Alberta

Matter

• Students investigate how particles of matter behave when heated or cooled and analyze effects on solids, liquids, and gases.

  • Discuss the connection between movement of particles and temperature in degrees Celsius.

    • How does particle motion affect temperature? (6-H.1)
    • Identify how particle motion affects temperature and pressure (6-H.4)

  • Explain phase changes of matter when heated or cooled using the particle model of matter.

    • Particle motion and changes of state (6-H.2)
    • How does particle motion affect gas pressure? (6-H.3)

  • Conduct a controlled experiment to prove the mass of a substance is the same after a phase change.

    • Understand conservation of matter using graphs (6-D.1)

  • Describe how a liquid thermometer works.

  • Create a tool that measures temperature based on expansion and contraction of a liquid.

  • Relate the melting/freezing and boiling points of water to the Celsius scale.

  • Identify safety practices associated with measuring temperature and the use of measurement tools.

    • Identify laboratory tools (6-A.2)
    • Laboratory safety equipment (6-A.3)

  • Conduct an investigation to demonstrate that liquid water is denser than solid water.

  • Hypothesize the effect on aquatic life if solid water were denser than liquid water.

  • Explain the significance of expansion or contraction in the design and construction of structures.

Energy

• Students analyze forces and relate them to interactions between objects.

  • Conduct investigations to answer questions about the effects of external and internal forces on objects during an interaction.

  • Identify forces that act on an object during an interaction.

    • Balanced and unbalanced forces (6-E.9)
    • Compare magnitudes of magnetic forces (6-G.4)

  • Use materials, tools, and equipment safely while experimenting with forces in interactions.

    • Identify laboratory tools (6-A.2)
    • Laboratory safety equipment (6-A.3)

  • Differentiate between temporary and permanent changes.

  • Test the plasticity and elasticity of objects.

  • Demonstrate and represent an action force and its reaction force in various interactions.

    • Predict forces using Newton's third law (6-E.8)

• Students investigate energy resources and explain factors that influence their use.

  • Investigate factors that influence selection of energy resources.

    • Evaluate claims about natural resource use: fossil fuels (6-S.2)

  • Examine factors that influence selection of principal energy resources used in Alberta.

  • Examine management of energy resources in various contexts.

    • Evaluate claims about natural resource use: fossil fuels (6-S.2)

  • Classify energy resources as being used before or after processing.

    • Evaluate claims about natural resource use: fossil fuels (6-S.2)

  • Compare the use of an energy resource before and after processing.

    • Evaluate claims about natural resource use: fossil fuels (6-S.2)

  • Discuss ways energy resources are used by individuals or communities in daily life.

    • Evaluate claims about natural resource use: fossil fuels (6-S.2)

  • Design a device that uses an energy resource, before or after processing, to solve a problem.

Earth Systems

• Students investigate climate, changes in climate, and the impact of climate change on Earth.

  • Describe possible impacts on climate due to interactions between the Sun and Earth's systems.

    • The greenhouse effect (6-T.4)
    • Use data to describe climates (6-U.3)
    • Factors affecting climate: latitude (6-U.4)
    • Factors affecting climate: altitude (6-U.5)
    • Factors affecting climate: distance from the ocean (6-U.6)
    • Factors affecting climate: surface ocean currents (6-U.7)

  • Relate impacts of natural processes and human activities on climate change.

    • Evaluate claims about natural resource use: fossil fuels (6-S.2)
    • The greenhouse effect (6-T.4)

  • Identify personal actions that may affect global climate change.

    • The greenhouse effect (6-T.4)

  • Describe possible effects of climate change on land, plants, humans, and other animals.

  • Discuss agricultural practices impacted by climate change.

  • Research how climate change is affecting ways of living in northern, Inuit, and/or coastal communities in Canada.

  • Discuss the effects of climate change on traditional ways of living off the land.

  • Compare theories about dinosaur extinction.

  • Compare historical observations and measurements of weather and environmental conditions to current data.

    • Weather and climate around the world (6-U.1)
    • Weather or climate? Cite text (6-U.2)
    • Use data to describe climates (6-U.3)

  • Relate extreme weather events to specific locations in Canada and on Earth.

  • Identify and discuss technologies that are used to track and predict extreme weather events.

  • Discuss how scientists, Elders, and traditional Knowledge Keepers can collaborate to develop deeper awareness of the effects of weather on people and environments.

  • Propose ideas on how local Elders, traditional Knowledge Keepers, and scientists can collaborate to support awareness of local climate and climate change.

Living Systems

• Students investigate the characteristics and components of and interactions within ecosystems.

  • Represent and connect the biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem.

    • Describe populations, communities and ecosystems (6-Q.1)
    • Identify ecosystems (6-Q.2)
    • Describe ecosystems (6-Q.3)

  • Locate and responsibly examine a local ecosystem in nature using appropriate materials and tools.

