6th Grade Science Semester Exam Review
The semester exam will consist of 40 questions (griddable or multiple choice) that reflect
information covered in the first semester according to the list of topics below. In addition to
knowing specific content, many of the questions require students to apply scientific
investigation and reasoning skills to arrive at the answer. Students should be able to:
Solar System

describe the physical properties, locations, and movements of the Sun, planets, Galilean
moons, meteors/meteoroids, asteroids, and comets

understand that gravity is the force that governs the motion of our solar system

describe the history and future of space exploration, including the types of equipment
and transportation needed for space travel;
o to describe:
 the International Space Station
 the Space Shuttle Endeavor
 the Hubble Space Telescope
 the Apollo 11 Rocket
o know that the only place visited by man is the Moon
Earth

Layers of the Atmosphere
Layers of Earth’s atmosphere (model) (TEK 6.10A) from the surface of the Earth up
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Troposphere - weather
Stratosphere- jets
Mesosphere- weather balloons
Thermosphere-really hot Temperature and it filters out harmful radiation
Exosphere- contains few atoms; there is no clear boundary between it and space.
identify the structural layers of Earth, including the inner core, outer core, mantle, crust,
asthenosphere, and lithosphere using a model
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Crust- outer shell of Earth
Lithosphere- uppermost part of the mantle fused with the crust. Broken into
about 30 plates
Asthenosphere- the part of the mantle that has convection and causes plate
movement, it is plastic like.
Mantle- largest layer of the Earth
Outer core- liquid layer of earth
Inner core- solid, made mostly of iron.

identify the major tectonic plates, including Eurasian, African, Indo-Australian, Pacific,
North American, and South American

differentiate between:
o Divergent- plates that move____________________
 Creates
o Rift valleys turn into ocean basins which over time become
o Mid ocean ridges
o Convergent- plates that move____________________
 Creates
o Mountains

Subduction- when a dense oceanic plate sinks under a continental plate
 Creates
o Mountains
o Volcanoes
o transform boundaries- plates that move____________________
 Creates
o Earthquakes
o Tsunamis

describe how plate tectonics causes major geological events such as:
o ocean basins
o Earthquakes
o volcanic eruptions
o mid-ocean ridge
o mountain building
Rocks and Minerals
Review Formation of Sedimentary Rocks and Fossil Fuels (TEK 5.7A)
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Sedimentary rock form through erosion, deposition, compaction and cementation.
When dead layers of plants got compressed a loooong time ago the pressure
turned the matter into organic rock like coal or fossil fuel like oil.
Rock Cycle (TEK 6.10B)
o by the processes of their formation, classify rocks as:
 metamorphic
 Igneous
 sedimentary
 Two types of igneous
o Intrusive- formed when magma
cools INSIDE the crust. Ex:
Granite.
o Extrusive- formed when lava
cools on the earth’s surface. Ex:
basalt.
 Three types of sedimentary
o Detrital-made of grains of minerals
or pieces of other rocks
o Organic-form when living matter
dies piles up and is compressed into
rock like coal
o Chemical-when water evaporates
ex. stalactites
 Two types of metamorphic
o Foliated- the minerals in the
rock have been heated and
squeezed into parallel layers.
Ex: Slate.
o Non-foliated-do not have
distinct layers or bands Ex:
marble.

test the physical properties of minerals:
o hardness - (especially be familiar with the Mohs Hardness Scale and testing minerals
for hardness)
o streak – the color of the mineral in powder form
o Luster- the type of shine of the mineral.
 metallic
 opalescent
 dull
o color
Ecosystems
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describe air temperature, annual precipitation, number of producers, number of
consumers, soil composition, etc. as biotic or abiotic parts of an ecosystem:
o biotic- Bio (life) All living organisms
 abiotic- A(no or without) Bio (life) Plants
without life, such as S. A. W. S.:
 Animals
o Soil
 Bacteria
 Rocks
 Protista
o Air
 Fungi
o Water
o Sunlight
 Temperature
describe the levels of organization within an ecosystem:
o
o
o
o
Organism– member of a single species in a given area
Population- members of the same species in a region
Community- different species in a region
Ecosystem– all the communities in an area and the abiotic factors that affect
them.
Organism  Population  Community  Ecosystem
Classification

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understand that all organisms are composed of one or more cells
recognize that the presence of a nucleus determines whether a cell is;
o prokaryotic
or
eukaryotic

identify the basic characteristics of organisms:
o Prokaryotic-before nucleus,
simple, not very complex, smaller,
examples are eubacteria and
archaebacteria
o Eukaryotic- true nucleus,
complex, larger, membrane
bound organelles. Examples are
euglena, body cells.
o Unicellular – one celled organism,
examples are all bacteria and
the kingdom Protista
o Multicellular- organisms made up
of more than one cell. Examples
are plants, animals, fungi.