This collection of no-prep, grade 6 science resources will save you hours of work! These resources are aligned to the VA SOL, TEKS and NGSS.

The Scientific Method! Again! I'm in such a science-y mood! By the time kiddos get to me in 6th grade they can repeat it and know all about it. #thestruggleisreal to make it awesome and exciting by the time they are in 6th grade. And doing something they will remember and LOVE is such a challenge. Scientific Method Fun is found with a few centers and one lab that we do. The LAB is called "Cat's in the BAG". MEOW! I use it to setup my expectations for how I want students to complete labs (the detail, organization, and descriptions I expect). I think the first year I called it Mystery Bag but it didn't have the same allure as "Cat's in the Bag!" so thus the title stuck. 6th graders like quirky. And I do too. The purpose of this lab is to get students to write detailed notes and describe things--science isn't just science--it's writing too! To make sure your students know what is expected and how detailed they need to be it's important to set the stage for that. ALSO we make connections to the scientific method! (bags can also be just plain jane lunch bags too!) First I label all of the bags #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8 (I recommend no more than 8 otherwise things can get a little out of hand). I put one object in each bag and rolllllll it shut and then I got town stapling the bags sealed. I typically pick things that my students are familiar with and are around our classroom. Even the simplest objects can throw them for a loop! I set up stations around the room and have those numbered as well. Beginning with the kiddos I set up expectations for what I will be looking for (it is the beginning of the school year so brushing off those summer cobwebs is a struggle but it has to be done!). Sometimes I show past students examples of great labs or I make up my own (both good and bad). This is a really important part so they understand while yes, this lab is play, we are also doing science. It really sets the tone for the rest of the labs so I make sure I get it right the first time. When the draw a super cool picture of what they think is in the bag...I encourage them to show their work with their groups and discuss together. This gets them excited and it also makes it so I don't get chicken scratch and lame-o work (I don't ever tell them this but you know the feeling after you've prepped and kids are doing awesome things and then you get work that is like :\ why did we do allllllll of this???). So I try and help them solve my teacher pet peeve problem without telling them about my teacher pet peeve. WIN!WIN! We go over the lab rules. Students are to guess what's in the bag they can shake, touch and gently feel the bag to see what's in it (no shaking or doing anything crazy with the bag) then they have to discuss, draw and write a detailed description about what the think it is. Then do a final check of what is in the bag. The groups have to come up with a consensus as to what it is and fully fill out their lab sheets. Students go from station to station trying to get this figured out! The big reveal. We do the whole drum roll y'all. Make it exciting and meaningful right!?! Make it MAGICAL. We reveal and there is so much energy in the room from having correctly identified things in the bag, shock as to that really weird one was a staples, and its just all so FUN and SCIENTIFIC. I also have a prize if someone guesses them all correctly but it has never happened. Ha! Then comes the discussion and connection to the scientific method (specifically about making observations, taking notes, and not guessing--have an educated guess). And they get it but you have to make these connections or else the whole lab was just play. And then the scientific method BECOMES REAL and your expectations become concrete. They weren't just guessing what was in the bags. Some are close, some are way, off, and some are spot on. And that's exactly how science works isn't it? Much like the bags the answer to our questions is hidden and we have to question, research, develop an idea, experiment, look at the data, and put the facts together. Results? Data? Which side of the fence are you on? Or are you like me and use both?!? (where's the monkey emoji covering it's eyes when you need it?!?) ALSO...I have these so we can look at the parts of the scientific method. Their exit ticket for the lab is to have a completed lab sheet. We work on a lot of this together. The question? WHAT'S IN THE BAG?, etc. So they put on finishing touches, write a reflection (how does this apply to science/the scientific method/experiments?), and turn in the lab. and TA-DAA! It's a fun one one and a great lab for the beginning of the year. My students love this and they remember it. For some it's their favorite lab throughout the school year (over roasting starbursts and caramel popcorn scale models which is shocking to me ha! but I'm all about schnacks!). If you'd like it all in a handy dandy PDF shoot me an email @ [email protected] and I'll happily pass it along. ***(update) After receiving requests for this activity from teachers all over (seriously! Israel and Zambia included) and my inbox being completely flooded (I LOVE you all!) I have posted it in my tpt store here (and follow along too)! And it is totally FREE! Still feel free to email me for a pdf or to say hello! Follow me on TPT for more school awesomeness! >>HERE!<< >>>>>>>>>>>Wanting another fun scientific method activity? Click here!<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Over and Out!

