West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District

Science Grade 6
 Unit Title:
Life Science: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Content Area: Science
Course & Grade Level: Science 6, Grade 6

Summary and Rationale

The 6th grade life science unit begins with an in depth focus on identifying living things and the life
processes they undergo. Students are introduced to cells as the basic unit of life. Cells play a role as a
single organism or an organism of multiple systems of cells that work together to carry out life
processes. Students study examples of different types of cells from different organisms such as plants,
and explain how the structures that are present support the functions of that organism. These
processes are complex and involve chemical reactions of different compounds. Photosynthesis and
respiration are processes that involve the movement of matter and energy for the cell. Students will
investigate and observe how environmental factors affect the growth of organisms. Students will
further connect their understanding by relating cause and effect with the interdependent relationship
between plants and animal behaviors for reproduction.

Recommended Pacing
40-45 days

NGSS Standards/Performance Expectations

Standard
Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either
one cell or many different numbers and types of cells. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis
MS-LS1-1 is on developing evidence that living things are made of cells, distinguishing between
living and non-living cells, and understanding that living things may be made of one cell
or many and varied cells.]
Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of
cells contribute to the function. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the cell
functioning as a whole system and the primary role of identified parts of the cell,
specifically the nucleus, chloroplasts, mitochondria, cell membrane, and cell wall.]
MS-LS1-2
[Assessment Boundary: Assessment of organelle structure/function relationships is limited
to the cell wall and cell membrane. Assessment of the function of the other organelles is
limited to their relationship to the whole cell. Assessment does not include the
biochemical function of cells or cell parts.]
 Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an
explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures
affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.
[Clarification Statement: Examples of behaviors that affect the probability of animal
reproduction could include nest building to protect young from cold, herding of animals
MS-LS1-4. to protect young from predators, and vocalization of animals and colorful plumage to
attract mates for breeding. Examples of animal behaviors that affect the probability of
plant reproduction could include transferring pollen or seeds, and creating conditions for
seed germination and growth. Examples of plant structures could include bright flowers
attracting butterflies that transfer pollen, flower nectar and odors that attract insects
that transfer pollen, and hard shells on nuts that squirrels bury.]
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and
genetic factors influence the growth of organisms. [Clarification Statement: Examples of
local environmental conditions could include availability of food, light, space, and water.
Examples of genetic factors could include large breed cattle and species of grass
MS-LS1-5 affecting growth of organisms. Examples of evidence could include drought decreasing
plant growth, fertilizer increasing plant growth, different varieties of plant seeds
growing at different rates in different conditions, and fish growing larger in large ponds
than they do in small ponds.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include
genetic mechanisms, gene regulation, or biochemical processes.]
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in
the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms. [Clarification
MS-LS1- 6 Statement: Emphasis is on tracing movement of matter and flow of energy.]
[Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the biochemical mechanisms of
photosynthesis.]
Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions
forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter
moves through an organism. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on describing that
MS-LS1- 7
molecules are broken apart and put back together and that in this process, energy is
released.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include details of the chemical
reactions for photosynthesis or respiration.]
 Instructional Focus
Unit Enduring Understandings
- Cells are the basic unit of life.
- Cells play a role as a single organism (unicellular) or an organism of multiple systems of cells
(multicellular) that work together to carry out life processes.
- Different types of organisms have specific cellular structures that are present and support the
functions of that organism.
- Photosynthesis and respiration are processes that involve the chemical reactions, the movement
of matter and energy for the cell. Plants undergo photosynthesis to make their own food from
the energy of the sun. Respiration releases energy to support life processes of organisms.
- Producers make their own food. Consumers eat to take in food.
- Characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the success of
reproduction.
- All organisms must be able to obtain and use resources, grow, reproduce and maintain stable
internal conditions within the ecosystem. Changes in environmental conditions can affect the
survival and growth of individual organisms and entire species.
- Plants and animals have an interdependent relationship that is essential for the survival and
reproduction of the species.
Unit Essential Questions
- What makes up living things? What makes living things living?
- What makes plants and animals different from each other?
- What are the life processes of different organisms?
- How do some organisms such as green plants make their own food?
- How do organisms get their energy?
- How and why are plants and animals reliant on each other to survive?
- Why do different organisms have various characteristics and behaviors for reproduction?
- What do organisms need from their environment to survive and reproduce?
- How do changes in the environment affect the survival and reproduction of a species?
Content Statements
LS1.A: Structure and Function :
o All living things are made up of cells, which is the smallest unit that can be said to be alive.
An organism may consist of one single cell (unicellular) or many different numbers and types
of cells (multicellular). (MS-LS1-1)
LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms :
o Animals engage in characteristic behaviors that increase the odds of reproduction. (MS-LS1-
4)
o Plants reproduce in a variety of ways, sometimes depending on animal behavior and
specialized features for reproduction. (MS-LS1-4)
Genetic factors as well as local conditions affect the growth of the adult plant. (MS-LS1-5)
(NOTE: 6th grade will focus on environmental/local conditions, while 7th grade will focus on
genetic factors)
LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms
o Plants, algae (including phytoplankton), and many microorganisms use the energy from light
to make sugars (food) from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water through the
process of photosynthesis, which also releases oxygen. These sugars can be used
immediately or stored for growth or later use. (MS-LS1-6)
o Within individual organisms, food moves through a series of chemical reactions in which it is
broken down and rearranged to form new molecules, to support growth, or to release
energy. (MS-LS1-7)
PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life
o The chemical reaction by which plants produce complex food molecules (sugars) requires an
energy input (i.e., from sunlight) to occur. In this reaction, carbon dioxide and water combine
to form carbon-based organic molecules and release oxygen. (secondary to MS-LS1-6)
Ability Objectives:

