Science, Grade 6

Construct a prototype

I can construct a prototype.

Select and use tools and instruments to observe, measure, and construct

I can select and use tools and instruments to observe, measure, and construct.

Estimate and measure accurately using SI and other standard units

I can estimate and measure accurately using SI and other standard units.

Construct graphs to display data, and interpret and evaluate these and other graphs

I can construct graphs to display data, and interpret and evaluate these and other graphs.

Use appropriate vocabulary related to their investigations of the diversity of living things

I can use appropriate vocabulary related to my investigations of the diversity of living things, including classification system, classification key, paleontologist, and the names of the kingdoms and of the groups of vertebrates and invertebrates.

Describe various kinds of classification systems used in everyday life, and identify related advantages and disadvantages

I can describe various kinds of classification systems used in everyday life, and identify related advantages and disadvantages.

Develop a system to classify common objects or living things into groups and subgroups, and explain the reasoning used in the system’s development

I can develop a system to classify common objects or living things into groups and subgroups, and explain the reasoning used in the system’s development.

Identify living things using an existing classification key, and explain the rationale used

I can identify living things using an existing classification key, and explain the rationale used.

Identify advantages and disadvantages of having a common classification system for living things, and recognize that the system changes as new evidence comes to light

I can identify advantages and disadvantages of having a common classification system for living things, and recognize that the system changes as new evidence comes to light.

Identify the five kingdoms commonly used for the classification of living things, and provide examples of organisms from each to illustrate the diversity of living things

I can identify the five kingdoms commonly used to classify living things (monerans, protists, fungi, plants and animals) and give examples of organisms from each.

Recognize that many living things are difficult to see

I can recognize that many living things are difficult to see with the unaided eye, and observe and describe some examples.

Observe and describe the diversity of living things within the local environment

I can observe and describe the diversity of living things, including fungi, plants and animals, within my local environment.

Recognize that the animal kingdom is divided into two groups, vertebrates and invertebrates, and differentiate between the two

I can recognize that the animal kingdom is divided into vertebrates, which have backbones, and invertebrates, which do not, and tell the two apart.

Provide examples of a variety of invertebrates to illustrate their diversity

I can give examples of a variety of invertebrates, including sponges, worms, molluscs and arthropods, to show how diverse they are.

Compare and contrast adaptations of common arthropods, and describe how these adaptations enable them to live in particular habitats

I can compare and contrast adaptations of common arthropods, and describe how these adaptations enable them to live in particular habitats.

Classify vertebrates as fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, and provide examples to illustrate the diversity within each group

I can classify vertebrates as fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, and provide examples to illustrate the diversity within each group.

Compare and contrast the adaptations of closely related vertebrates

I can compare and contrast the adaptations of closely related vertebrates living in different habitats, and suggest reasons that explain these adaptations.

Compare animals living today with those of the past using fossil evidence

I can identify, based on evidence gathered by paleontologists, similarities and differences in animals living today and those that lived in the past.

Identify and describe contributions of scientists and naturalists who have increased our understanding of the diversity of living things

I can identify and describe contributions of scientists and naturalists who have increased our understanding of the diversity of living things.

Use appropriate vocabulary related to their investigations of flight.

I can use appropriate vocabulary related to my investigations of flight, including fluid, pressure, lift, gravity, thrust, drag, Bernoulli’s Principle, propulsion and unbalanced forces.

Describe properties of fluids using air and water as examples, and identify manifestations of these properties in daily life

I can describe properties of fluids using air and water as examples, and spot them in daily life: fluids flow and exert pressure, objects can move through them, and warm air and water rise.

Identify adaptations that enable living things to propel themselves

I can identify adaptations that enable living things to propel themselves through air, water, or to be transported by the wind.

Recognize that in order for devices or living things to fly they must have sufficient lift to overcome the downward force of gravity, and that the force of gravity increases as mass increases

I can recognize that in order for devices or living things to fly they must have sufficient lift to overcome the downward force of gravity, and that the force of gravity increases as mass increases.

