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).