In this unit, students focus on the biosphere, analyzing how living things interact with one another and their environment for survival. In this lesson, students figure out the science phenomenon of how plants gather energy and nutrients. This page is a high-level extract of this lesson.
In this unit, students analyze how matter cycles between the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. They compare plant and animal cells, figuring out how internal structures help an organism get energy. Then, in this lesson, students figure out how energy flows and matter cycles through a food web, and investigate the phenomena of how plants convert non-food sources, such as light, air, and water, into food sources. This page showcases key elements of this lesson.
In this unit, students focus on the biosphere, analyzing the science phenomena of how living things interact with one another and their environment for survival. In this lesson, students focus on the role of decomposition as they design a compositing solution. This page is a high-level extract of this lesson.
In this unit, students focus on how environmental changes impact the ability of organisms to survive, grow, and reproduce, passing their traits on to future generations. In this lesson, students continue their analysis of how a plant’s structures allow it to grow and develop, focusing on how a change in the environment such as pollution can impact a plant’s ability to complete its life cycle. Specifically, students investigate how acid rain affects the external structures of aquatic plants. This page provides an overview of this lesson.
In this unit, students evaluate the science phenomena of how a change to an ecosystem can impact the living things that make it up. In this lesson, students explore how a change to the kind of plants in an environment results in a ripple effect phenomena on predation in the area. This page is a high-level extract of this lesson.
In this unit, students expand their understanding of the need for energy among living things to include non living energy systems. They build sleds to figure out how the phenomena of friction transfers energy out of systems. This page highlights components of this lesson.
In this unit, students use sleds and roller coasters to explore the relationship between energy, forces, and motion. In this lesson, students apply what they know about energy and forces to engineer a roller coaster. This page is a high-level extract of this lesson.
In this unit, students continue to explore forces and energy, focusing on the science phenomenon of how electrical energy can be transferred from one place to another to do work. In this lesson, students build series and parallel circuits, measuring the amount of current that moves through each circuit with one and two light bulbs. This page highlights some components of that lesson.
In this unit, students explore the science phenomenon of electric currents and electrical energy. In this lesson, students figure out energy transfers, electricity, and circuits in the context of an electromagnetic motor system. This page showcases each key section of this lesson.
In this unit, students focus on how sound energy is transferred from one place to another in waves. In this engineering lesson, students apply what they have learned about sound energy to design a sound absorbing wall. This page highlights each component of this lesson.
In this unit, students focus on light energy, investigating the science phenomena of how light moves when it interacts with different kinds of matter. Students use scientific knowledge about light to engineer a device that uses mirrors to redirect light. This page is a high-level extract of this lesson.
In 6th grade, students become scientists and engineers as they investigate the answers to different questions and use their scientific knowledge to solve problems. In this unit, students focus on the relationship between gravity and motion, tracing how gravitational potential energy transforms to kinetic energy in different energy systems. Before exploring these phenomena, students are introduced to the scientific process as they set up their laboratory notebooks. This page provides a snapshot of this lesson.
Standards citation: NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.