Name____________________________
Investigations in Science Six – Course Syllabus
Redland Middle School 6505 Muncaster Mill Rd
Rockville, MD 20855 301-840-4680
OVERVIEW
Welcome to 6th Grade Science. This curriculum is a unique problem/project based curriculum. Instruction is woven around a relevant
problem/project to allow a focus for student learning. Students engage in minds-on inquiry and hands on explorations, productive
discourse, purposeful reading and meaningful writing. Students engage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in
order to propose solutions to real world problems.
Unit
1
Title
Matter and Its Interactions
2
Ecosystems Dynamics
3
Human Impact on the
Environment
4
Energy and Waves
Content Focus
Students will discover that matter is composed of atoms and molecules that are
attracted to each other and in constant motion. Students will apply the concepts of
molecular motion to investigations that explore the heating and cooling of solids,
liquids, and gases. Students will develop an understanding of density through
investigations that test the variables of mass and volume of objects. Students will
discover that the relationship between temperature and thermal energy depends on the
types, states, and amounts of matter and will use this evidence to develop and
understanding of heat. Students will explore simple chemical reactions that release
and absorb energy and will discover that the breaking of certain bonds between atoms
in the reactants create new products that conserve mass. Students will apply their
understanding of chemistry to a real-life situation and design a solution.
Students will explore the biodiversity and essential factors of different ecosystems and
learn that a population consists of all species that occur together at a given place and
time. Students will investigate populations within food webs and categorize those
populations as producers, consumers, and decomposers. Students will learn that
organisms compete for limited resources and that the number of organisms an
ecosystem can support depends on the resources available. Students will explore how
competition may limit or generate the growth of populations in specific niches in the
ecosystems. They will use models to demonstrate the flow of matter and energy in an
ecosystem. Students will use this information to create and maintain a habitat for a
local species.
Students will discover that natural resources are used by living things in a variety of
ways but how much and in what ways we use those resources affects the footprint of
our planet. Students will learn that our use of fossil fuels has consequences on the
environment. Students will investigate how human activity and use of resources
impacts the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere and consider
alternative solutions for the products we make and the resources we use. They will
model a solution to a variety of environmental problems created from natural resource
use.
Students will discover how alternative energy sources can be used to solve real world
problems and design a solution. They must consider the ideas of electricity,
magnetism, electrical energy production, and conversions of different types of energy,
in order to debate and choose the best source of alternative energy. Students will
explore the concepts of electricity and magnetism and the relationship between them.
They will also investigate electrical energy and conclude it can be generated from a
variety of sources and transferred into almost any form of energy. Students will
discover that energy travels in waves and explore how light and sound behave.
Students will use their design-folio to design a solution.
General information, including indicators for each unit, is available online
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/science/classroom/instruction/
GRADING POLICY
Students’ academic grades are based on individual academic achievement. Quarter grades will be determined using a scale of: A: 90%
- 100%, B: 80% - 89%, C: 70% - 79%, D: 60% - 69%, E: 59% or lower. We will use an array of tools to assess student learning.
Category
Weight
All Tasks and
Assessments
90%
Practice/ Prep
Homework
10%
Description
Teacher determines which assessments can be retaken* and will notify students before the
assessments. The assessment can be retaken only once. Students must complete required
activities as determined by the Science Department. Examples of Formal Assessments
include labs, quizzes, reading and writing assignments, journal entries, warm-ups, exit
cards, quizzes, class work, homework evaluated for learning, etc. There will be 15
assessments totaling 200 points.
Any assignment (textbook assignments and/or worksheets) assigned for practice or
preparation for instruction.
No extra credit will be assigned.
Reassessment of Student Work: *Reassessment grade replaces the original grade.*
 Assessed tasks may be revised to receive a higher grade until the end of a lesson sequence.
 The reassessment grade replaces the original grade even if the reassessed grade is lower.
 Re teaching / relearning activities are determined by the teacher and must be scheduled within the instructional time.
 Assessments may be reassessed partially, entirely, or in a different format.
 Summative assignments (end of unit tests, semester exams, final reports and culminating projects) cannot be reassessed.
Late Assignments: (Due dates / Deadlines - this will be determined in advance by the classroom teacher)
 Each assignment will have a due date. This is the date by which you are expected to submit the assignment. Your grade
may drop one letter grade if it is not turned in by the due date.
 The deadline is the last day an assignment will be accepted for a grade. Work not turned in by the deadline will be
considered missing and receive a 0%. Assignments that are completed and meet minimum standard (as indicated by the
Science Department), will earn a minimum grade of 50%.
Learning Skills Grades:
In addition to the academic grade, students will receive Learning Skills Grades each quarter as well. Learning skills grades will assess
students’ Participation and Assignment Completion throughout the course. Students may earn the following grades for each of the
aforementioned categories:
C: Consistently
O: Often
S: Sometimes
R: Rarely
NI: Not Enough Information
HOMEWORK and EDLINE
A set time to complete homework is a good way to help in establishing a priority at home.
**Additionally, students and parents should visit Edline daily for posted assignments and daily grade updates
(www.edline.net). Students are expected to know their grades, and what, if any, work is missing at all times.
There should be no surprises about grades to students or parents; if so, please make sure you contact the
teacher.**
CLASS EXPECTATIONS


All science students will be required to follow safety procedures as designated by MCPS, parents and students are required to sign
a safety contract, and students must pass with 100% the MCPS safety quiz. Failure to follow the safety guidelines may result in
dismissal from the science laboratory for the remainder of that class period.
There are three overarching expectations for this class: 1. Be Curious, 2. Be Responsible, and 3. Be Respectful. All school-wide
conduct and expectations fall under these expectations.
COMMUNICATION
Teachers can be reached via email on Edline, by accessing their email on the main Redland webpage under staff directory, or by
calling the school (301-840-4680). In addition, please check Edline regularly to know if you are missing work (other communication:
progress reports / interims, report cards, scheduled conferencing).