|
|
Ohio's Academic Content Standards in Science
By the end of grade 6Return to grade list| | | | Earth and Space Sciences | | Students demonstrate an understanding about how Earth systems and processes interact in the geosphere resulting in the habitability of Earth. This includes demonstrating an understanding of the composition of the Universe, the Solar System and Earth. In addition, it includes understanding the properties and the interconnected nature of Earth's systems, processes that shape Earth and Earth's history. Students also demonstrate an understanding of how the concepts and principles of energy, matter, motion and forces explain Earth systems, the Solar System, and the Universe. Finally, they grasp an understanding of the historical perspectives, scientific approaches and emerging scientific issues associated with Earth and space sciences. | | Indicators for grade 6 | | 1. | Describe the rock cycle and explain that there are sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks that have distinct properties (e.g., color, texture) and are formed in different ways. (ORC Resources) | | 2. | Explain that rocks are made of one or more minerals. (ORC Resources) | | 3. | Identify minerals by their characteristic properties. (ORC Resources) |
|
| | | | Life Sciences | | Students demonstrate an understanding of how living systems function and how they interact with the physical environment. This includes an understanding of the cycling of matter and flow of energy in living systems. An understanding of the characteristics, structure, and function of cells, of organisms and of living systems are developed as well as a deeper understanding of the principles of heredity, biological evolution, and the diversity and interdependence of life. Students also demonstrate an understanding of different historical perspectives, scientific approaches and emerging scientific issues associated with the life sciences. | | Indicators for grade 6 | | 1. | Explain that many of the basic functions of organisms are carried out by or within cells and are similar in all organisms. (ORC Resources) | | 2. | Explain that multicellular organisms have a variety of specialized cells, tissues, organs and organ systems that perform specialized functions. (ORC Resources) | | 3. | Identify how plant cells differ from animal cells (e.g., cell wall, chloroplasts). (ORC Resources) | | 4. | Recognize that an individual organism does not live forever; therefore reproduction is necessary for the continuation of every species and traits are passed on to the next generation through reproduction. (ORC Resources) | | 5. | Describe that in asexual reproduction all the inherited traits come from a single parent. (ORC Resources) | | 6. | Describe that in sexual reproduction an egg and sperm unite and some traits come from each parent, so the offspring is never identical to either of its parents. (ORC Resources) | | 7. | Recognize that likenesses between parents and offspring (e.g., eye color, flower color) are inherited. Other likenesses, such as table manners are learned. (ORC Resources) | | 8. | Describe how organisms may interact with one another. (ORC Resources) |
|
| | | | Physical Sciences | | Students demonstrate an understanding of the composition of physical systems and the concepts and principles that describe and predict physical interactions and events in the natural world. This includes demonstrating an understanding of the structure and properties of matter, the properties of materials and objects, chemical reactions and the conservation of matter. In addition, it includes understanding the nature, transfer and conservation of energy, as well as motion and the forces affecting motion, the nature of waves and interactions of matter and energy. Students also demonstrate an understanding of the historical perspectives, scientific approaches and emerging scientific issues associated with the physical sciences. | | Indicators for grade 6 | | 1. | Explain that equal volumes of different substances usually have different masses. (ORC Resources) | | 2. | Describe that in a chemical change new substances are formed with different properties than the original substance (e.g., rusting, burning). (ORC Resources) | | 3. | Describe that in a physical change (e.g., state, shape, size) the chemical properties of a substance remain unchanged. (ORC Resources) | | 4. | Describe that chemical and physical changes occur all around us (e.g., in the human body, cooking, industry). (ORC Resources) | | 5. | Explain that the energy found in nonrenewable resources such as fossil fuels (e.g., oil, coal, natural gas) originally came from the Sun and may renew slowly over millions of years. (ORC Resources) | | 6. | Explain that energy derived from renewable resources such as wind and water is assumed to be available indefinitely. (ORC Resources) | | 7. | Describe how electric energy can be produced from a variety of sources (e.g., Sun, wind, coal). (ORC Resources) | | 8. | Describe how renewable and nonrenewable energy resources can be managed (e.g., fossil fuels, trees, water). (ORC Resources) |
|
| | | | Science and Technology | | Students should recognize that science and technology are interconnected and that using technology involves assessment of the benefits, risks, and costs. Students should build scientific and technological knowledge, as well as the skill required to design and construct devices. In addition, they should develop the processes to solve problems and to understand that problems may be solved in several ways. | | Indicators for grade 6 | | 1. | Explain how technology influences the quality of life. (ORC Resources) | | 2. | Explain how decisions about the use of products and systems can result in desirable or undesirable consequences (e.g., social and environmental). (ORC Resources) | | 3. | Describe how automation (e.g., robots) has changed manufacturing including manual labor being replaced by highly-skilled jobs. (ORC Resources) | | 4. | Explain how the usefulness of manufactured parts of an object depend on how well their properties allow them to fit and interact with other materials. (ORC Resources) | | 5. | Design and build a product or create a solution to a problem given one constraint (e.g., limits of cost and time for design and production, supply of materials and environmental effects). (ORC Resources) |
|
| | | | Scientific Inquiry | | Students develop scientific habits of mind as they use the processes of scientific inquiry to ask valid questions, and to gather and analyze information. They understand how to develop hypotheses and make predictions. They are able to reflect on scientific practices as they develop plans of action to create and evaluate a variety of conclusions. Students are also able to demonstrate the ability to communicate their findings to others. | | Indicators for grade 6 | | 1. | Explain that there are not fixed procedures for guiding scientific investigations; however, the nature of an investigation determines the procedures needed. (ORC Resources) | | 2. | Choose the appropriate tools or instruments and use relevant safety procedures to complete scientific investigations. (ORC Resources) | | 3. | Distinguish between observation and inference. (ORC Resources) | | 4. | Explain that a single example can never prove that something is always correct, but sometimes a single example can disprove something. (ORC Resources) |
|
| | | | Scientific Ways of Knowing | | Students realize that the current body of scientific knowledge must be based on evidence, be predictive, logical, subject to modification, and limited to the natural world. This includes demonstrating an understanding that scientific knowledge grows and advances as new evidence is discovered to support or modify existing theories, as well as to encourage the development of new theories. Students are able to reflect on ethical scientific practices and demonstrate an understanding of how the current body of scientific knowledge reflects the historical and cultural contributions of women and men who provide us with a more reliable and comprehensive understanding of the natural world. | | Indicators for grade 6 | | 1. | Identify that hypotheses are valuable even when they are not supported. (ORC Resources) | | 2. | Describe why it is important to keep clear, thorough and accurate records. (ORC Resources) | | 3. | Identify ways scientific thinking is helpful in a variety of everyday settings. (ORC Resources) | | 4. | Describe how the pursuit of scientific knowledge is beneficial for any career and for daily life. (ORC Resources) | | 5. | Research how men and women of all countries and cultures have contributed to the development of science. (ORC Resources) |
|
|