Physical Science 6th Grade

Section:

• ScientificInvestigation 
• ScienceSkills 
• Technology

Students will be able to:

• List the steps of a scientific investigation.
• Relate ethics to scientific research.
• Explain how measurements are made in scientific research.
• Describe how to keep good records in scientific investigations.
• Demonstrate how to use significant figures and scientific notation.  
• Calculate descriptive statistics and use data graphs.
• Identify the role of models in science.
• Describe how to stay safe when doing scientific research.
• Define technology.
• Outline the technological design process.
• Explain how science and technology are related.
• Describe how technology and society influence each other.

Section:

• Introduction to Matter
• Properties of Matter
• Types of Matter
• Changes in Matter

Students will be able to:

• Define matter, mass, and volume.
• Identify physical properties of matter.
• List examples of chemical properties of matter.
• Describe elements and atoms.
• Describe compounds, molecules, and crystals.
• Define mixture, and identify types of mixtures.
• Define and give examples of physical changes in matter.
• Define and give examples of chemical changes in matter.
• State the law of conservation of mass.

Section:

• States of Matter
• Solids, Liquids, Gases, and Plasmas
• Behavior of Gases
• Changes of State

Students will be able to:

• Describe matter in the solid state.
• State properties of liquid matter
• Identify properties of gases.
• Describe plasma.
• Explain the relationship between energy and states of matter.
• Define pressure.
• State the gas laws.
• Explain the role of energy in changes of state.
• Outline the processes of freezing and melting
• Describe vaporization and condensation.
• Define sublimation and deposition.

Section:

• ATOMS
• INSIDE THE ATOM
• HISTORY OF THE ATOM
• MODERN ATOMIC THEORY

Students will be able to:

• Compare and contrast protons, neutrons, and electrons.
• Describe the forces that hold the particles of atoms together.
• Define atomic number and mass number.
• Describe ions and isotopes
• Identify the particles called quarks.
• State Democritus’s ideas about the atom.
• Outline Dalton’s atomic theory.
• Explain how Thomson discovered electrons.
• Describe how Rutherford found the nucleus.
• Define energy levels.
• Describe the electron cloud and orbitals.

Section:

• HOW ELEMENTS ARE ORGANIZED
• CLASSES OF ELEMENTS
• GROUPS OF ELEMENTS

Students will be able to:

• Describe Mendeleev’s periodic table of the elements.
• Give an overview of the modern periodic table of the elements.
• Identify properties of metals.
• List properties of nonmetals.
• Describe metalloids.
• Relate valence electrons to reactivity of elements by class.
• Identify hydrogen and alkali metals.
• Describe alkaline Earth metals.
• List properties of transition metals.
• Identify groups containing metalloids.
• Give properties of halogens.
• Describe noble gases.

Section:

• INTRODUCTION TO CHEMICAL BONDS
• IONIC BONDS
• COVALENT BONDS
• METALLIC BONDS

Students will be able to:

• Define chemical bond.
• List general properties of compounds.
• Describe how ionic bonds form.
• List properties of ionic compounds.
• Describe how covalent bonds form.
• Compare properties of polar and non-polar covalent compounds.
• Describe how metallic bonds form.
• Relate the nature of metallic bonds to the properties of metals.
• Identify alloys and their uses.

Section:

• INTRODUCTION TO CHEMICAL REACTIONS
• CHEMICAL EQUATIONS
• TYPES OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS
• CHEMICAL REACTIONS AND ENERGY

Students will be able to:

• Describe how chemical reactions occur.
• List signs that a chemical reaction has occurred.
  Describe how to write chemical equations.
• Demonstrate how to balance chemical equations.
• Relate the law of conservation of mass to balancing chemical equations.
• Explain how synthesis reactions occur.
• Describe how decomposition reactions occur.
• Describe single and double replacement reactions.
• Explain how combustion reactions occur.
• Describe endothermic reactions.
• Describe exothermic reactions.
• Relate the law of conservation of energy to chemical reactions.
• Define activation energy.
• Identify factors that affect the rates of chemical reactions.

Section:

• PROPERTIES OF CARBON
• HYDROCARBONS
• CARBON AND LIVING THINGS
• BIOCHEMICAL REACTIONS

Students will be able to:

• Explain how carbon forms bonds.
• Define monomer and polymer.
• Describe forms of carbon.
• Define hydrocarbon.
• Describe and give examples of saturated hydrocarbons.
• Describe and give examples of unsaturated hydrocarbons
• Identify uses and sources of hydrocarbons.
• Give an overview of biochemical compounds.
• Identify the structure and functions of carbohydrates.
• Describe protein structure, and list functions of proteins.
• Outline the structure and functions of lipids.
• Identify the structure of nucleic acids and their functions.
• Describe photosynthesis.
• Outline cellular respiration.
• Explain the role of enzymes in biochemical reactions.

Section:

• CHEMISTRY OF SOLUTIONS SOLUBILITY AND CONCENTRATION ACIDS AND BASES

Students will be able to:

• Explain how solutions form.
• Identify properties of solutions.
• Define solubility, and list factors that affect it.
• Define concentration, and explain how to calculate it.
• Describe acids and how to detect them.
• Describe bases and how to detect them.
• Explain what determines the strength of acids and bases.
• Outline neutralization reactions and the formation of salts.

Section:

• DISTANCE AND DIRECTION
• SPEED AND VELOCITY
• ACCELERATION

Students will be able to:

• Define motion, and relate it to frame of reference.
• Describe how to measure distance.
• Explain how to represent direction.
• Outline how to calculate the speed of a moving object.
• Explain how velocity differs from speed.
• Define acceleration.
• Explain how to calculate acceleration.
• Describe velocity-time graphs.

