Welcome to 6th Grade Science!
Ms. Tippy Asher
McCulloch Intermediate School, Room B214
Earthshakers Team
Email: ashere@hpisd.org
What to bring to class:
 Interactive notebook
 Red binder to file loose-leaf handouts
 Yellow homework folder
 Pencil
 Ear buds
 Students are encouraged to bring their personal electronic devices to class. Refer to the HPISD
Bring Your Own Device Policy for information.
Assignments:
 Most daily assignments and lab reports are PRACTICE. They will not be for a “grade,” but will be
subject to a conduct score.
Grades:
 Unit tests, quizzes, and projects are graded by specific learning targets in the grade book. If you
score poorly on any learning target, you may “re-do” that learning target after attending a tutorial.
 Unit tests and major projects count for 60% of your grade. Quizzes and minor projects count for
40% of your grade.
 A conduct grade will be given for assignments submitted on time, participation in class, and
behavior in class.
 Missing or late work will be recorded in Skyward as an “incomplete (I)” until it has been
completed and may affect the conduct grade.
Absences:
 Students may take missed tests and quizzes before/after school with prior arrangement, during
class if time permits, or during advisory.
Tutorial Times:
 3:40-4:10pm Monday-Thursday, or by appointment
ClassDojo:
 The Earthshaker Team is using ClassDojo to document student behavior as well as communicate
upcoming assignments and class events. To signup, please follow the directions on the last page of
the Earthshaker Policies Packet.
6th Grade Science Learning Targets
Unit 1 Science Process Skills and Investigations
 Demonstrate safe lab practices (6.1A, 6.4B)
 Use appropriate tools to collect, record, and analyze information (6.4B)
 Collect and record data using the International System of Measurement (6.2C)
 Conduct scientific investigations by following the scientific method (6.2B) (6.2E)
 Display data using both qualitative and quantitative means (6.2C, 6.2D)
Unit 2 Matter and Energy
 Calculate density (6.6B)
 Describe matter’s physical and chemical properties (6.5D)
 Identify chemical and physical changes (6.5D)
 Know that elements are pure substances represented by a chemical symbol and that a limited number
of elements make up the majority of matter on Earth and in Earth’s atmosphere (6.5A, 6.5B)
 Differentiate between elements and compounds (6.5C)
 Compare metals, metalloids, and nonmetals using physical properties (6.6A)
Unit 3 Force, Motion, and Energy
 Understand the difference between balanced and unbalanced forces (6.8B)
 Describe how unbalanced forces can change position, direction, and speed of an object (6.8B)
 Calculate speed using distance and time measurements (6.8C)
 Measure and graph changes in motion using distance time graphs and speed time graphs (6.8D)
 Compare and contrast potential and kinetic energy (6.8A)
 Investigate how inclined planes and pulleys can be used to change the amount of force to move an
object (6.8E)
 Demonstrate that energy cannot be created or destroyed but can only be transformed (6.9C)
 Demonstrate that thermal energy can be transferred through conduction, convection, and radiation
(6.9A)
 Demonstrate that thermal energy moves in a predictable pattern from warmer to cooler until all the
substances attain the same temperature (6.9B)
 Understand the advantages and disadvantages of coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, biomass, wind,
hydropower, geothermal, and solar resources (6.7A)
 Design a plan to manage energy in the home, school, and community (6.7B)
Unit 4 Earth and Space
 Model the structural layers of the Earth (6.3C) (6.10A)
 Identify the major tectonic plates and describe how they create major geological events (6.10C)
(6.10D)
 Classify rocks by the processes of their formation (6.10B)
 Describe the properties, locations, and movements of celestial objects in the solar system (6.11A)
 Understand that gravity is the force that causes motion in the solar system (6.11B)
 Describe the history and future of space exploration (6.11C)
Unit 5 Organisms and Environments
 Understand that all organisms are made of one or more cells (6.12A)
 Recognize that having or not having a nucleus determines if a cell is prokaryotic or eukaryotic (6.12B)
 Identify the basic characteristics of organisms (6.12D)
 Describe the biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem (6.12E)
 Diagram the levels of organization within an ecosystem (6.12F)