
Distinguish between examples
and non-examples of concepts that have been taught.
c.
Solve problems appropriate
to grade level by applying science principles and
procedures.
4.
Communicate Effectively Using Science Language and
Reasoning
a.
Record data accurately when
given the appropriate form (e.g., table, graph, chart).
b.
Describe or explain
observations carefully and report with pictures, sentences, and
models.
c.
Use scientific language in
oral and written communication.
d.
Use reference sources to
obtain information and cite the source.
e.
Use mathematical reasoning
to communicate information.
5.
Demonstrate Awareness of Social and Historical Aspects of
Science
a.
Cite examples of how science
affects life.
b.
Understand the cumulative
nature of science knowledge.
6. Understand the Nature of
Science
Science Benchmark
The appearance of the
lighted portion of the moon changes in a
predictable cycle as a result of the relative positions of Earth, the
moon, and the sun. Earth turns on
an axis that is tilted relative to the plane of Earth’s yearly orbit. The tilt causes sunlight to fall more
intensely on different parts of the Earth during various parts of the year. The differences in heating of Earth’s
surface and length of daylight hours produce the seasons.
STANDARD I:
Students will understand that the appearance of the moon changes
in a predictable cycle as it orbits Earth and as Earth rotates on its
axis.
Objective 1: Explain patterns of changes in the appearance of the moon as it orbits Earth.
a. Describe changes in the appearance of the moon during a month.
b.
Identify the
pattern of change in the moon’s appearance.
c.
Use observable
evidence to explain the movement of the moon around Earth in relationship to
Earth turning on its axis and the position of the moon changing in the
sky.
d.
Design an
investigation, construct a chart, and collect data depicting the phases of the
moon.
Objective
2: Demonstrate how the relative positions
of Earth, the
moon, and the sun create the appearance of the moon’s
phases.
a. Identify the difference between the motion of an object rotating on its axis and an object revolving in orbit.
b. Compare how objects in the sky (the moon, planets, stars) change in relative position over the course of the day or night.
c. Model the movement and relative positions of Earth, the moon, and the sun.
STANDARD II:
Students will understand how Earth’s tilt on its axis changes the
length of daylight and creates the seasons.
Objective 1: Describe the relationship between the
tilt of Earth's axis and its yearly orbit around the sun.
a. Describe the yearly revolution (orbit) of Earth around the sun.
b. Explain that Earth's axis is tilted relative to its yearly orbit around the sun.
c. Investigate the relationship between the amount of heat absorbed and the angle to the light source.
Objective 2: Explain
how the relationship between the tilt of Earth's axis and its yearly orbit
around the sun produces the seasons.
a.
Compare Earth’s position in
relationship to the sun during each season.
b.
Compare the hours of
daylight and illustrate the angle that the sun's rays strikes the surface of
Earth during summer, fall, winter, and spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
c.
Use collected data to
compare patterns relating to seasonal daylight changes.
d.
Use a drawing and/or model
to explain that changes in the angle at which light from the sun strikes Earth,
and the length of daylight, determine seasonal differences in the amount of
energy received.
e.
Use a model to explain why
the seasons are reversed in the Northern and Southern
Hemispheres.
|
Science language
students should use: |
Earth’s
tilt, seasons, axis of rotation, orbits, phases of the moon, revolution,
reflection |
Science
Benchmark
The solar
system consists of planets, moons, and other smaller objects including asteroids
and comets that orbit the sun.
Planets in the solar system differ in terms of their distance from the
sun, number of moons, size, composition, and ability to sustain life. Every object exerts gravitational force
on every other object depending on the mass of the objects and the distance
between them. The sun’s
gravitational pull holds Earth and other planets in orbit. Earth’s gravitational force holds the
moon in orbit. The sun is one of
billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy, that is one of billions of galaxies
in the universe. Scientists use a
variety of tools to investigate the nature of stars, galaxies, and the
universe. Historically, cultures
have observed objects in the sky and understood and used them in various
ways.