Section:

• WHAT IS FORCE?
• FRICTION
• GRAVITY
• ELASTIC FORCE

Students will be able to:

• Define force, and give examples of forces.
• Describe how forces combine and affect motion.
• Describe friction and how it opposes motion.
• Identify types of friction.
• Define gravity.
• State Newton’s law of universal gravitation.
• Explain how gravity affects the motion of objects.
• Define elasticity and elastic force.
• Describe uses of elastic force.

Section:

• NEWTON’S FIRST LAW
• NEWTON’S SECOND LAW
• NEWTON’S THIRD LAW

Students will be able to:

• State Newton’s first law of motion.
• Define inertia, and explain its relationship to mass.
• State Newton’s second law of motion.
• Identify the relationship between acceleration and weight.
• State Newton’s third law of motion.
• Describe momentum and the conservation of momentum.

Section:

• PRESSURE OF FLUIDS
• BUOYANCY OF FLUIDS

Students will be able to:

• Describe pressure and how to calculate it.
• Relate fluid depth and density to pressure.
• State Pascal’s and Bernoulli’s laws.
• Describe the nature of buoyant force.
• State Archimedes’ law.

Section:

• WORK
• MACHINES
• SIMPLE MACHINES
• COMPOUND MACHINES

Students will be able to:

• Define work, and state how to calculate it
• Explain how power is related to work.
• Explain how machines help us do work.
• Define efficiency, and state how it is calculated.
• Define mechanical advantage, and state how it is calculated.
• Explain how an inclined plane changes force.
• List common examples of wedges and screws.
• Compare and contrast the three classes of levers.
• Describe two ways that a wheel and axle can be used.
• Identify three types of pulleys.
• Give examples of compound machines.
• Describe the efficiency and mechanical advantage of compound machines.

Section:

• TYPES OF ENERGY
• FORMS OF ENERGY
• ENERGY RESOURCES

Students will be able to:

• Relate energy to work.
• Describe kinetic energy.
• Identify two types of potential energy.
• Give examples of energy conversions between potential and kinetic energy.
• Identify different forms of energy
• Describe how energy changes form.
• Describe nonrenewable energy resources.
• Identify several renewable energy resources.
• Outline world energy use and ways to conserve energy.

Section:

• TEMPERATURE AND HEAT
• TRANSFER OF THERMAL ENERGY
• USING THERMAL ENERGY

Students will be able to:

• Explain the relationship between temperature and thermal energy.
• Define heat and specific heat.
• Describe the conduction of thermal energy.
• Explain how convection transfers thermal energy.
• Give an example of the radiation of thermal energy.
• Identify common home heating systems.
• Explain how a cooling system transfers thermal energy.
• Outline how a combustion engine works.

Section:

• CHARACTERISTICS OF WAVES
• MEASURING WAVES
• WAVE INTERACTIONS AND INTERFERENCE

Students will be able to:

• Define mechanical wave.
• Describe transverse waves.
• Identify longitudinal waves.
• Describe surface waves.
• Define wave amplitude and wavelength.
• Relate wave speed to wave frequency and wavelength.
• Describe wave reflection, refraction, and diffraction.
• Explain how wave interference affects the amplitude of waves.

Section:

• CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUND
• HEARING SOUND
• USING SOUND

Students will be able to:

• Describe sound waves.
• Identify properties of sound.
• Explain how we hear sound.
• Relate loud sounds to hearing loss.
• State how hearing can be protected.
• Explain how musical instruments produce sound.
• Identify uses of ultrasound.

Section:

• ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
• PROPERTIES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
• THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM

Students will be able to:

• Describe electromagnetic waves.
• Explain how electromagnetic waves begin.
• State how electromagnetic waves travel.
• Summarize the wave-particle theory of light
• Identify sources of electromagnetic waves.
• Describe the speed of electromagnetic waves.
• Relate wavelength and frequency of electromagnetic waves.
• Define the electromagnetic spectrum
• Describe radio waves and their uses
• Identify three forms of light.
• Describe X-rays and gamma rays.

Section:

• THE LIGHT WE SEE
• OPTICS
• VISION

Students will be able to:

• Identify common sources of visible light
• Explain how light interacts with matter
• Describes the colors of visible light.
• Outline how light is reflected.
• Describe how mirrors reflect light and form images.
• Explain the refraction of light.
• Describe how lenses refract light and form images.
• Explain how mirrors and lenses are used in optical instruments.
• Describe the structure and function of the eye.
• Explain how the eyes and brain work together to enable vision.
• Identify common vision problems and how they can be corrected.

Section:

• ELECTRIC CHARGE
• ELECTRIC CURRENT
• ELECTRIC CIRCUITS
• ELECTRONICS

Students will be able to:

• Define electric charge and electric force.
• Describe electric fields.
• Identify ways that electric charge is transferred.
• Define electric current.
• Explain how voltage is related to electric current.
• Identify sources of voltage
• Relate electric current to materials.
• State Ohm’s law.
• Identify the parts of an electric circuit.
• Define electric power, and state how to calculate electrical energy use.
• Identify electric safety features and how to use electricity safely.
• Identify the parts of an electric circuit.
• Define electric power, and state how to calculate electrical energy use.
• Identify electric safety features and how to use electricity safely.
• Describe electronic signals.
• Identify types of electronic components
• Explain how computers use electronics.

Section:

• MAGNETS AND MAGNETISM
• EARTH AS A MAGNET

Students will be able to:

• Identify properties of magnets.
• Explain why some materials are magnetic.
  Describe Earth as a magnet.
• State how Earth’s magnetism benefits living things.