Identify questions based on qualitative/quantitative observations that can be answered through

scientific investigations. Examples:
How does fertilizer concentration affect plant growth?
What is the food preference of Cabbage White Butterflies?
Design and conduct a scientific investigation to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence
that meets the goals of an investigation. Examples:
Determine the effect of fertilizer concentration on plant growth.
Investigate the food preference of Cabbage White Butterflies.
Use appropriate tools to generate data tables, graph, charts, models, etc. Examples:
Use microscopes and magnifying lenses.
Use the computer to construct data tables and graphs.
Use rulers, electronic and triple beam balances to collect data.
 Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence. Examples:
Observe Cabbage White Butterflies and Fast Plants to explain interdependence.
Determine the effect of fertilizer concentration on plant growth.
Create detailed and labeled scientific diagrams of observations.
Construct scientific explanations based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from
investigations and consistent with knowledge. Examples:
Respond to reflection questions.
Determine the effect of fertilizer concentration on plant growth.
Use clear, concise and meaningful methods to record and communicate ones work. Examples:
Respond to reflection questions.
Make scientific drawings.
Design data tables, graphs, charts, and models.
Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions and communicate scientific
procedures and explanations. Use an oral and written argument supported by evidence to
support or refute an explanation/solution or a model of a phenomenon. Examples:
Determine the effect of fertilizer concentration on plant growth.
Determine the interdependent effect of plants and animals on their growth and
reproduction.
Use mathematics in scientific inquiry. Examples:
Design and analyze graphs.
Use powers of magnification.
Use math to calculate fertilizer concentrations.

Sample Performance Tasks - Specific for Unit 1: SWBAT:

Investigate specimens of different types of multicellular organisms (ex: elodea, spirogyra, WOW
bug, lumbriculus) and identify the structures and functions of cells. Students will investigate
samples to identify organisms as multicellular or unicellular based on structures and functions.
(MS-LS1-1, MS-LS1-2)
Research and explain the breeding and nesting habits of an animal species and argue why these
characteristic behaviors benefit the stability and change in the reproduction of the species. (ex:
owls) (MS-LS1-4)
Observe and explain the cause and effects in interdependence relationship between plants and
animals (ex: Cabbage White Butterfly and Wisconsin Fast Plants). Students will model and
describe the life cycles that include being born and developing into adults, reproducing, and
eventually dying. (MS -LS1-4)
Explain and identify the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction. (MS-LS1-4)
Model the sun as the major source of energy for the stability of an ecosystem (as defined as the
combination of living things and the physical surrounding.) (MS-LS1-5)
 Explain how the variance of different abiotic factors can affect plant growth and reproduction.
(ex: fertilizer concentration affecting plant growth) (MS-LS1-5)
Model and explain that photosynthesis is a chemical reaction powered by the sun, using its
energy to make glucose from CO2 and water, and releasing O2. Students will be able to identify
that this process that plants undergo to make their own food is what defines them as producers.
(MS-LS1-6)
Explain how both consumers and producers undergo respiration to obtain energy from food for
carrying out their life processes. (MS-LS1-7)