Balloon rockets, naked eggs, and biodomes ... so many hands-on ways to learn!

Here is a list of 300 sixth grade spelling words that your students should master. Hyphen, Struggle, Beliefs, Noticeable, Immediate, Mention

Balloon rockets, naked eggs, and biodomes ... so many hands-on ways to learn!

I thought it might be nice to share a little snapshot of a sample lesson with you. If you've never used my curriculum guides before, this is what you get.

Balloon rockets, naked eggs, and biodomes ... so many hands-on ways to learn!

Study mitosis and meiosis using student movement. Cut ropes into lengths and use them to model chromosomes and track their duplication.

6 Weeks Exam Tomorrow... Sing the song, play some cell games. Play Jeopardy Know the difference between subjective (opinions) and objective (facts). Accuracy versus Precision... Know Cell Organelles Structure and Function Mitochondria - makes food into energy Golgi is the trucking system Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) packages proteins Nucleus - DNA the brain Cytoplasm - holds organelles in place Ribosomes - make protein Cell membrane - allows nutrients and waste in and out of cell and protects. How are organelles like body systems? Mitochondria turns food into energy like the digestive system.Some get rid of waste, lysosome - in animal cell only, like our excretory system. Plant cells have the large central vacuole, chloroplast and a cell wall. Animal cells do not. CTOOO? The organization of all living things... Cells make up Tissue works together to make Organs work together in Organ systems work together to form an Organism CELL TYPES Eukaryote - mutli cellular organism. Plant and Animal cells has nucleus (membrane bound organelle) Prokaryotes - single celled organism no nucleus - DNA floats freely. Links Cell Rap Life Processes Bill Nye Cells BBC Video: The Hidden Life of the Cell Great Images of Cells Cell Games Cell Games2 More Cell Games Cells Web quest Cells Game+ Osmosis working Cell R US Study Awesome Video on Osmosis Diffusion Osmosis Song Animations PowerPoints Click here to view Cell Structure and Function Click here to view Plant and Animal Cells Levels of Organization of all living things! Cells > Tissue > Organ > Organ Systems > Organisms Cells make up tissue Tissues makes up organs Organs make Organ Systems Organs Systems make Organisms Cell Shape and Movement You might recall that all living things are made up of one or more cells. As illustrated in Figure 1, cells come in many shapes and sizes. The size and shape of a cell relates to its job or function. For example, a human red blood cell cannot be seen without a microscope. Its small size and disk shape enable it to pass easily through the smallest blood vessels. The shape of a nerve cell enables it to send signals over long distances. Some plant cells are hollow and make up tubelike structures that carry materials throughout a plant. The structures that make up a cell also have unique functions. Think about how the players on a football team perform different tasks to move the ball down the field. In a similar way, a cell is made of different structures that perform different functions that keep a cell alive. You will read about some of these structures in this lesson. Figure 1 The shape of a cell relates to the function it performs. Cell Membrane Although different types of cells perform different functions, all cells have some structures in common. As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3, every cell is surrounded by a protective covering called a membrane. The cell membrane is a flexible covering that protects the inside of a cell from the environment outside a cell. Cell membranes are mostly made of two different macromolecules—proteins and a type of lipid called phospholipids. Think again about a football team. The defensive line tries to stop the other team from moving forward with the football. In a similar way, a cell membrane protects the cell from the outside environment. How does the cell get nutrients? The