Describe how “lighter-than-air flying devices” are able to achieve lift

I can describe how lighter-than-air flying devices, such as hot-air balloons and helium balloons, are able to achieve lift.

Test models of aircraft to observe Bernoulli’s Principle

I can test models of aircraft to observe Bernoulli’s Principle: the shape of a wing affects the speed of the airflow, creating lift in a heavier-than-air flying device.

Explain how Bernoulli’s Principle is applied in a device other than an aircraft

I can explain how Bernoulli’s Principle is applied in a device other than an aircraft.

Provide examples of design features or adaptations that enhance or reduce lift, and explain how they work

I can provide examples of design features or adaptations that enhance or reduce lift, and explain how they work.

Provide examples of design features or adaptations that enhance or reduce drag, and explain how they work

I can provide examples of design features or adaptations that enhance or reduce drag, and explain how they work.

Identify and diagram the four forces that act on living things or devices that fly through the air

I can identify and diagram the four forces that act on living things or devices that fly through the air: lift, gravity, thrust and drag.

Compare a variety of propulsion methods that are used to produce thrust in animals and flying devices

I can compare a variety of propulsion methods that are used to produce thrust in animals and flying devices.

Describe how unbalanced forces are used to steer aircraft and spacecraft

I can describe how unbalanced forces are used to steer aircraft and spacecraft.

Explain why the design of aircraft and spacecraft differs

I can explain why the design of aircraft and spacecraft differs.

Identify milestones in the history of air travel and describe their impacts on daily life

I can identify milestones in the history of air travel and describe their impacts on daily life.

Use the design process to construct a prototype that can fly and meet specific performance criteria

I can use the design process to construct a prototype that can fly and meet specific performance criteria.

Use appropriate vocabulary related to their investigations of electricity.

I can use appropriate vocabulary related to my investigations of electricity, such as positive and negative charge, static and current electricity, circuit, conductor, insulator, switch, series and parallel circuits, electromagnet, motor, generator, renewable and non-renewable, and energy consumption.

Explain the attraction and repulsion of electrostatically charged materials.

I can explain the attraction and repulsion of electrostatically charged materials: materials with opposite charges attract each other, and materials with like charges repel.

Explain current electricity, and compare the characteristics of current and static electricity by using a model

I can explain current electricity, and compare the characteristics of current and static electricity by using a model.

Identify dangers associated with static and current electricity

I can identify dangers associated with static and current electricity, and demonstrate and describe appropriate safety precautions.

List electrical devices used at home, at school, and in the community

I can list electrical devices used at home, at school, and in the community, and identify the human needs that they fulfill.

Develop a definition of an electrical circuit, based on classroom explorations

I can develop a definition of an electrical circuit from classroom explorations: a continuous path for charges that must contain a power source and a conductor.

Experiment to classify a variety of materials as insulators or conductors

I can experiment to classify a variety of materials as insulators or conductors.

Demonstrate and describe the function of switches in electrical circuits

I can demonstrate and describe the function of switches in electrical circuits.

Construct and diagram simple series circuits and simple parallel circuits

I can construct and diagram simple series circuits and simple parallel circuits.

Explore to determine factors that affect bulb brightness in simple series and parallel circuits

I can explore how the number of bulbs, the number of batteries, and the placement of bulbs and batteries affect bulb brightness in simple series and parallel circuits.

Use the design process to construct an electrical circuit that performs a useful function

I can use the design process to construct an electrical circuit that performs a useful function.

Demonstrate that an electric current can create a magnetic field

I can demonstrate, using a simple electromagnet constructed in class, that an electric current can create a magnetic field.

Explore motors and generators to determine that electromagnets transform electricity into motion, and motion into electricity

I can explore motors and generators to determine that electromagnets transform electricity into motion, and motion into electricity.

Identify forms of energy that may result from the transformation of electrical energy

I can identify the forms of energy, such as light, heat, sound and motion, that electrical energy can be changed into, and recognize that energy can only be changed from one form into another, not created or destroyed.