Resources
Core Text: OrganismsFrom Macro to Micro Student Guide and Source Book (Carolina Curriculum for
Science and Math)
Suggested Resources:
WFP; Life Cycle www.fastplants.org
CWB Diagram http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/insects/label/butterfly.shtml
CWB; Life Cycle http://www.raisingbutterflies.org/cabbage-white/
www.brainpop.com
Parts of a Flower; https://extension.illinois.edu/gpe/case4/c4m1.html
 Unit Title: Life Science: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Content Area: Science
Course & Grade Level: Science 6, Grade 6

Summary and Rationale

In this unit, students will build upon their knowledge of organisms by studying the interactions of living
and non-living things in an ecosystem. Ecosystems provide biotic and abiotic factors that help meet the
needs of the organisms. Students will explain and visualize with models the cycling of matter and
movement of energy in ecosystems. Matter and energy is conserved throughout these processes.
Changes in these factors can have an effect on the ecosystem and populations. Students will identify
patterns of interaction between ecosystems and the relationships among and between organisms and
their environment.

Recommended Pacing
20-25 days

NGSS Standards/Performance Expectations

Standard
Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on
organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem. [Clarification Statement:
MS-LS2-1 Emphasis is on cause and effect relationships between resources and growth of individual
organisms and the numbers of organisms in ecosystems during periods of abundant and
scarce resources.]
Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across
multiple ecosystems. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on predicting consistent
MS-LS2-2 patterns of interactions in different ecosystems in terms of the relationships among and
between organisms and abiotic components of ecosystems. Examples of types of
interactions could include competitive, predatory, and mutually beneficial.]
Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and
nonliving parts of an ecosystem. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on describing the
MS-LS2-3 conservation of matter and flow of energy into and out of various ecosystems, and on
defining the boundaries of the system.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not
include the use of chemical reactions to describe the processes.]
Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or
biological components of an ecosystem affect populations. [Clarification Statement:
MS-LS2-4 Emphasis is on recognizing patterns in data and making warranted inferences about
changes in populations, and on evaluating empirical evidence supporting arguments
about changes to ecosystems.]
 Instructional Focus
Unit Enduring Understandings
- All organisms transfer matter and convert energy from one form to another.
- Both matter and energy are conserved and necessary to build and maintain structures within the
organism.
- The structural and functional characteristics of an organism determine their continued survival
over time under changing environmental conditions.
- Organisms interrelate and are interdependent within an ecosystem in predictable ways.
- All organisms must be able to obtain and use resources, grow, reproduce and maintain stable
internal conditions within the ecosystem.
- Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms and entire
species.
- Living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure
and function.
- Energy, entering ecosystems as sunlight, is transferred by producers into chemical energy
through photosynthesis.
- Food webs show the flow of energy in a community.
Unit Essential Questions
- How is matter transformed, and energy transferred/transformed in living systems?
- How do changes in an ecosystem affect populations?
- What are the various kinds of relationships between organisms?
- How do adaptations of organisms affect its niche within an ecosystem?

Content Statements
LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions
both with other living things and with nonliving factors. (MS-LS2-1)
In any ecosystem, organisms and populations with similar requirements for food, water,
oxygen, or other resources may compete with each other for limited resources, access to
which consequently constrains their growth and reproduction. (MS-LS2-1)
Growth of organisms and population increases are limited by access to resources. (MS-LS2-1)
Similarly, predatory interactions may reduce the number of organisms or eliminate whole
populations of organisms. Mutually beneficial interactions, in contrast, may become so
interdependent that each organism requires the other for survival. Although the species
involved in these competitive, predatory, and mutually beneficial interactions vary across
ecosystems, the patterns of interactions of organisms with their environments, both living
and nonliving, are shared. (MS-LS2-2)
 LS2.B: Cycle of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
Food webs are models that demonstrate how matter and energy is transferred between
producers, consumers, and decomposers as the three groups interact within an ecosystem.
Transfers of matter into and out of the physical environment occur at every level.
Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead plant or animal matter back to the soil in terrestrial
environments or to the water in aquatic environments. The atoms that make up the
organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the living and nonliving parts of the
ecosystem. (MS-LS2-3)
Ability Objectives
Develop and use a model to describe and predict phenomena. Examples:
Visualize matter and energy flow/transfer throughout an ecosystem.
Model the relationships between organisms and their environment.
Create a model food web with their owl as the supreme predator.
Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions and communicate scientific
procedures and explanations. Use an oral and written argument supported by evidence to
support or refute an explanation/solution or a model of a phenomenon. Examples:
Explain how changes in an ecosystems biotic and abiotic factors affect population.
Examine the effects of controlling population growth in ecosystems.
Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence. Examples:
Create detailed and labeled scientific diagrams of food webs and other observations.
Predict how growth of organisms and populations changes with limited resources and the
competition for them.
Population and density studies
Construct scientific explanations based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from
investigations and consistent with knowledge. Examples:
Respond to reflection questions.
Research an organism and how it interacts with its environment.
Sample Performance Tasks - Specific for Unit 2: SWBAT:
Construct the cycle of energy and matter within an ecosystem between the various trophic
levels. (MS-LS2-2)
Analyze and interpret information on an owl species of their choice and the ecosystem dynamics
and demonstrate how its adaptations promote survival in its ecosystem through a cause and
effect relationship. (MS-LS2-3)
Develop and use a model by dissecting an owl pellet reconstructing its contents to identify cause
and effect relationships and model the interdependent relationships in ecosystems .(MS-LS2-3)
Construct explanations to distinguish between predator-prey relationships in an ecosystem and
give examples to demonstrate patterns, relationships and/or changes in the ecosystem. (MS-LS2-
2)
Recognize how the food pyramid is supported by producers at the bottom.
Predict how different trophic level populations will shift when any biotic or abiotic factor of an
ecosystem is disrupted by constructing an explanation . (MS-LS2-4)
Develop an explanation of how biotic and abiotic components interact in an ecosystem that
models an interdependent relationship.(MS-LS2-1)