cell membrane... Diffusion is process of things moving in and out of the cell membrane to maintain homeostasis (balance). Osmosis is diffusion with water. The amount of water and nutrients inside and outside the cell determines the flow of water through the membrane. Hypotonic Isotonic Hypertonic more water less solute equal amounts of solute and water more solute, less water water leaves nothing happens water enters membrane 1. Reading Check What are cell membranes made of? Figure 2 The cell wall maintains the shape of a plant cell. Figure 3 The cytoskeleton maintains the shape of an animal cell. Visual Check Compare this animal cell to the plant cell in Figure 2. Cell Wall Every cell has a cell membrane, but some cells are also surrounded by a structure called the cell wall. Plant cells such as the one in Figure 2, fungal cells, bacteria, and some types of protists have cell walls. A cell wall is a stiff structure outside the cell membrane. A cell wall protects a cell from attack by viruses and other harmful organisms. In some plant cells and fungal cells, a cell wall helps maintain the cell’s shape and gives structural support. Cell Appendages Arms, legs, claws, and antennae are all types of appendages. Cells can have appendages too. Cell appendages are often used for movement. Flagella (fluh JEH luh; singular, flagellum) are long, tail-like appendages that whip back and forth and move a cell. A cell can also have cilia (SIH lee uh; singular, cilium) like the ones shown in Figure 4. Cilia are short, hairlike structures. They can move a cell or move molecules away from a cell. A microscopic organism called a paramecium (pa ruh MEE shee um) moves around its watery environment using its cilia. The cilia in your windpipe move harmful substances away from your lungs. SPL/Photo Researchers Figure 4 Lung cells have cilia that help move fluids and foreign materials. Cytoplasm and the Cytoskeleton You might recall that water is the main ingredient in a cell. Most of this water is in the cytoplasm, a fluid inside a cell that contains salts and other molecules. The cytoplasm also contains a cell’s cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is a network of threadlike proteins that are joined together. The proteins form a framework inside a cell. This framework gives a cell its shape and helps it move. Cilia and flagella are made from the same proteins that make up the cytoskeleton. ACADEMIC VOCABULARY function (noun) the purpose for which something is used WORD ORIGIN cytoplasm from Greek kytos, means “hollow vessel”; and plasma, means “something molded” Cell Types Recall that the use of microscopes enabled scientists to discover cells. With more advanced microscopes, scientists discovered that all cells can be grouped into two types— prokaryotic (proh ka ree AH tihk) cells and eukaryotic (yew ker ee AH tihk) cells. Prokaryotic Cells The genetic material in a prokaryotic cell is not surrounded by a membrane, as shown in Figure 5. This is the most important feature of a prokaryotic cell. Prokaryotic cells also do not have many of the other cell parts that you will read about later in this lesson. Most prokaryotic cells are unicellular organisms and are called prokaryotes. Figure 5 In prokaryotic cells, the genetic material floats freely in the cytoplasm. Eukaryotic Cells Plants, animals, fungi, and protists are all made of eukaryotic cells, such as the ones shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3, and are called eukaryotes. With few exceptions, each eukaryotic cell has genetic material that is surrounded by a membrane. Every eukaryotic cell also has other structures, called organelles, which have specialized functions. Most organelles are surrounded by membranes. Eukaryotic cells are usually larger than prokaryotic cells. About ten prokaryotic cells would fit inside one eukaryotic cell. 1. Key Concept Check How are prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells similar, and how are they different? Cell Organelles As you have just read, organelles are