Grade 6 Science SOL Standards

The student will construct programs to accomplish a task as a means of creative expression or scientific exploration using a block based or text based programming language, both independently and collaboratively,

The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices by

combining control structures such as if-statements and loops; and

asking questions and defining problems

ask questions to determine relationships between independent and dependent variables

develop hypotheses and identify independent and dependent variables

offer simple solutions to design problems

creating clearly named variables that represent different data types, including numeric and non-numeric data, and perform operations on their values.

planning and carrying out investigations

independently and collaboratively plan and conduct observational and experimental investigations; identify variables, constants, and controls where appropriate, and include the safe use of chemicals and equipment

evaluate the accuracy of various methods for collecting data

take metric measurements using appropriate tools

use tools and materials to design and/or build a device to solve a specific problem

interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating data

organize data sets to reveal patterns that suggest relationships

construct, analyze, and interpret graphical displays of data

compare and contrast data collected by different groups and discuss similarities and differences in findings

use data to evaluate and refine design solutions

constructing and critiquing conclusions and explanations

construct explanations that includes qualitative or quantitative relationships between variables

construct scientific explanations based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources (including the students' own investigations)

generate and compare multiple solutions to problems based on how well they meet the criteria and constraints

developing and using models

use scale models to represent and estimate distance

use, develop, and revise models to predict and explain phenomena

evaluate limitations of models

obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

read scientific texts, including those adapted for classroom use, to obtain scientific and/or technical information

gather, read, and synthesize information from multiple appropriate sources and assess the credibility, accuracy, and possible bias of each publication

construct, use, and/or present an argument supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning

The student will use models and simulations to formulate, refine, and test hypotheses.

The student will explain how computing has impacted innovations in other fields.

The student will explore careers related to data.

The student will explain why the speed of data transmission across the Internet can vary depending on the type of data being transmitted.

The student will trace programs to predict outcomes and debug (correct and improve) for correctness.

The student will investigate and understand that the solar system is organized and the various bodies in the solar system interact. Key ideas include

matter is distributed throughout the solar system;

planets have different sizes and orbit at different distances from the sun;

gravity contributes to orbital motion; and

the understanding of the solar system has developed over time.

The student will seek and incorporate feedback from team members and users to refine a program that meets user needs.

The student will investigate and understand that there is a relationship between the sun, Earth, and the moon. Key ideas include

Earth has unique properties;

the rotation of Earth in relationship to the sun causes day and night;

the movement of Earth and the moon in relationship to the sun causes phases of the moon;

Earth's tilt as it revolves around the sun causes the seasons; and

the relationship between Earth and the moon is the primary cause of tides.

The student will incorporate existing code, media, and libraries into original programs, and give attribution.

The student will investigate and understand that there are basic sources of energy and that energy can be transformed. Key ideas include

the sun is important in the formation of most energy sources on Earth;

Earth's energy budget relates to living systems and Earth's processes;

radiation, conduction, and convection distribute energy; and

energy transformations are important in energy usage.

The student will design projects that combine hardware and software components to collect and exchange data.

The student will investigate and understand that all matter is composed of atoms. Key ideas include

atoms consist of particles, including electrons, protons, and neutrons;

atoms of a particular element are similar but differ from atoms of other elements;

elements may be represented by chemical symbols;

two or more atoms interact to form new substances, which are held together by electrical forces (bonds);

compounds may be represented by chemical formulas;

chemical equations can be used to model chemical changes; and

a few elements comprise the largest portion of the solid Earth, living matter, the oceans, and the atmosphere.

The student will identify physical and digital security measures used protect electronic information.

The student will investigate and understand that water has unique physical properties and has a role in the natural and human-made environment. Key ideas include

water is referred to as the universal solvent;

water has specific properties;

thermal energy has a role in phase changes;

water has a role in weathering;

large bodies of water moderate climate; and

water is important for agriculture, power generation, and public health.

The student will explain how binary sequences are used to represent digital data. Exclusion: Conversions between binary and base-ten numbers are beyond the scope of these standards.

The student will investigate and understand that air has properties and that Earth's atmosphere has structure and is dynamic. Key ideas include

air is a mixture of gaseous elements and compounds;

the atmosphere has physical characteristics;

properties of the atmosphere change with altitude;

there is a relationship between air movement, thermal energy, and weather conditions;

atmospheric measures are used to predict weather conditions; and

weather maps give basic information about fronts, systems, and weather measurements.

The student will collect data using computational tools then clean and organize to make it more useful and reliable.

The student will investigate and understand that land and water have roles in watershed systems. Key ideas include

a watershed is composed of the land that drains into a body of water;

Virginia is composed of multiple watershed systems which have specific features;

the Chesapeake Bay is an estuary that has many important functions; and

natural processes, human activities, and biotic and abiotic factors influence the health of a watershed system.

The student will explain the insight and knowledge gained from digitally processed data by using appropriate visualizations.

The student will investigate and understand that humans impact the environment and individuals can influence public policy decisions related to energy and the environment. Key ideas include

natural resources are important to protect and maintain;

renewable and nonrenewable resources can be managed;

major health and safety issues are associated with air and water quality;

major health and safety issues are related to different forms of energy;

preventive measures can protect land-use and reduce environmental hazards; and

there are cost/benefit tradeoffs in conservation policies.

Force, Motion, and Energy

Algorithms and Programming

Earth Resources

Impacts of Computing

Cybersecurity

Data and Analysis

Matter

Computing Systems

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Networking and the Internet

Earth and Space Systems

The student will design and iteratively develop programs that combine control structures, including loops and conditionals.

The student will model the role of protocols in transmitting data across networks and the Internet.

The student will apply multiple methods of encryption to model the secure transmission of information.

The student will explain how physical and digital security measures protect electronic information.

The student will collect data using computational tools and transform the data to make it more useful and reliable.

The student will refine computational models based on the data they have generated.

The student will represent data using multiple encoding schemes.

The student will discuss issues of bias and accessibility in the design of existing technologies.

The student will compare tradeoffs associated with computing technologies that affect people's everyday activities and career options.

The student will collaborate with many contributors through strategies such as crowdsourcing or surveys when creating a computational artifact or visualization.

The student will describe tradeoffs between allowing information to be public and keeping information private and secure.

The student will investigate variables and data types, including simple operations on strings.

The student will systematically identify and correct problems with computing devices and their components.

The student will explore the relationship between hardware and software using the Internet of Things.

The student will

work in a team to distribute tasks;

maintain a timeline; and

use iterative design to solve problems, including peer review and feedback.

The student will decompose problems and subproblems into parts to facilitate the design, implementation, and review of programs.

The student will create procedures with parameters to organize code and make it easier to reuse.

The student will recommend improvements to the design of computing devices, based on an analysis of how users interact with the devices.

The student will design projects that combine hardware and software components to collect and exchange data.

The student will implement a program that accepts input values, stores them in appropriately named variables, and produces output.

The student will document programs in order to make them easier to trace, test, and debug.

The student will discuss issues of bias and accessibility in the design of existing technologies.

The student will describe and explain the history of computer science, including naming significant historical figures and describing their impact on the field.

The student will use flowcharts and/or pseudo code to address complex problems as algorithms.

The student will incorporate existing code, media, and libraries into original programs, and give attribution.

The student will systematically test and refine programs using a range of test cases.

Data and Analysis

Impacts of Computing

Networks and the Internet

6, 9, and 18-Week Module

Algorithms and Programming

Computing Systems

Algorithms and Programming

36-Week Module

Cybersecurity

Impacts of Computing

Computing Systems

Algorithms and Programming