Resources
Core Text: OrganismsFrom Macro to Micro Student Guide and Source Book (Carolina Curriculum for
Science and Math)
Suggested Resources: www.kidwings.com (virtual owl pellet dissection)
www.owlpages.com
www.allaboutbirds.org
www.zoo.org
www.pbs.org
www.owlinstitute.org
www.biokids.umich.edu
www.beautyofbirds.com
www.defenders.org
www.alaskazoo.org
www.audubon.org
www.nationalgrographic.com
 Unit Title: Physical Science: Matter and Its Interactions
Content Area: Science
Course & Grade Level: Science 6, Grade 6

Summary and Rationale

Students are introduced to the basic atomic and molecular interactions of matter in this unit, leaving our
life science unit to delve deeper into the smaller scale at the atomic level. Students will be able to apply
their understanding of atoms and molecules with hands-on investigative activities involving chemistry.
Concepts include characteristic physical and chemical properties, atoms and molecules, states of matter
and change, and chemical reactions to form new substances. The 6th grade physical science unit is a
foundation for more in-depth, enrichening understanding and inquiry practice in the 8th grade
chemistry unit.

Recommended Pacing
40-45 days

NGSS Standards/Performance Expectations

Standard
Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended
structures. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on developing models of molecules that
vary in complexity. Examples of simple molecules could include ammonia and methanol.
Examples of extended structures could include sodium chloride or diamonds. Examples of
MS-PS1-1 molecular-level models could include drawings, 3D ball and stick structures, or computer
representations showing different molecules with different types of atoms.] [Assessment
Boundary: Assessment does not include valence electrons and bonding energy, discussing
the ionic nature of subunits of complex structures, or a complete description of all
individual atoms in a complex molecule or extended structure is not required.]
Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the
substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred. [Clarification
Statement: Examples of reactions could include burning sugar or steel wool, fat reacting
MS-PS1-2
with sodium hydroxide, and mixing zinc with hydrogen chloride.] [Assessment boundary:
Assessment is limited to analysis of the following properties: density, melting point,
boiling point, solubility, flammability, and odor.]
Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature,
and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed. [Clarification
Statement: Emphasis is on qualitative molecular-level models of solids, liquids, and gases
MS-PS1-4 to show that adding or removing thermal energy increases or decreases kinetic energy of
the particles until a change of state occurs. Examples of models could include drawing and
diagrams. Examples of particles could include molecules or inert atoms. Examples of pure
substances could include water, carbon dioxide, and helium.]
 Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in
a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on
MS-PS1-5 law of conservation of matter and on physical models or drawings, including digital forms,
that represent atoms.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the use of
atomic masses, balancing symbolic equations, or intermolecular forces.]

