CO-Science 6 Scope and Sequence
Unit Lesson Lesson Objectives
Matter and Its Properties
Introduction to Matter
Describe how to measure mass and volume.
Differentiate between mass and weight.
Explain what makes up matter.
Physical Properties
Describe and give examples of physical properties of matter.
Explain how and why matter is conserved during a physical change.
Explain what happens during a physical change.
Identify examples of physical changes.
Density
Calculate the mass, volume, or density of an object given the other two measurements.
Determine whether an object will sink or float relative to the density of the surrounding liquid.
Explain density and state the SI units used to measure it.
Lab: Density of Solids
Calculate the density of several solid objects.
Measure the mass and volume of various solid objects.
Use density to identify an unknown substance.
Chemical Properties
Describe and give examples of chemical properties of matter.
Differentiate between physical and chemical changes
Explain what happens during a chemical change.
Identify examples of chemical changes.
Thermal Energy, Heat, and States of Matter
Temperature and Thermal Energy
Describe how temperature is measured.
Convert temperature readings between different temperature scales.
Describe how thermal energy relates to temperature.
Explain how temperature relates to kinetic energy.
Heat
Distinguish between heat and thermal energy.
Explain why some substances change temperature more easily than others.
Predict how thermal energy flows between objects at different temperatures.
States of Matter
Describe the arrangement and motion of atoms in the different states of matter.
Discriminate the characteristics of solids, liquids, and gases.
Changes of State
Describe what happens during the different changes of state.
Explain how energy is related to changes of state.
Atoms and Elements
Atomic Theory
Compare the models of the atom put forth by Dalton, Thomson, Rutherford, and Bohr.
Describe the development of the modern model of the atom.
Atoms
Describe the parts of an atom.
Identify the masses, locations, and charges of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
Elements
Describe what an isotope is and explain how isotopes of the same element are different.
Examine the properties of an element.
Explain how ions form.
Periodic Table
Describe the organization of the periodic table.
Determine an element's symbol, atomic number, and mass number from the periodic table.
Examine the history of the periodic table.
Metals
Describe the characteristic properties of metals.
Explain how and why the reactivity of metals changes in the periodic table.
Identify the location of metals in the periodic table.
Nonmetals
Describe the characteristic properties of nonmetals.
Explain how and why the reactivity of nonmetals changes in the periodic table.
Identify the location of nonmetals in the periodic table.
Metalloids
Describe the characteristic properties of metalloids.
Explain why most metalloids are used as semiconductors.
Identify the location of metalloids in the periodic table.
Chemical Bonding and Chemical Reactions
Ionic Bonds
Describe characteristics of ionic bonds.
Explain how ionic bonds form.
Give examples of ionic compounds.
Identify the properties of ionic compounds.
Covalent Bonds
Describe characteristics of covalent bonds.
Explain how covalent bonds form.
Give examples of covalent compounds.
Identify the properties of covalent compounds.
Compounds
Describe the defining characteristics of a compound.
Determine the number of atoms of each element in a chemical formula.
Explain how chemical formulas represent compounds.
Use models to visualize the chemical structure of a compound.
Introduction to Chemical Reactions
Describe the evidence that shows that a chemical reaction has occurred.
Explain the difference between an endothermic and an exothermic reaction.
Recognize that a chemical reaction is a chemical change.
Balancing Chemical Equations
Demonstrate how to balance a chemical equation.
Explain what it means for a chemical equation to be balanced.
Relate balanced chemical equations to the law of conservation of mass.
Types of Chemical Reactions
Distinguish among the types of chemical reactions.
Predict the product of each type of chemical reaction.
Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition
Weathering
Describe how weathering affects Earth's surface.
Explain how climate affects weathering.
Explain how mechanical weathering and chemical weathering differ.
Lab: Rates of Weathering
Determine whether acidity affects the rate of weathering.
Examine how rock composition, surface area, and temperature affect the rate of weathering.
Science Practice: Conduct several controlled tests of multiple variables using repeated trials
during an investigation about rate of weathering.
Changing the Earth's Surface
Describe the processes that wear down and build up Earth's surface.
Identify the causes of the different types of mass movement.
Water Erosion
Describe some of the land features that are formed by water erosion and deposition.
Describe the cause of groundwater erosion.
Explain how water erosion is mainly responsible for shaping the surface of the land.
Glaciers
Describe how a valley glacier forms and moves.
Explain how glaciers cause erosion and deposition.
Identify the two kinds of glaciers.
Waves
Describe how ocean waves erode a coast.
Identify features that result from deposition by waves.
Identify what gives ocean waves their energy.
Wind
Explain how wind causes erosion.
Identify features resulting from deposition by wind.
Plate Tectonics
Earth's Interior
Explain how geologists learn about Earth's inner structures.
Identify the characteristics of Earth's crust, mantle, and core.
Convection and Mantle
Describe convection currents in Earth's mantle.
Explain how heat is transferred.
Identify what causes convection currents.
Restless Continents
Describe how new oceanic lithosphere forms at mid-ocean ridges.
Describe Wegner's hypothesis of continental drift.
Explain how magnetic reversals provide evidence for sea-floor spreading.
Explain how sea-floor spreading provides a way for continents to move.
Theory of Plate Tectonics
Describe the processes and features that occur at the three types of plate boundaries.
Explain how movement in the mantle is related to plate motion.
Summarize the theory of plate tectonics.
Science Practice: Examine a map to identify Earth's major tectonic plates.
Deforming the Earth's Crust
Describe three major types of folds.
Describe two types of stress that deform rocks.
Explain the difference between uplift and subsidence.
Explain the differences between the three major types of faults.
Identify the most common types of mountains.
Forces in Earth's Crust
Describe where faults are usually found and why they form.
