Grade 6 Science Curriculum Big Ideas & Connections to Grades 4-5

Check out the grade 6 Science & Technology Curriculum Connections

Science & Technology

Grade	Strand	Big Ideas
Grade 4	Habitats and Communities Pulleys and Gears Light and Sound Rocks and Minerals	Plants and animals are interdependent and are adapted to meet their needs from the resources available in their particular habitats. (Overall expectations 1, 2, and 3)
		Changes to habitats (whether caused by natural or human means) can affect plants and animals and the relationships between them. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Society relies on plants and animals. (Overall expectations 1 and 2)
		Pulleys and gears change the speed, direction, and motion of, and force exerted on, moving objects. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Pulleys and gears make it possible for a small input force to generate a large output force. (Note: Grade 4 students need to understand mechanical advantage only in its qualitative sense). (Overall expectation 1)
		Gears are specialized wheels and axles that are used daily in many machines. (Overall expectations 1, 2, and 3)
		Light and sound are forms of energy with specific properties. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Sound is created by vibrations. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Light is required to see. (Overall expectation 3)
		Technological innovations involving light and sound have an impact on the environment. (Overall expectation 1)
		Rocks and minerals have unique characteristics and properties that are a result of how they were formed. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		The properties of rocks and minerals determine society’s possible uses for them. (Overall expectations 1 and 2)
		Our use of rocks and minerals affects the environment. (Overall expectation 1)
Grade 5	Human Organ Systems Forces Acting on Structures and Mechanisms Properties of and Changes in Matter Conservation of Energy and Resources	Organ systems are components of a larger system (the body) and, as such, work together and affect one another. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Organ structures are linked to their functions. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Systems in the human body work together to meet our basic needs. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Choices we make affect our organ systems and, in turn, our overall health. (Overall expectations 1 and 3)
		Structures and mechanisms throughout our environment have forces that act on and within them. (Overall expectations 1 and 3)
		We can measure forces in order to determine how they affect structures and mechanisms. This information can be used to guide the design of new structures and mechanisms. (Overall expectations 1 and 2)
		Forces that result from natural phenomena have an effect on society and the environment. (Overall expectations 1 and 3)
		There are three states of matter. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Matter that changes state is still the same matter. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Physical change refers to the fact that a substance can be changed from one form to another. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Chemical change implies the formation of a new substance. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		The properties of materials determine their use and may have an effect on society and the environment. (Overall expectation 1)
		Energy sources are either renewable or non-renewable. (Overall expectation 3)
		Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but it can be transformed. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Choices about using energy and resources have both immediate and long-term impacts. (Overall expectation 1)
		Conservation (reducing our use of energy and resources) is one way of reducing the impacts of using energy and resources. (Overall expectation 1)
Grade 6	Biodiversity Flight Electricity and Electrical Devices Space	Biodiversity includes diversity of individuals, species, and ecosystems. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Classification of the components within a diverse system is a beginning point for understanding the interrelationships among the components. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Because all living things are connected, maintaining diversity is critical to the health of the planet. (Overall expectations 1 and 3)
		Humans make choices that can have an impact on biodiversity. (Overall expectation 1)
		Flight occurs when the characteristics of structures take advantage of certain properties of air. (Overall expectations 1, 2, and 3)
		Air has many properties that can be used for flight and for other purposes. (Overall expectations 1, 2, and 3)
		Electrical energy can be transformed into other forms of energy. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Other forms of energy can be transformed into electrical energy. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Electrical energy plays a significant role in society, and its production has an impact on the environment. (Overall expectation 1)
		Society must find ways to minimize the impact of energy production on the environment. (Overall expectation 1)
		Earth is a part of a large interrelated system. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
		Technological and scientific advances that enable humans to study space affect our lives. (Overall expectations 1 and 2)