Instructional Focus
Unit Enduring Understandings
Materials exist throughout our physical world. They can be categorized as mixtures, compounds,
or elements. The structures of materials influence their physical properties, chemical reactivity
and use.
The atomic structures of materials determine their properties.
There are several ways in which elements and compounds react to form new substances and
each reaction involves the flow of energy.
Characteristic properties describe substances rather than objects and are independent of the
amount of the sample. (density, boiling point, melting point).
Heat, through movement on the molecular level, transfers from a hot place to a cooler place
until both reach the same temperature and can cause phase changes in matter.
Heat affects some characteristic properties of matter such as density.
No matter how substances within a closed system interact, the total mass of the system remains
the same.
Different substances can be described by their physical and chemical properties such as density,
mass, volume, and reactivity.
Unit Essential Questions
How do materials differ from each other in terms of characteristics?
What is a chemical reactions? How do materials change?
What are materials made of?
How does heat travel?
What is the difference between different states of matter?
Why do materials freeze, melt, or boil?
What happens to the atoms and its mass after a chemical or physical change?
Content Statements
PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter
Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in
various ways. Atoms form molecules that range in size from two to thousands of atoms. (MS-
PS1-1)
Each pure substance has characteristic physical and chemical properties (for any bulk quantity
under given conditions) that can be used to identify it. (MS-PS1-2),(MS-PS1-3)
 Gases and liquids are made of molecules or inert atoms that are moving about relative to
each other. (MS-PS1-4)
In a liquid, the molecules are constantly in contact with others; in a gas, they are widely
spaced except when they happen to collide. In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and may
vibrate in position but do not change relative locations. (MS-PS1-4)
Solids may be formed from molecules, or they may be extended structures with repeating
subunits (e.g., crystals). (MS-PS1-1)
The changes of state that occur with variations in temperature or pressure can be described
and predicted using these models of matter. (MS-PS1-4)
PS1.B: Chemical Reactions
Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that
make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new
substances have different properties from those of the reactants. (MS-PS1-2),(MS-PS1-3),(MS-
PS1-5)
The total number of each type of atom is conserved, and thus the mass does not change. (MS-
PS1-5)
Some chemical reactions release energy, others store energy. (MS-PS1-6)
PS3.A: Definitions of Energy
The term heat as used in everyday language refers both to thermal energy (the motion of
atoms or molecules within a substance) and the transfer of that thermal energy from one
object to another. In science, heat is used only for this second meaning; it refers to the energy
transferred due to the temperature difference between two objects.(secondary to MS-PS1-4)
The temperature of a system is proportional to the average internal kinetic energy and
potential energy per atom or molecule (whichever is the appropriate building block for the
systems material). The details of that relationship depend on the type of atom or molecule
and the interactions among the atoms in the material. Temperature is not a direct measure of
a system's total thermal energy. The total thermal energy (sometimes called the total internal
energy) of a system depends jointly on the temperature, the total number of atoms in the
system, and the state of the material.(secondary to MS-PS1-4)
ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
A solution needs to be tested, and then modified on the basis of the test results, in order to
improve it.(secondary to MS-PS1-6)
ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution
Although one design may not perform the best across all tests, identifying the characteristics
of the design that performed the best in each test can provide useful information for the
redesign process - that is, some of the characteristics may be incorporated into the new
design.(secondary to MS-PS1-6)
The iterative process of testing the most promising solutions and modifying what is proposed
on the basis of the test results leads to greater refinement and ultimately to an optimal
solution.(secondary to MS-PS1-6)
Ability Objectives
Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.
Examples:
o How does density affect the behavior of matter?
o How does temperature affect the density of matter?
o How is mass affected during phase changes, and dissolving?
o Can characteristic properties of matter change?
Design and conduct a scientific investigation.
Examples:
o Measure the density of an irregularly shaped object.
o Design and build a liquid and gas thermometer.
o Investigate variables that influence the density of gases.
Use appropriate tools to generate data tables, graph, charts, models, etc.
Examples:
o Use the computer to construct data tables and graphs.
o Use electronic probes and sensors to collect data.
o Use rulers, electronic and triple beam balances to collect data.
Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence.
Examples:
o Make thermometers to understand the effect of temperature on volume.
o Make a paper clip model to represent the arrangement of atoms in a compound and
their rearrangement in a chemical reaction.
Think critically and logically to draw conclusions to connect evidence and explanations.
Examples:
o Respond to reflection questions.
o Make a liquid and gas thermometer.
o Construct a density column.
o Observe conservation of mass during a phase change.
Use clear, concise and meaningful methods to record and communicate ones work.
Examples:
o Keep a science journal.
o Write lab reports.
o Respond to reflection questions.
o Make scientific drawings.
o Design data tables, graphs, charts, and models.
Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions and communicate scientific
procedures and explanations.
Use mathematics in scientific inquiry.
 Examples:
o Use mathematical formulas to calculate density, volume, mass, and to make metric
temperature conversions.
o Create and analyze graphs.
Sample Performance Tasks - Specific for Unit 3: SWBAT:
Gather and evaluate data on measuring mass, volume, and density of regular and irregular
objects. Different substances vary in these physical properties but objects of the same substance
will have consistent properties .(MS-PS1-2)
Use manipulatives to model the process of photosynthesis and demonstrate conservation of
mass (MS-PS1-5)
Model and graph the heating of ice in order to predict and describe the patterns and changes of
state that occur with variation in temperature. (MS-PS1-4)
Model the cause and effect relationship demonstrated by conservation of mass after physical
change has taken place using ice/water (MS-PS1-5)
Develop and use models to recognize characteristic patterns that make both elements and
compounds pure substances (MS-PS1-2)
Carry out an investigation to construct, test, and suggest modifications to a thermometer in
order to observe expansion and contraction of liquid and gas due to the transfer of thermal
energy within a system. (MS-PS1-4)
Carry out an investigation of mixtures and pure substances to recognize patterns in
characteristics. (MS-PS1-1)
Model electrolysis to show that properties change after chemical reactions due to changes that
occur on the atomic scale. (MS-PS1-2)

