Common Core Standards
6-8 Gateway To Technology
Grade-Level Indicators
Grade 6
M
Essential Understanding
Common Core Standards
Performance Assessment
#
1 Nine-Week Grading Period: Automation and Robotics (Fischertechnics)
1. Automation is the use of
technology to ease human labor
or to extend the mental or
physical capabilities of humans.
Weeks #1-2
Lesson 1
What is
Automation &
Robotics?
Application

2. Robotics is the specialized field of
engineering and computer
science that deals with the
design, construction, and
application of robots.
3. The use of automation and
robotics affects humans in
various ways, both positively and
negatively, including their safety,
comfort, choices, and attitudes
about a technology’s
development and use.
4. Engineers, designers, and
engineering technologists are in
high demand for the development
of future technology to meet
societal needs and wants.
Students will identify engineering
careers in the automation and
robotics field and the education
needed.
Perspective

See attached pages.
Students will investigate the current
and future uses of automation and
robotics and determine the potential
effect on their lives and on industry.
Self-knowledge

Through participation in group
activities, students will understand
and appreciate the importance of
good communication and teamwork
skills.
Standards and Benchmarks Addressed
Standards for Technological Literacy
Standard 1: Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and scope of technology.
BM F: New products and systems can be developed to solve problems or to help do things that could not be done without the help of
technology
BM H: Technology is closely linked to creativity, which has resulted in innovation.
Standard 2: Students will develop an understanding of the core concepts of technology.
BM M: Technological systems include input, processes, output, and, at times, feedback.
Standard 3: Students will develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the connections between technology
and other fields of study.
BM D: Technological systems often interact with one another.
Standard 4: Students will develop an understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology.
BM D: The use of technology affects humans in various ways, including their safety, comfort, choices, and attitudes about technology’s
development and use.
BM E: Technology, by itself, is neither good nor bad, but decisions about the use of products and systems can result in desirable or
undesirable consequences.
BM F: The development and use of technology poses ethical issues.
BM G: Economic, political, and cultural issues are influenced by the development and use of technology.
Standard 6: Students will develop an understanding of the role of society in the development and use of technology.
BM E: The use of inventions and innovations has led to changes in society and the creation of new needs and wants.
Standard 8: Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design.
BM E: Design is a creative planning process that leads to useful products and systems.
BM G: Requirements for a design are made up of criteria and constraints.
Standard 12: Students will develop the abilities to use and maintain technological products and systems.
BM H: Use information provided in manuals, protocols, or by experienced people to see and understand how things work.
BM J: Use computers and calculators in various applications.
National Science Education Standards
Unifying Concepts and Processes: As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should develop understanding and abilities aligned with
the following concepts and processes.



Evidence, models, and explanation
Evolution and equilibrium
Form and function
Physical Science Standard B: As a result of activities in grades 5-12, all students should develop an understanding of


Motions and forces (Levels 5-8)
Transfer of energy (Levels 5-8)
Science and Technology Standard E: As a result of activities in grades 5-12, all students should develop

Understandings about science and technology
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Standard F: As a result of activities in grades 5-12, all students should develop understanding of


Risks and benefits (Levels 5-8)
Science and technology in society (Levels 5-8)
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics
Geometry Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to analyze characteristics and
properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships;
specify locations and describe spatial relationships using coordinate geometry and other representational systems; apply
transformations and use symmetry to analyze mathematical situations; use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to
solve problems.
Measurement Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to understand measurable
attributes of objects and the units, systems, and processes of measurement; apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to
determine measurements
Problem Solving Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to build new mathematical
knowledge through problem solving; solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts; apply and adapt a variety of
appropriate strategies to solve problems; monitor and reflect on the process of mathematical problem solving.
Connections Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to recognize and use
connections among mathematical ideas; understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a
coherent whole; recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics.
Standards for English Language Arts
Standard 1 Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts of themselves, and of the cultures
of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and
for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classical and contemporary works.
Standard 3 Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior
experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and other texts, their word identification
strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g. sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
Standard 4 Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g. conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate
effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
Standard 7 Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They
gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g. print and non-print texts, artifacts, and people) to communicate
their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
Standard 8 Students use a variety of technological and informational resources (e.g. libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to
gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
Standard 12 Students use spoken, written and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g. for learning, enjoyment,
persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Grade 6 – continued
M
Essential Understanding
Common Core Standards
Performance Assessment
#
Explanation

Weeks #3-5
Lesson 2
Mechanical
Systems
1. Energy is the capacity to do
work.
2. Engineers and technologists
design mechanisms to change
energy by transferring
direction, speed, type of
movement, and force or
torque.
3. Mechanisms can be used
individually, in pairs, or in
systems.
Students will explain gear ratios, the
relationship between torque and
speed, or force and speed, and the
purpose of each of the different
mechanisms.
Application
See attached pages.