STANDARD III: Students
will understand the relationship and attributes of objects in the solar
system.
Objective
1: Describe and compare the components of
the solar system.
a.
Identify the planets in the
solar system by name and relative location from the sun.
b.
Using references, compare
the physical properties of the planets (e.g., size, solid or
gaseous).
c.
Use models and graphs that
accurately depict scale to compare the size and distance between objects in the
solar system.
d.
Describe the characteristics
of comets, asteroids, and meteors.
e.
Research and report on the
use of manmade satellites orbiting Earth and various planets.
Objective 2: Describe the use of technology to observe objects in the solar system and relate this to science’s understanding of the solar system.
a.
Describe the use of
instruments to observe and explore the moon and planets.
b.
Describe the role of
computers in understanding the solar system (e.g., collecting and interpreting
data from observations, predicting motion of objects, operating space
probes).
c.
Relate science’s
understanding of the solar system to the technology used to investigate
it.
d.
Find and report on ways
technology has been and is being used to investigate the solar
system.
Objective
3: Describe the forces that
keep objects in orbit in the solar
system.
a.
Describe the forces holding
Earth in orbit around the sun, and the moon in orbit around
Earth.
b.
Relate a celestial object’s
mass to its gravitational force on other objects.
c.
Identify the role gravity
plays in the structure of the solar system.
STANDARD IV:
Students will understand the scale of size, distance between objects,
movement, and apparent motion (due to Earth’s rotation) of objects in the
universe and how cultures have understood, related to and used these objects in
the night sky.
Objective
1: Compare the size and distance of objects
within systems in the universe.
a.
Use the speed of light as a
measuring standard to describe the relative distances to objects in the universe
(e.g., 4.4 light years to star Alpha Centauri; 0.00002 light years to the
sun).
b.
Compare distances between
objects in the solar system.
c.
Compare the size of the
Solar System to the size of the Milky Way galaxy.
d.
Compare the size of the
Milky Way galaxy to the size of the known universe.
Objective 2: Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and how various cultures have understood and used them.
a.
Locate and identify stars
that are grouped in patterns in the night sky.
b.
Identify ways people have
historically grouped stars in the night sky.
c.
Recognize that stars in a
constellation are not all the same distance from Earth.
d.
Relate the seasonal change
in the appearance of the night sky to Earth’s position.
e.
Describe ways that familiar
groups of stars may be used for navigation and calendars.
|
Science language
students should use: |
asteroids,
celestial object, comets, galaxy, planets, satellites, star, distance, force, gravity, gravitational force, mass,
scale, solar system, constellation, Milky Way galaxy, speed of light,
telescope, universe, sun, light
years |
Science
Benchmark
Microorganisms are those
living things that are visible as individual organisms only with the aid of
magnification. Microorganisms are
components of every ecosystem on Earth.
Microorganisms range in complexity from single to multicellular
organisms. Most microorganisms do
not cause disease and many are beneficial.
Microorganisms require food, water, air, ways to dispose of waste, and an
environment in which they can live.
Investigation of microorganisms is accomplished by observing organisms
using direct observation with the aid of magnification, observation of colonies
of these organisms and their waste, and observation of microorganisms’ effects
on an environment and other organisms.
STANDARD V: Students will understand that
microorganisms range from simple to complex, are found almost everywhere, and
are both helpful and harmful.
Objective
1: Observe and summarize information about
microorganisms.
a.
Examine and illustrate size,
shape, and structure of organisms found in an environment such as pond
water.
b.
Compare characteristics
common in observed organisms (e.g., color, movement, appendages, shape) and
infer their function (e.g., green color found in organisms that are producers,
appendages help movement).
c.
Research and report on a
microorganism’s requirements (i.e., food, water, air, waste disposal,
temperature of environment, reproduction).
Objective 2: Demonstrate the skills needed to plan
and conduct an experiment to determine a microorganism’s requirements in a
specific environment.
a.