Resources
Core Text: Properties of Matter: Student Guide and Source Book (Carolina Curriculum for Science and
Math)
Suggested Resources:
Density Simulator-https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/legacy/density
Interactive Periodic Table- http://www.ptable.com/
Solid, liquid and gas overview- https://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/liquids/character.html
Brainpop: www.brainpop.com
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/index.htm
 Unit Title: Earth Science: Earths Systems
Content Area: Science
Course & Grade Level: Science 6, Grade 6

Summary and Rationale

In this unit for Earths Systems, students identify, understand and connect important themes and
patterns in the living and nonliving world. This earth science unit, a study of weather and climate and
related natural catastrophes, builds on the understanding of density and other physical properties
featured in the previous unit on matter. Grasping the concept of density supports the exploration and
understanding of heat transfer and convection currents, as related to storms, earthquakes, volcanoes,
and floods, and how these events shape the surface of the earth. Students learn how water influences
weather, circulates in the oceans, and shapes Earths surface. The sun, while being a major source of
energy for living things, also plays a large role in weather and the global ocean cycle. Although critical
thinking and problem solving based on scientific concepts and understanding is foremost, environmental
policy and issues are also of great interest.

Recommended Pacing
40-45 days

NGSS Standards/Performance Expectations

Standard
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic
time scale is used to organize Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history. [Clarification Statement:
Emphasis is on how analyses of rock formations and the fossils they contain are used to
establish relative ages of major events in Earths history. Examples of Earths major events
could range from being very recent (such as the last Ice Age or the earliest fossils of homo
MS-ESS1-4
sapiens) to very old (such as the formation of Earth or the earliest evidence of life).
Examples can include the formation of mountain chains and ocean basins, the evolution or
extinction of particular living organisms, or significant volcanic eruptions.] [Assessment
Boundary: Assessment does not include recalling the names of specific periods or epochs
and events within them.]
Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that
drives this process. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the processes of melting,
MS-ESS2-1 crystallization, weathering, deformation, and sedimentation, which act together to form
minerals and rocks through the cycling of Earths materials.] [Assessment Boundary:
Assessment does not include the identification and naming of minerals.]
 Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have
changed Earth's surface at varying time and spatial scales. [Clarification Statement:
Emphasis is on how processes change Earths surface at time and spatial scales that can
be large (such as slow plate motions or the uplift of large mountain ranges) or small
(such as rapid landslides or microscopic geochemical reactions), and how many
MS-ESS2-2
geoscience processes (such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and meteor impacts) usually
behave gradually but are punctuated by catastrophic events. Examples of geoscience
processes include surface weathering and deposition by the movements of water, ice,
and wind. Emphasis is on geoscience processes that shape local geographic features,
where appropriate.]
Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes,
and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions. [Clarification
Statement: Examples of data include similarities of rock and fossil types on different
MS-ESS2-3 continents, the shapes of the continents (including continental shelves), and the
locations of ocean structures (such as ridges, fracture zones, and trenches).]
[Assessment Boundary: Paleomagnetic anomalies in oceanic and continental crust are
not assessed.]
Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems driven by
energy from the sun and the force of gravity. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on
the ways water changes its state as it moves through the multiple pathways of the
MS-ESS2-4
hydrologic cycle. Examples of models can be conceptual or physical.] [Assessment
Boundary: A quantitative understanding of the latent heats of vaporization and fusion is
not assessed.]
Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air
masses results in changes in weather conditions. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is
on how air masses flow from regions of high pressure to low pressure, causing weather
(defined by temperature, pressure, humidity, precipitation, and wind) at a fixed location
to change over time, and how sudden changes in weather can result when different air
MS-ESS2-5 masses collide. Emphasis is on how weather can be predicted within probabilistic ranges.
Examples of data can be provided to students (such as weather maps, diagrams, and
visualizations) or obtained through laboratory experiments (such as with condensation).]
[Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include recalling the names of cloud types
or weather symbols used on weather maps or the reported diagrams from weather
stations.]
Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth
cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.
[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how patterns vary by latitude, altitude, and
MS-ESS2-6
geographic land distribution. Emphasis of atmospheric circulation is on the sunlight-
driven latitudinal banding, the Coriolis effect, and resulting prevailing winds; emphasis of
ocean circulation is on the transfer of heat by the global ocean convection cycle, which is
 constrained by the Coriolis effect and the outlines of continents. Examples of models can
be diagrams, maps and globes, or digital representations.] [Assessment Boundary:
Assessment does not include the dynamics of the Coriolis effect.]
Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and
inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects. [Clarification
Statement: Emphasis is on how some natural hazards, such as volcanic eruptions and
severe weather, are preceded by phenomena that allow for reliable predictions, but
others, such as earthquakes, occur suddenly and without any notice, and thus are not
yet predictable. Examples of natural hazards can be taken from interior processes (such
MS-ESS3-2
as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions), surface processes (such as mass wasting and
tsunamis), or severe weather events (such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods).
Examples of data can include the locations, magnitudes, and frequencies of the natural
hazards. Examples of technologies can be global (such as satellite systems to monitor
hurricanes or forest fires) or local (such as building basements in tornado prone regions
or reservoirs to mitigate droughts).]