Using their knowledge of
mechanisms, students will design
and build a prototype of a device that
will perform a specific task.
Perspective

Students will document the assembly
and use for each of the ten
mechanisms.
Standards and Benchmarks Addressed
Standards for Technological Literacy
Standard 1: Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and scope of technology.
BM F: New products and systems can be developed to solve problems or to help do things that could not be done without the help of
technology
BM G: The development of technology is a human activity and is the result of individual or corporate needs and the ability to be creative.
BM H: Technology is closely linked to creativity, which has resulted in innovation.
Standard 2: Students will develop an understanding of the core concepts of technology.
BM M: Technological systems include input, processes, output, and, at times, feedback.
BM N: Systems thinking involves considering how every part relates to others.
Standard 3: Students will develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the connections between technology
and other fields of study.
BM E: A product, system, or environment developed for one setting may be applied to another setting.
Standard 8: Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design.
BM E: Design is a creative planning process that leads to useful products and systems.
BM G: Requirements for a design are made up of criteria and constraints.
BM I: Design problems are seldom presented in a clearly defined form.
Standard 9: Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
BM F: Design involves a set of steps, which can be performed in different sequences and repeated as needed.
BM G: Brainstorming is a group problem-solving design process in which each person in the group presents his or her ideas in an open
forum.
BM H: Modeling, testing, evaluating, and modifying are used to transform ideas into practical solutions.
Standard 10: Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and
innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.
BM F: Troubleshooting is a problem-solving method used to identify the cause of a malfunction in a technological system.
Standard 11: Students will develop abilities to apply the design process.
BM H: Apply a design process to solve problems in and beyond the laboratory-classroom.
BM I: Specify criteria and constraints for the design.
BM J: Make two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations of the designed solution.
Standard 16: Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use energy and power technologies.
BM E: Energy is the capacity to do work.
BM F: Energy can be used to do work, using many processes.
BM G: Power is the rate at which energy is converted from one form to another or transferred from one place to another, or the rate at which
work is done.
National Science Education Standards
Unifying Concepts and Processes: As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should develop understanding and abilities aligned with
the following concepts and processes.

Systems, order, and organization

Evidence, models, and explanation
Science As Inquiry Standard A: As a result of activities in grades 5-12, all students should develop


Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry
Physical Science Standard B: As a result of activities in grades 5-12, all students should develop an understanding of


Motions and forces (Levels 5-8)
Transfer of energy (Levels 5-8)
Science and Technology Standard E: As a result of activities in grades 5-12, all students should develop


Abilities of technological design
Understandings about science and technology
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics
Number and Operations Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to understand
numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems; understand meanings of operations and
how they relate to one another; compute fluently and make reasonable estimates.
Measurement Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to understand measurable
attributes of objects and the units, systems, and processes of measurement; apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to
determine measurements.
Communication Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to organize and consolidate
their mathematical thinking through communication; communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers,
and others; analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others; use the language of mathematics to express
mathematical ideas precisely.
Connections Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to recognize and use
connections among mathematical ideas; understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a
coherent whole; recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics.
Standards for English Language Arts
Standard 4 Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g. conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate
effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
Standard 5 Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to
communicate with different audiences and for a variety of purposes.
Standard 6 Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g. spelling and punctuation), media techniques,
figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.
Standard 8 Students use a variety of technological and informational resources (e.g. libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to
gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
Standard 12 Students use spoken, written and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g. for learning, enjoyment,
persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Grade 6 – continued
M
Essential Understanding
Common Core Standards
Performance Assessment
#
Application
Weeks #6-9
Lesson 3
Automated
Systems
1. Automated systems require
minimal human intervention.
2. An open-loop system has no
feedback path and requires
human intervention, while a
closed-loop system uses
feedback.
3. Troubleshooting is a problemsolving method used to identify
the cause of a malfunction in a
technological system.
4. Invention is a process of
turning ideas and imagination
into devices and systems.



See attached pages.
Students will work within a team to
design, build, wire, and program a
mock-up to several design problems.
Students will work in a team to solve
several design problems and
troubleshoot any malfunctions.
Students will work with a team in their
class to design, build, wire, and
program a subsystem of a larger fully
automated factory assembly line.
Perspective