eukaryotic cell structures with specific functions. Organelles enable cells to carry out different functions at the same time. For example, cells can obtain energy from food, store information, make macromolecules, and get rid of waste materials all at the same time because different organelles perform the different tasks. The Nucleus The largest organelle inside most eukaryotic cells is the nucleus, shown in Figure 6. The nucleus is the part of a eukaryotic cell that directs cell activities and contains genetic information stored in DNA. DNA is organized into structures called chromosomes. The number of chromosomes in a nucleus is different for different species of organisms. For example, kangaroo cells contain six pairs of chromosomes. Most human cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes. In addition to chromosomes, the nucleus contains proteins and an organelle called the nucleolus (new KLEE uh lus). The nucleolus is often seen as a large dark spot in the nucleus of a cell. The nucleolus makes ribosomes, organelles that are involved in the production of proteins. You will read about ribosomes later in this lesson. Surrounding the nucleus are two membranes that form a structure called the nuclear envelope. The nuclear envelope contains many pores. Certain molecules, such as ribosomes and RNA, move into and out of the nucleus through these pores. 1. Reading Check What is the nuclear envelope? (r) Dr. Donald Fawcett/Visuals Unlimited/Getty Images Figure 6 The nucleus directs cell activity and is surrounded by a membrane. Manufacturing Molecules You might recall that proteins are important molecules in cells. Proteins are made on small structures called ribosomes. Unlike other cell organelles, a ribosome is not surrounded by a membrane. Ribosomes are in a cell’s cytoplasm. They also can be attached to a weblike organelle called the endoplasmic reticulum (en duh PLAZ mihk • rih TIHK yuh lum), or ER. As shown in Figure 7, the ER spreads from the nucleus throughout most of the cytoplasm. ER with ribosomes on its surface is called rough ER. Rough ER is the site of protein production. ER without ribosomes is called smooth ER. It makes lipids such as cholesterol. Smooth ER is important because it helps remove harmful substances from a cell. 2. Reading Check Contrast smooth ER and rough ER. (l) Dr. Donald Fawcett/Visuals Unlimited/Getty Images, (r) Dennis Kunkel / Phototake Figure 7 The endoplasmic reticulum is made of many folded membranes. Mitochondria provide a cell with usable energy. Processing Energy All living things require energy in order to survive. Cells process some energy in specialized organelles. Most eukaryotic cells contain hundreds of organelles called mitochondria (mi tuh KAHN dree uh; singular, mitochondrion), shown in Figure 7. Some cells in a human heart can contain a thousand mitochondria. Like the nucleus, a mitochondrion is surrounded by two membranes. Energy is released during chemical reactions that occur in the mitochondria. This energy is stored in high-energy molecules called ATP—adenosine triphosphate (uh DEH nuh seen • tri FAHS fayt). ATP is the fuel for cellular processes such as growth, cell division, and material transport. Plant cells and some protists, such as algae, also contain organelles called chloroplasts (KLOR uh plasts), shown in Figure 8. Chloroplasts are membrane-bound organelles that use light energy and make food—a sugar called glucose—from water and carbon dioxide in a process known as photosynthesis (foh toh SIHN thuh sus). The sugar contains stored chemical energy that can be released when a cell needs it. 3. Reading Check Which types of cells contain chloroplasts? (l) Dr. R. Howard Berg/Visuals Unlimited/Getty Images, (r) Dennis Kunkel / Phototake Figure 8 Plant cells have chloroplasts that use light energy and make food. The Golgi apparatus packages materials into vesicles. Processing, Transporting, and Storing Molecules Near the ER is an organelle that looks like a stack of pancakes. This is the Golgi (GAWL jee) apparatus, shown