Instructional Focus
Unit Enduring Understandings
Heat transfers by conduction, convection, and radiation.
The uneven heating of the earth, on the surface and in the interior, causes changes in the
atmosphere, oceans, and lithosphere, which we observe as ocean currents, tectonic plate
motion, and weather patterns.
The moderate temperatures of the earth, along with the thin layer of atmosphere, oceans, and
land masses enable the planet to support life.
The sun is a major source of energy that drives weather patterns, the global ocean convection
cycle, and winds.
The characteristics of geography cause certain places to have frequent catastrophic events.
Catastrophic events have a role in shaping the earth.
The movement of tectonic plates have an effect on the distribution of fossils and the formation
of structures on earth. The placement of rock strata and fossils can give evidence to different age
periods of earths history.
Climate is weather over a period of time.
Unit Essential Questions
How do the materials in and on Earths crust change over time?
How does the movement of tectonic plates impact the surface of Earth?
How does water influence weather, circulate in the oceans, and shape Earths surface?
What factors interact and influence weather?
How have living organisms changed the Earth and how have Earths changing conditions
impacted living organisms?
Why do catastrophic events happen? Why do some places have more catastrophic events than
others?
What causes weather and how does it travel?
What is the suns role in oceans, weather, and climate?
Content Statements
ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth
Tectonic processes continually generate new ocean sea floor at ridges and destroy old sea
floor at trenches. (HS.ESS1.C GBE),(secondary to MS-ESS2-3)
ESS2.A: Earths Materials and Systems
All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among the
planets systems. This energy is derived from the sun and Earths hot interior. The energy that
flows and matter that cycles produce chemical and physical changes in Earths materials and
living organisms. (MS-ESS2-1)
The planets systems interact over scales that range from microscopic to global in size, and
they operate over fractions of a second to billions of years. These interactions have shaped
Earths history and will determine its future. (MS-ESS2-2)
ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions
Maps of ancient land and water patterns, based on investigations of rocks and fossils, make
clear how Earths plates have moved great distances, collided, and spread apart. (MS-ESS2-3)
ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes
Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration, evaporation,
condensation and crystallization, and precipitation, as well as downhill flows on land. (MS-
ESS2-4)
The complex patterns of the changes and the movement of water in the atmosphere,
determined by winds, landforms, and ocean temperatures and currents, are major
determinants of local weather patterns. (MS-ESS2-5)
Global movements of water and its changes in form are propelled by sunlight and gravity.
(MS-ESS2-4)
Variations in density due to variations in temperature and salinity drive a global pattern of
interconnected ocean currents. (MS-ESS2-6)
Waters movementsboth on the land and undergroundcause weathering and erosion,
which change the lands surface features and create underground formations. (MS-ESS2-2)
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
Weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving sunlight, the ocean, the
atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living things. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude,
and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow
patterns. (MS-ESS2-6)
Because these patterns are so complex, weather can only be predicted probabilistically. (MS-
ESS2-5)
The ocean exerts a major influence on weather and climate by absorbing energy from the
sun, releasing it over time, and globally redistributing it through ocean currents. (MS-ESS2-6)
Ability Objectives
Students will be able to:
Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.
Examples:
What drives weather?
What are the heating and cooling rates of soil and water?
How does the temperature affect the properties and motion of air masses?
What information about earthquakes do seismographs provide? o How does