Explain how stress in the crust changes Earth's surface.
Identify the land features that result from plate movement.
Landforms
Describe folded, upwarped, fault-block, and volcanic mountains.
Discuss differences between plains and plateaus.
Matter on Earth and Earth's Water Resources
Cycles of Matter
Analyze the importance of the nitrogen cycle.
Examine how carbon cycles through an ecosystem.
Identify the processes involved in the water cycle.
Water on Earth
Describe how Earth's water is distributed.
Explain how Earth's water moves through the water cycle.
Earth's Oceans
Describe the history of Earth's oceans.
Describe the interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere.
Identify the properties of ocean water.
List the major divisions of the global ocean.
Surface Water
Describe the characteristics of ponds and lakes.
List three types of wetlands and explain why wetlands are important.
Tell what a river system is.
Water Underground
Describe how water moves through underground layers of soil and rock.
Explain how people obtain water from an aquifer.
The Water We Use
Assess the impact of water consumption and diminishing supplies on human activities.
Describe the availability of water across the globe.
Identify sources of potable and non-potable water.
Using Freshwater Resources
Describe some ways to conserve available fresh water.
Discuss how scientists classify sources of water pollution.
Identify ways that people use water.
Water to Drink
Explain why drinking water is often treated before people drink it.
Identify factors that affect water quality.
Earth's Biosphere
Populations
Identify factors that affect population size.
Identify limiting factors that affect a population in a given environment.
Biomes
Characterize Earth's major terrestrial biomes.
Identify adaptations that enable organisms to survive in distinct environments.
Interactions among Living Things
Differentiate competition, predation, and cooperation.
Distinguish among the three types of symbiotic relationships.
Energy Flow in Ecosystems
Analyze the transfer of energy through the trophic levels in an energy pyramid.
Examine the movement of energy through an ecosystem in food chains and food webs.
Explain the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem.
Identify producers, consumers, and decomposers in food chains and food webs.
Biodiversity
Examine ways to protect biodiversity.
Identify how biodiversity contributes to the sustainability of an ecosystem.
Identify some factors that can threaten biodiversity.
Identify the factors that affect biodiversity.
Natural Selection
Describe factors that contribute to the extinction of a species.
Examine how natural selection leads to evolution.
Identify the conditions required for natural selection.
Identify ways in which genetic variation and environmental factors contribute to natural
selection.
Lab: Natural Selection
Analyze data to determine phenotype changes through generations.
Examine natural selection within a population.
The Fossil Record
Examine how the fossil record indicates a long history of changing life-forms.
Explain how scientists determine the age of a fossil.
Identify how a fossil forms.
Succession
Compare primary and secondary succession.
Contrast pioneer species and climax community.
Lab: Ecological Succession
Conduct a controlled experiment to test a hypothesis.
Explore the process of ecological succession in a microhabitat.
Recognize sampling methods commonly used in ecology.
Natural Environmental Change
Assess the impact of natural environmental changes on organisms, populations, and species.
Identify examples of natural long-term environmental changes.
Identify examples of natural short-term environmental changes.
Human Impact on the Environment
Assess the impact of human-induced environmental changes on organisms, populations, and
species.
Identify examples of long-term human-induced environmental changes.
Identify examples of short-term human-induced environmental changes.
Using Earth's Resources
What Are Natural Resources?
Explain how fossil fuels are formed.
Explain how natural resources are produced.
Explain how resource availability is limited by rates of use and renewal.
Skills used: Making predictions, compare and contrast, researching with technology, making
logical connections.
Natural Selection
Describe factors that contribute to the extinction of a species.
Examine how natural selection leads to evolution.
Identify the conditions required for natural selection.
Identify ways in which genetic variation and environmental factors contribute to natural
selection.
Lab: Natural Selection
Analyze data to determine phenotype changes through generations.
Examine natural selection within a population.
The Fossil Record
Examine how the fossil record indicates a long history of changing life-forms.
Explain how scientists determine the age of a fossil.
Identify how a fossil forms.
Succession
Compare primary and secondary succession.
Contrast pioneer species and climax community.
Lab: Ecological Succession
Conduct a controlled experiment to test a hypothesis.
Explore the process of ecological succession in a microhabitat.
Recognize sampling methods commonly used in ecology.
Natural Environmental Change
Assess the impact of natural environmental changes on organisms, populations, and species.
Identify examples of natural long-term environmental changes.
Identify examples of natural short-term environmental changes.
Human Impact on the Environment
Assess the impact of human-induced environmental changes on organisms, populations, and
species.
Identify examples of long-term human-induced environmental changes.
Identify examples of short-term human-induced environmental changes.
Using Earth's Resources
What Are Natural Resources?
Explain how fossil fuels are formed.
Explain how natural resources are produced.
Explain how resource availability is limited by rates of use and renewal.
Skills used: Making predictions, compare and contrast, researching with technology, making
logical connections.
Nonrenewable Resources
Explain how nonrenewable resources are converted into usable energy.
Explain the processes that create nonrenewable resources.
Identify examples of nonrenewable energy sources.
Recognize advantages and disadvantages of using nonrenewable resources.
Renewable Resources
Identify examples of renewable energy sources.
Distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable energy sources.
Explain how renewable resources are converted into usable energy.
Recognize advantages and disadvantages of using renewable resources.
Nuclear Energy
Describe nuclear energy.
Identify the potential problems associated with using nuclear energy.
Summarize the practical applications of nuclear energy.
Resource Conservation
Assess the availability and allocation of resources.
Compare and contrast uses of renewable and nonrenewable resources.
Discuss problems associated with the use of non-local resources.
Propose alternatives to using nonrenewable resources.
Skills used: Compare and contrast, proposing alternative solutions, researching with technology.