LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Science — Grade 6

Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.

Objective 1.07. Prepare models and/or computer simulations to:

  • Test hypotheses.
  • Evaluate how data fit.

Additional related resources

We’re in the process of aligning our content for students to the Standard Course of Study. As we do, you’ll find it here.

General resources

Aligned lesson plans

Ice cream containers
In Design technology: Children's engineering, page 2.6
Students will use their knowledge to design and build melt-proof containers for ice cream. They will track the temperature changes in the container over a four-hour period to simulate the ice cream in transit from manufacturer to store. Students will draw a diagram that shows how and why the container works.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Science)
By Erin Denniston.
Heat racers
In Design technology: Children's engineering, page 2.5
In this lesson, students will learn about insulators and conductors by creating sleeves for thermometers that will either raise the thermometer's temperature or keep it the same on a sunny day.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Science)
By Erin Denniston.
Expand and contract
In Design technology: Children's engineering, page 2.4
In this lesson, students will learn that heat causes most substances to expand and become less dense. They will measure the circumference of a balloon, then heat it, and measure the circumference again.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Science)
By Erin Denniston.

Resources on the web

What's my hypothesis?
In this Science NetLinks lesson, students explore how descriptive epidemiological clues can be used to make educated guesses as to what might be the cause of a disease. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Snow goggles
The aim of this lesson, from Science NetLinks, is to illustrate how the scientific method can be used to solve different kinds of problems. As part of this lesson, students build snow goggles similar to those used by the Inuit peoples. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Sensing the invisible: The Herschel Experiment
In this lesson, from Science NetLinks, students find out that there is radiation other than visible light being emitted from the sun. They reproduce a version of William Herschel's 1800 experiment that discovered the existence of infrared radiation. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Renewable energy sources
In this lesson, students will use Internet resources to investigate renewable sources of energy. The students should already have a basic understanding of energy, and know several examples of renewable and nonrenewable sources. This lesson is designed to... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6 and 9–12 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Mummy's curse
In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about a scientific investigation that tested the Egyptian legend of the mummy's curse. (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
Asymmetry and aggression
In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about a study that has found a link between aggression and body symmetry that may go back to the womb. (Learn more)
Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science