in Figure 8. It prepares proteins for their specific jobs or functions. Then it packages the proteins into tiny, membrane-bound, ball-like structures called vesicles. Vesicles are organelles that transport substances from one area of a cell to another area of a cell. Some vesicles in an animal cell are called lysosomes. Lysosomes contain substances that help break down and recycle cellular components. Some cells also have saclike structures called vacuoles (VA kyuh wohlz). Vacuoles are organelles that store food, water, and waste material. A typical plant cell usually has one large vacuole that stores water and other substances. Some animal cells have many small vacuoles. 4. Key Concept Check What is the function of the Golgi apparatus? SCIENCE USE V. COMMON USE envelope Science Use an outer covering Common Use a flat paper container for a letter Lesson Review Visual Summary A cell is protected by a flexible covering called the cell membrane. Cells can be grouped into two types—prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells. In a chloroplast, light energy is used for making sugars in a process called photosynthesis. Dr. R. Howard Berg/Visuals Unlimited/Getty Images Lesson Assessment Use Vocabulary 1. Distinguish between the cell wall and the cell membrane. 2. Use the terms mitochondria and chloroplasts in a sentence. 3. Define organelle in your own words. Understand Key Concepts 4. The nucleus of a eukaryotic cell contains genetic information stored in DNA. DNA is organized into what structures? A. chromosomes B. lysosomes C. mitochondria D. ribosomes 5. Which organelle is used to store water? A. chloroplast B. lysosome C. nucleus D. vacuole 6. Explain the role of the cytoskeleton. 7. Draw a prokaryotic cell and label its parts. 8. Compare the roles of the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus. 9. The arrow below is pointing to which cell part? A. chloroplast B. mitochondrion C. cell membrane D. cell wall 10. Which best describes vacuoles? A. lipids B. proteins C. contained in mitochondria D. storage compartments 11. Which cell shown below can send signals over long distances? A. B. C. D. 2. The figure below shows a cell. What is the arrow pointing to? A. chloroplast B. cytoplasm C. mitochondrion D. nucleus Interpret Graphics 13. Explain how the structure of the cells below relates to their function. 14. Compare Copy the table below and fill it in to compare the structures of a plant cell to the structures of an animal cell. Critical Thinking 15. List the function of each of the following cell parts: cell membrane, cell wall, chloroplast, cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, mitochondrion, and nucleus. 16. Name the kinds of organisms that have cells with cell walls. Name the kinds of organisms that have cells without cell walls. Briefly describe the benefits of cell walls for organisms. 17. Draw simple diagrams of an animal cell and a plant cell. Label the nucleus, the cytoplasm, the mitochondria, the cell membrane, the chloroplasts, the cell wall, and the central vacuole in the appropriate cells. Briefly describe the main differences between the two cells. 18. Analyze Why are most organelles surrounded by membranes? 19. Compare the features of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. 20. Compare prokaryotes and eukaryotes by copying and filling in the table below. 21. The photo below shows a protozoan. What structures enable it to get food into its mouth? Dr. Dennis Kunkel/Visuals Unlimited/Getty Images Writing in Science 22. Write a five-sentence paragraph relating the cytoskeleton to the walls of a building. Be sure to include a topic sentence and a concluding sentence in your paragraph. Copyright © 2011-2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Copyright © 2011. Texas Education Agency. All Rights Reserved. Levels of Organization of all living things! Cells > Tissue > Organ > Organ Systems > Organisms Cells make up tissue Tissues makes up organs Organs make Organ Systems Organs Systems make Organisms

