6th Grade Science Course Syllabus 

Teacher: McKenzie Perry 

Room: 104 
Email: ​mperry@siuslaw.k12.or.us 

Core Concepts:  
Unit 1: Water, Weather & Climate 
We will begin the year studying the water cycle through the earth’s systems, driven by energy 
from the sun and the force of gravity. We will take a look at air masses, and their relationship 
to weather patterns, relating to regional climates. This will lead to a term project where 
students will use inquiry and study evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global 
temperatures. We will be especially focusing on water issues such as drought, dams, storms, 
pollution, and agricultural activity.  
Unit 2: Cells & Heredity 
In the 2nd quarter, we will be proving that living things are made of cells through microscope 
exploration. Then we will study the function and structure of both prokaryotic cells, and 
eukaryotic cells such as plant and animal cells. Once we have a good understanding of 
microscopic life, then we will learn about heredity, the difference between sexual and asexual 
reproduction in relation to genetic information, and genetic variation, touching on topics such 
as adaptations, mutations, natural selection, and evolution. 
Unit 3: Health 
The 3rd quarter will begin by learning about body systems, taking a look at the way each of 
our systems work and how they impact us as a whole, especially relating to 6th-grade bodies. 
We will also cover 6th-grade health standards including body image, physical fitness, and 
healthy eating habits and nutrition, culminating in meal planning for 6th-grade overnight 
outdoor school.  
Unit 4: Energy & Engineering 
In the last unit, students will study kinetic energy, and its relationship with the type of matter, 
mass, and temperature of an object. They will apply scientific principles to design, construct, 
and test devices to minimize and maximize thermal energy transfer by conduction. Then we 
will shift our focus to engineering, where students will build bridges out of simple materials 
using the engineering design process, looking to achieve an optimal design.  

Next Generation Science Standards 

Every NGSS standard that I teach has three dimensions: Scientific and engineering practices, 
disciplinary core ideas (content), and crosscutting concepts (relating content to other subject 
areas). The integration of rigorous content and application reflects how science and 
engineering are practiced in the real world. The NGSS encourage integration with multiple core 
concepts throughout each year, which means that our science lessons will often pair with 
math, language arts, or social studies lessons. If you would like more information on the NGSS, 
please visit their website at w
​ ww.nextgenscience.org​ and If you are interested in looking at the 
NGSS standards for my class please check them out at s​ ciencewithmrsperry.weebly.com. 
Expectations: 
I have very high expectations for achievement and behavior in my classroom. I am a believer 
in natural consequences. When students cause problems or make mistakes in class, their 
consequences will relate directly to the issue at hand. With that in mind, students may lose 
break time or be asked to leave the classroom for brief periods of time if they are being 
disruptive or off task during class time. I will only give homework on rare occasions, however, 
class time will be packed full of learning from start to finish. If students need extra time to 
finish their work, or if they were off task, thus not finishing their work, it will become homework. 
Students are expected to be in their seat completing a bell ringer task when the bell rings at 
the start of the period. If a student needs to leave the classroom for any reason (bathroom, 
locker, etc..) they will lose weekly participation points.  

Grading:  
Students and parents are able to login to their StudentVue and ParentVue account to check 
students grades, missing assignments, and upcoming due dates. Please sign up and use this 
website on a weekly basis. Staying caught up is the only way to be fully prepared for 
assessments!  
Participation (Weekly Participation Points, Bell Ringers) 10% 
Formative (Assignments & Pop Quizzes) 30% 
Summative (Quizzes & Tests, Projects, Interactive Notebooks)  60% 
ParentVue and StudentVue link: h ​ ttps://slsd.edupoint.com 
 
I will do my best to stick to what I have included in this syllabus, but things are subject to 
change. At the beginning of each unit, I will send home a newsletter giving you more 
information on the unit, including vocabulary words, standards being addressed, and 
important upcoming dates. I appreciate your support and welcome any communication. 
Please visit my classroom website on ParentVue, as it will be one of your most helpful tools in 
staying up to date on what is being taught in class. I will post pictures of all interactive 
notebooks pages, which can be used to help students to stay caught up in their own 
notebooks and can be used as a study resource. Feel free to email me (preferred) or reach 
me by phone through the school.  
I am looking forward to a wonderful year with your child, and I hope to meet you again at 
the open house in the fall!  
 
Best Regards, McKenzie Perry 
 
Student Signature: 
______________________________________________________________________________  
Parent Signature: 
______________________________________________________________________________ 

* Please indicate that you received this syllabus by signing your name here, along with any comments or 
questions you may have! But remember, this copy is for your child and should stay in their binder all 
school year. You can pick up your own copy at open house! Thank you! *