Grade 6 Scope and Sequence (rev. 2017-2018)
Unit 1
Simple & Complex Machines
September/October
 How do different forms of energy
transfer matter?
 In what ways can energy be
effectively conserved?
 How machines use energy to work?
 What would energy-efficient
machines look like?
 What strategies can we pose to
promote the effective use and
conservation of energy?
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Principle of the conservation
of energy
Potential and kinetic energy
Mechanical energy
Machines can affect the
magnitude or direction of a
force required to do work, or
the distance over which that
force is applied.
Simple machines include the
lever, the pulley, the wheel
and axle, and the inclined
plane.
Friction and machines
Complex machines
Transformation of energy
within simple and complex
machines
Unit 2
Weather
November/December/January
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Unit 3
Science Celebration
February
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What causes weather conditions?
How do matter and energy interact
to product weather patterns?
Why do different locations have
different weather conditions?
What short-term/long-term
solutions can we propose that will
help reduce pollution?
Properties of Matter
 Matter is anything that takes up
space and has mass
 Solids, liquids, and gases
 Relationship between phases of
matter and particle motion
 Density
Heating and Cooling Events
 Principle of the conservation of
energy
 Transfer of heat: radiation,
convection, and conduction
 Heat and its relationship to
phase changes
 Expansion and contraction
Weather
 Weather is result of complex
interactions of the atmosphere,
hydrosphere, and lithosphere;
all weather is caused by unusual
heating of earth’s surface
 Light energy vs. heat energy
 Hydro/atmosphere
interactions’ water cycle,
precipitation
 Weather factors: pressure,
humidity, temperature, wind
 Air masses and fronts
 Practice using different maps
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Students will be involved in
their Science Fair Projects.
(see rubric)
Identify variables
Identify common
experimentation errors
Projects
 Select an appropriate topic
 Create a testable question for
topic
 Create a testable hypothesis
in an if/then format.
 Identify variables
 Write a procedure with
materials list
 Revise procedure with
experimentation errors in
mind
 Create a plan for recording
data
 Plan for the correct graph
type
 Complete an experiment and
record data
 Write a conclusion that
discusses hypothesis,
summarizes data, has real
world application, and
discusses follow up for
further experimentation
 Present presentation
Unit 4
Interdependence
March/April
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Unit 5
Diversity of Life
May/June
In what ways are living and  How does the transfer of matter
nonliving things dependent
and energy through biological
upon each other?
communities support the diversity
of living things?
What factors affect the
interdependence of living
and nonliving things?
Climate and Biomes
 Climatic regions
 Biomes: Tundra, Tropical
Rain Forest, Temperate
 Forests, Grasslands, Desert
 Seasonal variations Effect of
elevation
 Global Warming: natural
cycles vs. human impact
Ecosystems and
Interdependence
 Populations and definition of
species
 Communities
 Ecosystems (including basic
abiotic factors such as water,
nitrogen, CO2
 Factors affecting the
population growth of
organisms — Predator/prey
relationships
 Relationships among
organisms: beneficial and
harmful
 Effects of environmental
changes on humans and
other populations
Food Chains and Food Webs
 Flow of energy and matter
through food chains and
food webs
 Methods for obtaining
nutrients
 Role of producers
 Role(s) of consumers: idea of
respiration/recycling;
herbivores/carnivores/omni
vores
 The role of decomposers
(forecasting, isobars, etc.)
 Extreme weather events:
hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards,
drought
 Tracking severe weathers hurricanes