Are you taking the leap into the wild and wonderful world of teaching elementary science? Congratulations! 🎉 From making science notebooks your best friend to transforming your classroom into a curiosity-filled lab (minus the lab rats), we’ve got tips and tricks that even Albert Einstein would high five us for! Ready to become the next superhero ... Read more

Little scientists can learn about a fundamental concept of physical science with this worksheet all about density!

It’s almost time for back to school! Get to know your students and help students start thinking about science in their own lives. This free resource, Science About Me, is a simple and fun activity for students to complete the first week of school. What’s included? Suggested Use page Full page printable Notebook-sized printable Who ... Read more

Use these six classroom management strategies in your science classroom on the first day of school. Back to school for new science teachers.

Enhance your child's science education with an engaging, fun lapbook of plant and animal cells.

This worksheet allows students to practice determining if chemical equations are balanced or not when the chemical formulas are drawn as visuals, instead of written. This would be great for the incorporation into a lesson, to be used as a review, as an homework assignment, for tutoring, or re-teachi...

Hello Everyone! What a great day to start a study on clouds!! Dark clouds this morning releasing a deluge of rain! By 1:00 beautiful clear sky with just a few cirrus clouds! Perfect example of our ever changing skies. I'll share our Cloud Unit in a second, but first I wanted to show some pics of our whole group math lesson. We are continuing our study of place value. After all the activities we did last week, it was time to see how all of this fits in relationship to other numbers. I pulled out our bigger than life 100 board and handed out some mystery picture clues. Each clue described a number in place value (tens and ones). The kids took turns putting their cards on the number for which their clue stood. When we finished putting all the clues down, a cloud was revealed! Use your imagination! It looks like a cloud, right??? The kids loved working together to create it!! I'm not even sure they realized they were growing their number sense!!! I did put together a little integrated cloud unit. We are going to try to get most of this in this week!! The unit also includes some poetry, another science activity and more!! You can get it if you click HERE!! Stay tuned for more cloud fun later in the week! Until then, have a wonderful week!! Thanks for stopping by for a peek!! Joyfully! Nancy

This week we are giving our nine weeks test. The students and I took a much needed break from test prep yesterday to read Grandfather Tang's Story written by Ann Tompert and illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker. After reading the story to my fifth and sixth graders, I passed out the tangram manipulatives for them to explore with. We reviewed transformations and attributes of polygons while they were "playing with their puzzle." They tried to make a square using all seven pieces, but only one was successful. I found some wonderful activities on CREATE for Mississippi (link here) to work with my students this week. I downloaded some free apps for our iPads to let the students play. Yesterday the fifth grade each picked a character from the book, created the tangram animal with their manipulatives, traced and colored the pieces, and wrote which character changed into that animal. When they finished, we used their art work to create a quilt that would tell the story in order. The students arranged the pictures in the order they happened in the story and taped them to bulletin board paper. We hung the quilt in the hall to display for the other classes. My sixth grade class also created the characters from the story using their tangram pieces. After testing this week, they will continue working on their project. I am going to have them create a book using the pictures and summarizing the story. They will type their summary for the character they chose and I will publish each student a copy using our binding system. My colleague and I have been discussing how much trouble the students have with summarizing. Hopefully I can help with this skill as well as their writing skills with this lesson.

Are you looking for a poster that shows the 4 different types of slope? In this post I link a free slope poster to download and add to an algebra word wall. Recently updated slope guy with a color and also black and white version.

This is a culmination of my own anchor charts, plus the best anchor charts that I could find online. This is a great place to find effective charts that get to the heart of what you are teaching in workshop. If you have a favorite chart that you'd like to add, please contact me! Also, if I have not properly given credit for an anchor chart, let me know so that I can fix it.

You may have heard of a one-pager but aren’t really sure of what it is. A one-pager is a project that is typically given out in an English language arts class. Students have one page to respond to different criteria to show their knowledge of the book. A one-pager should include both visual and written ... Read more

A friend shared this puzzle on Facebook and I thought it would make a nice challenge to keep the kids thinking during their time off of scho...

Introducing Quadratic Factoring with Conspiracy Theory in Special Ed Algebra 2

Five activities to use to get to know your grade 4, 5, 6, and 7 science students on the first days of school. These back to school activities will allow students to be creative through hands-on activities, writing, or sharing about their personal lives through art to foster personal relationships.

10 Ideas to help students learn science vocabulary words10 Ideas to help students learn science vocabulary words-- awesome for 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade

7th Grade Ela Worksheets Printable from 9th grade english worksheets , image source: homeshealth.info

Looking for ideas for a homeschool sixth grade curriculum? Check out the textbooks, workbooks, books, and other materials that I use in my home for grade 6 level work. Updated on August 19, 2023.

Podcasts in the classroom are so fun and engaging! Have you jumped on the podcast train yet?! I have a great system for using podcasts in the classroom...

Two important concepts are needed for algebraic success: order of operations and combining like terms. Learn all about them with this practice sheet.

It's all about spotting the context clues in this worksheet!

This fun and simple science experiment is perfect for teaching the scientific method in a way that kids love! Find out how in this post.

BIG Science Stations Units are awesome for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. Allow your students to learn and explore concepts in fun and different ways.

Sir Isaac Newton was one of the greatest scientists and mathematicians that ever lived. He was born in England on December 25, 1643. He was born the same year that Galileo died. He lived for 85 years. Isaac Newton was raised by his grandmother. He attended Free Grammar School and then went on to Trinity...

Want to know the perfect recipe for some spooky math practice? Witches and algebra, of course!