Documentation of all problems,
including sketches, wiring diagrams,
flowcharts, and conclusion questions
that reflect individual student
participation will be submitted to the
instructor.
Standards and Benchmarks Addressed
Standards for Technological Literacy
Standard 1: Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and scope of technology.
BM F: New products and systems can be developed to solve problems or to help do things that could not be done without the help of
technology
BM G: The development of technology is a human activity and is the result of individual or corporate needs and the ability to be creative.
BM H: Technology is closely linked to creativity, which has resulted in innovation.
Standard 2: Students will develop an understanding of the core concepts of technology.
BM M: Technological systems include input, processes, output, and, at times, feedback.
BM N: Systems thinking involves considering how every part relates to others.
BM O: An open-loop system has no feedback path and requires human intervention, while a closed-loop system uses feedback.
BM P: Technological systems can be connected to one another.
BM Q: Malfunctions of any part of a system may affect the function and quality of the system.
BM R: Requirements are the parameters placed on the development of a product or system.
BM S: Trade-off is a decision process recognizing the need for careful compromises among competing factors.
BM V: Controls are mechanisms or particular steps that people perform using information about the system that causes systems to change.
Standard 3: Students will develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the connections between technology
and other fields of study.
BM D: Technological systems often interact with one another.
BM E: A product, system, or environment developed for one setting may be applied to another setting.
Standard 8: Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design.
BM E: Design is a creative planning process that leads to useful products and systems.
BM F: There is no perfect design.
BM I: Design problems are seldom presented in a clearly defined form.
Standard 9: Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
BM F: Design involves a set of steps, which can be performed in different sequences and repeated as needed.
BM G: Brainstorming is a group problem-solving design process in which each person in the group presents his or her ideas in an open
forum.
BM H: Modeling, testing, evaluating, and modifying are used to transform ideas into practical solutions.
BM K: A prototype is a working model used to test a design concept by making actual observations and necessary adjustments.
Standard 10: Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and
innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.
BM F: Troubleshooting is a problem-solving method used to identify the cause of a malfunction in a technological system.
BM G: Invention is a process of turning ideas and imagination into devices and systems.
BM H: Some technological problems are best solved through experimentation.
Standard 11: Students will develop abilities to apply the design process.
BM H: Apply a design process to solve problems in and beyond the laboratory-classroom.
BM I: Specify criteria and constraints for the design.
BM J: Make two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations of the designed solution.
BM K: Test and evaluate the design in relation to pre-established requirements, such as criteria and constraints, and refine as needed.
BM L: Make a product or system and document the solution.
Standard 12: Students will develop the abilities to use and maintain technological products and systems.
BM H: Use information provided in manuals, protocols, or by experienced people to see and understand how things work.
BM I: Use tools, materials, and machines safely to diagnose, adjust, and repair systems.
BM J: Use computers and calculators in various applications.
BM K: Operate and maintain systems in order to achieve a given purpose.
Standard 17: Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use information and communication technologies.
BM H: Information and communication systems allow information to be transferred from human to human, human to machine, and machine
to human.
BM K: The use of symbols, measurements, and drawings promotes clear communication by providing a common language to express
ideas.
National Science Education Standards
Unifying Concepts and Processes: As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should develop understanding and abilities aligned with
the following concepts and processes.


Systems, order, and organization
Evidence, models, and explanation
Physical Science Standard B: As a result of activities in grades 5-12, all students should develop an understanding of


Motions and forces (Levels 5-8)
Transfer of energy (Levels 5-8)
Science and Technology Standard E: As a result of activities in grades 5-12, all students should develop


Abilities of technological design
Understandings about science and technology
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Standard F: As a result of activities in grades 5-12, all students should develop understanding of

Science and technology in society (Levels 5-8)
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics
Number and Operations Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to understand
numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems; understand meanings of operations and
how they relate to one another; compute fluently and make reasonable estimates.
Geometry Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to analyze characteristics and
properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships;
specify locations and describe spatial relationships using coordinate geometry and other representational systems; apply
transformations and use symmetry to analyze mathematical situations; use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to
solve problems.
Measurement Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to understand measurable
attributes of objects and the units, systems, and processes of measurement; apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to
determine measurements.
Problem Solving Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to build new mathematical
knowledge through problem solving; solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts; apply and adapt a variety of
appropriate strategies to solve problems; monitor and reflect on the process of mathematical problem solving.
Communication Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to organize and consolidate
their mathematical thinking through communication; communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers,
and others; analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others; use the language of mathematics to express
mathematical ideas precisely.
Connections Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to recognize and use
connections among mathematical ideas; understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a
coherent whole; recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics.
Representation Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to create and use
representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas; select, apply, and translate among mathematical
representations to solve problems; use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena.
Standards for English Language Arts
Standard 4 Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g. conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate
effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
Standard 5 Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to
communicate with different audiences and for a variety of purposes.
Standard 7 Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They
gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g. print and non-print texts, artifacts, and people) to communicate
their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
Standard 8 Students use a variety of technological and informational resources (e.g. libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to
gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
Standard 12 Students use spoken, written and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g. for learning, enjoyment,
persuasion, and the exchange of information).