Science — Grade 6

Resources on the web

Earth simulator

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear a professor of meteorology at the University of Hawaii describe why the most powerful supercomputer attracts scientists from all over the world. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Drug cravings

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about new research in rats that reveals why staying off drugs can be so difficult. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Dogs and their owners

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about a study looking into whether the stereotype that dogs and their owners look alike is actually true. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Does soap float?

In this lesson, from Science NetLinks, students form hypotheses and carry out an investigation in order to answer a central question: Does soap float? They then demonstrate their understanding of the topic through oral or written reports. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5–6 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Disappearing fish

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about why the world's biggest fish are in serious jeopardy. Commercial fishing has decimated the numbers and sizes of big fish like marlin, tuna, cod, and grouper, which in turn has changed the nature... (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Deep-Sea geysers: Hydrothermal vents

In this Xpeditions lesson, students learn about hydrothermal vents in the ocean by doing a simulation and viewing pictures of animals that live near the vents. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Science)

Provided by: National Geographic

Dangerous hail

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students ear why hail rarely seems to hit people. Every year, tornadoes, hurricanes, and snowstorms claim lives and cause injuries. But strangely, hailstorms, which pelt the ground with hard balls of ice, rarely... (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

The core

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about a proposal to send a robotic probe to explore Earth's core. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Computerized civilization

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about a computer program designed to help answer some of the questions surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the Anasazi. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 5–8 Science and Social Studies)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Cold sensors

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, University of Florida neuroscientist Jiango Gu explains how he and his colleagues are looking for sensory molecules, called receptors, that can sense cold. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Clumsy kids

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about the reasons many adolescents feel awkward and clumsy. Growth spurts may be to blame for teenagers' sometimes klutzy behavior. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Clocking T. rex

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, you'll hear about how one of the most popular movies in history used special effects that were not only exciting, but also scientifically accurate. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Cell phones & driving

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about how cell phones could cause tunnel vision in drivers. Research indicates that when someone is talking on a phone, their vision narrows considerably. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Cell phone traffic

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about a new use for cell phone signals. Many people stuck in traffic pass the time or take care of business by making calls on their cell phone. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Cassowary calls

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about efforts to study the rare and often inaudible call of an elusive bird--the cassowary. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Browsing music

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about a powerful music browser called SIMAC. Xavier Serra of the Pompeu Fabrea University in Barcelona, Spain, explains how SIMAC analyzes the musical properties of a digital audio track. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Brine Shrimp Survival

Students raise brine shrimp, designing an artificial environment in which they can survive. This lesson relates to the idea that in any particular environment, the growth and survival of organisms depend on the physical conditions. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Biblical tunnel

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about how scientists have proven that one Bible story is right on track. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Bacterial batteries

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about how one group of scientists has found a way to put bacteria to work. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Bacteria ballistics

In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about the possibility that microbes from Mars may have once seeded the Earth. In this interview, students learn about an unusual experiment that could help provide the answer. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science