lithospheric plate movement affect landforms?
Design and conduct a scientific investigation.
Examples:
Compare the heating and cooling rates of soil and water.
Determine how temperature affects the properties and motion of air masses.
Use seismographs to investigate the formation of earthquakes.
Use appropriate tools to generate data tables, graph, charts, models, etc.
Use the computer to construct data tables and graphs.
Use probes and sensors, rulers and magnifying lenses to collect data.
Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence.
Examples:
Use convection tubes to explain large scale motion of air masses.
Use a seismograph to understand the energy released by earthquakes.
Think critically and logically to draw conclusions which connect the relationships between
evidence and explanations.
Examples:
Respond to reflection questions.
Explore how uneven heating of earth creates weather systems.
Explore how convection within the earth causes plate movement and creates new
landforms.
 Use clear, concise and meaningful methods to record and communicate ones work.
Examples:
Keep a science journal/notebook to keep track of observations, examples, and
conclusions
Write lab conclusions and explanations.
Respond to reflection questions.
Make scientific drawings.
Design data tables, graphs, charts, and models.
Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions and communicate scientific
procedures and explanations.
Examples:
Use models to observe the effect on houses in catastrophic event prone areas.
Investigate how humans impact weather and climate.
Use mathematics in scientific inquiry.
Examples:
Design and analyze graphs.
Use a compass and triangulation.
Sample Performance Tasks - Specific for Unit 4: SWBAT:
Construct explanations to model the system of convection currents, which are influenced by the
rotation of the earth, produce winds and ocean currents. (MS-ESS2-6)
Construct explanations that show severe weather systems such as hurricanes and tornadoes
often develop in and are influenced by interactions between the ocean, living things, and the
atmosphere, for example lowpressure conditions or when warm and cold air masses meet. (MS-
ESS2-5)
Develop and use models to show movement and exchange of water between the earth,
atmosphere, and oceans (the water cycle). Water evaporates, cools condenses and forms clouds
affecting weather and climate. This pattern and system shows how energy flows and determines
weather patterns. (MS-ESS2-4)
Analyze data that models the cause and effect relationship between heat energy and climate
and explain how it drives climate and ocean currents. (MS-ESS2-6)
Create models to explain patterns in weather and climate. Students will use models to explain
the interactive systems and time scales of weather and climate. (MS-ESS2-5)
Analyze data that shows that energy produced by an earthquake travels in waves radiating out in
all directions at different rates. (MS-ESS3-2)
Analyze and interpret data to determine patterns and stability and change in natural systems as
a result of Earths materials and systems. (MS-ESS3-2)
Develop a model to show that faults are fractures in earths crust and upper mantle along which
measurable movement of rock has occurred over a period of time. (MS-ESS2-2)
Patterns in earthquake and volcanic locations reveal plate boundaries. (MS-ESS2-3)
 Construct an explanation to explain how lithospheric plates move in response to convection in
the mantle through a cause and effect relationship. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and
mountain building, result from these plate motions.(MS-ESS2-2)
Create mechanical system models to explain earths processes. (MS-ESS3-2)
Construct explanations to determine how constructive and destructive forces, which include
volcanic eruptions, create landforms by adding new material to the earths surface. (MS-ESS1-4)

Resources
Core Text: Catastrophic Events: Student Guide and Source Book (Carolina Curriculum for Science and
Math)

Suggested Resources: Catastrophic Events:

http://www.dilleyisd.net/ourpages/auto/2012/9/30/52827076/Unit%204%20Lesson%20Plans.pdf
Water Cycle: https://pmm.pps.eosdis.nasa.gov/education/interactive/water-cycle-webquest
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/pd/oceans_weather_climate/media/specific_heat.swf
https://www.climate.gov/maps-data