  • Relate the preservation of various ecosystems to possible actions that address climate change.

    • Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: explore a problem (6-R.1)
    • Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: evaluate solutions (6-R.2)

  • Create a model or simulation to represent a chosen ecosystem and its characteristics.

  • Compare the characteristics of two ecosystems.

    • Identify ecosystems (6-Q.2)
    • Describe ecosystems (6-Q.3)

  • Examine the diversity of animals and plants in various ecosystems in relation to abiotic components.

    • Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: explore a problem (6-R.1)
    • Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: evaluate solutions (6-R.2)

  • Explain the process of photosynthesis and its importance in an ecosystem.

    • Identify flower parts and their functions (6-K.3)
    • How do plants use and change energy? (6-P.1)

  • Design and perform a controlled experiment to demonstrate the importance of light to photosynthesis.

  • Design and perform a controlled experiment to show that a plant is releasing oxygen.

  • Design and perform a controlled experiment to show that a plant contains starch.

  • Examine ways that plants and animals rely on each other to meet their needs.

  • Discuss plants that are considered sacred to First Nations and Métis.

Space

• Students analyze and represent celestial bodies of the solar system.

  • Name and order the planets in the solar system and identify the location of the main asteroid belt.

    • Identify the planets in the solar system (6-V.8)
    • Analyze data to compare properties of planets (6-V.9)

  • Classify celestial bodies of the solar system as planets, moons, dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, meteoroids, or the Sun.

    • Analyze models of the Earth-Sun-Moon system (6-V.2)
    • Identify phases of the Moon (6-V.4)
    • Analyze data to compare properties of planets (6-V.9)

  • Represent and describe the characteristics of celestial bodies in our solar system.

    • Analyze models of the Earth-Sun-Moon system (6-V.2)
    • Identify phases of the Moon (6-V.4)
    • Analyze data to compare properties of planets (6-V.9)
    • Identify constellations (6-V.10)

  • Examine celestial bodies that emit or reflect light.

    • Analyze models of the Earth-Sun-Moon system (6-V.2)
    • Identify phases of the Moon (6-V.4)

  • Discuss the reclassification of Pluto.

  • Interpret physical, pictorial, or digital models of the solar system.

    • Analyze models of the Earth-Sun-Moon system (6-V.2)
    • Identify phases of the Moon (6-V.4)
    • Identify constellations (6-V.10)

  • Investigate digital or non-digital resources that contribute to understandings of the solar system.

  • Identify and compare technologies used to gather knowledge about planets and other objects in space.

    • Explore the engineering-design process: going to the Moon! (6-C.4)

  • Compare and contrast natural satellites and artificial satellites.

  • Discuss potential personal, societal, technological, and environmental barriers to living and working in space.

Computer Science

• Students examine abstraction in relation to design and coding, and describe impacts of technologies.

  • Apply abstraction during the design process.

  • Identify examples of abstractions encountered in daily life.

  • Discuss the role of design and coding in society.

  • Use a visual block-based language to design code that includes relevant design structures.

  • Discuss how computers, coding, or technology have had impacts.

  • Predict possible impacts of computers, coding, or technology.

Scientific Methods

• Students investigate and describe the role of explanation in science.

  • Discuss the role of scientific explanations.

    • Identify steps of the scientific method (6-A.1)

  • Develop and test a hypothesis based on a scientific explanation.

    • Identify control and experimental groups (6-B.1)
    • Identify independent and dependent variables (6-B.2)
    • Identify the experimental question (6-B.3)
    • Identify questions that can be investigated with a set of materials (6-B.4)
    • Understand an experimental protocol about plant growth (6-B.5)
    • Understand an experimental protocol about diffusion (6-B.6)
    • Understand an experimental protocol about evaporation (6-B.7)

  • Create scientific explanations for how natural phenomena occur.

  • Discuss observations and measurements used to create scientific explanations.

    • Understand an experimental protocol about plant growth (6-B.5)
    • Understand an experimental protocol about diffusion (6-B.6)
    • Understand an experimental protocol about evaporation (6-B.7)

  • Evaluate the trustworthiness of evidence and explanations from a variety of sources.

  • Interpret multiple forms of text that offer explanations of natural phenomena.

  • Communicate explanations using appropriate digital or non-digital technologies.

  • Construct digital or non-digital graphs and tables using proper labels, legends, scales, and titles.

  • Determine the appropriateness of methods of communicating explanations based on the audience.

  • Discuss processes that can be used to validate evidence and explanations.

    • Identify parts of the engineering-design process (6-C.1)
    • Evaluate tests of engineering-design solutions (6-C.2)

  • Identify explanations of natural phenomena that have been refined as new evidence has been revealed.

    • Use data from tests to compare engineering-design solutions (6-C.3)
    • Explore the engineering-design process: going to the Moon! (6-C.4)