Formulate a question about
microorganisms that can be answered with a student
experiment.
b.
Develop a hypothesis for a
question about microorganisms based on observations and prior
knowledge.
c.
Plan and carry out an
investigation on microorganisms. {Note: Teacher must examine plans and
procedures to assure the safety of students; for additional information, you may
wish to read microbe safety information on Utah Science Home
Page.}
d.
Display results in an
appropriate format (e.g., graphs, tables, diagrams).
e.
Prepare a written summary or
conclusion to describe the results in terms of the hypothesis for the
investigation on microorganisms.
Objective
3: Identify positive and negative effects
of microorganisms and how science has developed positive uses for some
microorganisms and overcome the negative effects of others.
a.
Describe in writing how
microorganisms serve as decomposers in the environment.
b.
Identify how microorganisms
are used as food or in the production of food (e.g., yeast helps bread rise,
fungi flavor cheese, algae are used in ice cream, bacteria are used to make
cheese and yogurt).
c.
Identify helpful uses of
microorganisms (e.g., clean up oil spills, purify water, digest food in
digestive tract, antibiotics) and the role of science in the development of
understanding that led to positive uses (i.e., Pasteur established the
existence, growth, and control of bacteria; Fleming isolated and developed
penicillin).
d.
Relate several diseases
caused by microorganisms to the organism causing the disease (e.g., athlete’s
foot -fungi, streptococcus throat -bacteria, giardia
-protozoa).
e.
Observe and report on
microorganisms’ harmful effects on food (e.g., causes fruits and vegetables to
rot, destroys food bearing plants, makes milk sour).
|
Science language
students should use: |
algae,
fungi, microorganism, decomposer, single–celled, organism, bacteria,
protozoan, producer, hypothesis, experiment, investigation, variable,
control, culture |
Science
Benchmark
Heat, light, and sound are
all forms of energy. Heat can be
transferred by radiation, conduction and convection. Visible light can be produced,
reflected, refracted, and separated into light of various colors. Sound is created by vibration and cannot
travel through a vacuum. Pitch is
determined by the vibration rate of the sound
source.
STANDARD
VI: Students will understand
properties and behavior of heat, light, and sound.
Objective 1: Investigate the movement of heat between objects by conduction, convection, and radiation.
a.
Compare materials that
conduct heat to materials that insulate the transfer of heat
energy.
b.
Describe the movement of
heat from warmer objects to cooler objects by conduction and convection.
c.
Describe the movement of
heat across space from the sun to Earth by radiation.
d.
Observe and describe, with
the use of models, heat energy being transferred through a fluid medium (liquid
and/or gas) by convection currents.
e.
Design and conduct an
investigation on the movement of heat energy.
Objective 2: Describe how light can be produced, reflected, refracted, and separated into visible light of various colors.
a.
Compare light from various
sources (e.g., intensity, direction, color).
b.
Compare the reflection of
light from various surfaces (e.g., loss of light, angle of reflection, reflected
color).
c.
Investigate and describe the
refraction of light passing through various materials (e.g., prisms,
water).
d.
Predict and test the
behavior of light interacting with various fluids (e.g., light transmission
through fluids, refraction of light).
e.
Predict and test the
appearance of various materials when light of different colors is shone on the
material.
Objective
3: Describe the production of sound in
terms of vibration of objects that create vibrations in other
materials.
a.
Describe how
sound is made from vibration and moves in all directions from the source in
waves.
b.
Explain the
relationship of the size and shape of a vibrating object to the pitch of the
sound produced.
c.
Relate the
volume of a sound to the amount of energy used to create the vibration of the
object producing the sound.
d.
Make a musical
instrument and report on how it produces sound.
|
Science language
students should use: |
angle of
incidence, angle of reflection, absorption, conduction, conductor,
convection, medium, pitch, prism, radiation, reflection, refraction,
spectrum, vibration |