Identify the two major sources of electrical energy, and provide examples of each

I can identify the two major sources of electrical energy, chemical sources such as batteries and electromagnetic sources such as turbines turned by wind, falling water or steam, and give examples of each.

Identify renewable and non-renewable sources of electrical energy

I can identify renewable and non-renewable sources of electrical energy, and discuss advantages and disadvantages of each.

Evaluate an electrical device using the design process

I can evaluate an electrical device using the design process.

Describe factors that affect the consumption of electrical energy, and outline an action plan to reduce electrical energy consumption at home, at school, or in the community

I can describe factors that affect the consumption of electrical energy, and outline an action plan to reduce electrical energy consumption at home, at school, or in the community.

Describe the ways in which electricity has had an impact on daily life

I can describe the ways in which electricity has had an impact on daily life.

Use appropriate vocabulary related to their investigations of Earth and space

I can use appropriate vocabulary related to my investigations of Earth and space, such as solar system, inner and outer planets, asteroid belt, mass and weight, rotation, revolution, axis, moon phases, eclipses, communication and remote sensing satellites, astronomy and astrology.

Identify technological developments that enable astronauts to meet their basic needs in space

I can identify technological developments that enable astronauts to meet their basic needs in space.

Identify Canadians who have contributed to space science or space technology

I can identify Canadians who have contributed to space science or space technology, and describe their achievements.

Investigate past and present space research programs involving astronauts, and explain the contributions to scientific knowledge

I can investigate past and present space research programs involving astronauts, and explain the contributions to scientific knowledge.

Describe positive and negative impacts arising from space research programs

I can describe positive and negative impacts arising from space research programs.

Identify technological devices placed in space that help humans learn more about the Earth and communicate more efficiently

I can identify technological devices placed in space, such as communication and remote sensing satellites, that help humans learn more about the Earth and communicate more efficiently.

Describe how the conception of the Earth and its position in space have been continuously questioned and how our understanding has evolved over time

I can describe how ideas about the Earth and its position in space have been questioned and have changed over time, from a flat Earth, to an Earth-centred system, to a Sun-centred system.

Recognize that the Sun is the centre of the solar system and it is the source of energy for all life on Earth

I can recognize that the Sun is the centre of the solar system and it is the source of energy for all life on Earth.

Identify the planets in the solar system and describe their size relative to the Earth and their position relative to the Sun

I can identify the planets in the solar system and describe their size relative to the Earth and their position relative to the Sun.

Classify planets as inner or outer planets, based on their position relative to the asteroid belt

I can classify planets as inner or outer planets by their position relative to the asteroid belt, and describe each type: the inner planets are small and rocky, and the outer planets are giant balls of gas.

Recognize that mass is the amount of matter in an object

I can recognize that mass is the amount of matter in an object, that weight is the force of gravity on the mass of an object, and that the force of gravity varies from planet to planet.

Explain, using models and simulations, how the Earth’s rotation causes the cycle of day and night, and how the Earth’s tilt of axis and revolution cause the yearly cycle of seasons

I can explain, using models and simulations, how the Earth’s rotation causes the cycle of day and night, and how the Earth’s tilt of axis and revolution cause the yearly cycle of seasons.

Use the design process to construct a prototype that tells the time of day or measures a time span

I can use the design process to construct a prototype that tells the time of day or measures a time span.

Explain how the relative positions of the Earth, moon, and Sun are responsible for moon phases and eclipses

I can explain how the relative positions of the Earth, moon, and Sun are responsible for moon phases and eclipses.

Identify points of reference in the night sky and recognize that the apparent movement of celestial objects is regular, predictable, and related to the Earth’s rotation and revolution

I can identify points of reference in the night sky and recognize that the apparent movement of celestial objects is regular, predictable, and related to the Earth’s rotation and revolution.

Identify and describe how people from various cultures, past and present, apply astronomy in daily life

I can identify and describe how people from various cultures, past and present, apply astronomy in daily life.

Differentiate between astrology and astronomy, and explain why astrology is considered unscientific

I can differentiate between astrology and astronomy, and explain why astrology is considered unscientific.