AISL Grade 6 Benchmarks in Science

(Revised June, 2010)

AISL.SCI.01. PHYSICAL SCIENCE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the structure and properties of matter.
AISL.SCI.01.G6.01 Know that matter is made up of tiny particles called atoms, and different arrangements of atoms into groups compose all substances elements often combine to form compounds
AISL.SCI.01.G6.02 Know that many elements can be grouped according to similar properties
AISL.SCI.01.G6.03 Know methods used to separate mixtures into their component parts
AISL.SCI.02. PHYSICAL SCIENCE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the sources and properties of energy.
AISL.SCI.02.G6.01 Know that energy is a property of many substances
AISL.SCI.02.G6.02 Know how the Sun acts as a major source of energy for changes on the Earth's surface
AISL.SCI.02.G6.03 Know that electrical circuits provide a means of transferring electrical energy to produce heat, light, sound, and chemical changes
AISL.SCI.02.G6.04 Know that vibrations move at different speeds in different materials, have different wavelengths, and set up wave-like disturbances that spread away from the source
AISL.SCI.03. PHYSICAL SCIENCE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of forces and motion.
AISL.SCI.03.G6.01 Understand general concepts related to gravitational force
AISL.SCI.03.G6.02 Know that an object's motion can be described, measured and represented graphically according to its position, direction of motion, and speed.
AISL.SCI.03.G6.03 Understand effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on an object's motion
AISL.SCI.04. LIFE SCIENCE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the structure and function of living systems.
AISL.SCI.04.G6.01 Know that all organisms are composed of cells, which are the fundamental units of life;
AISL.SCI.04.G6.02 Know that cells convert energy obtained from food to carry on the many functions needed to sustain life
AISL.SCI.04.G6.03 Know the levels of organization in living systems, including cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, whole organisms, ecosystems, and the complementary nature of structure and function at each level
AISL.SCI.05. LIFE SCIENCE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the principles of reproduction and heredity
AISL.SCI.05.G6.01 Know that reproduction is a characteristic of all living things and is essential to the continuation of a species
AISL.SCI.05.G6.02 Understand asexual and sexual reproduction
AISL.SCI.05.G6.03 Know that the characteristics of an organism can be described in terms of a combination of traits;
AISL.SCI.05.G6.04 Know that some traits are inherited through the coding of genetic material and others result from environmental factors
AISL.SCI.06. LIFE SCIENCE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the relationships between ecosystems and the organisms that inhabit them.
AISL.SCI.06.G6.01 Know factors that affect the number and types of organisms an ecosystem can support
AISL.SCI.06.G6.02 Know ways in which organisms interact and depend on one another through food chains and food webs in an ecosystem
AISL.SCI.07. LIFE SCIENCE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the diversity and adaptations of organisms
AISL.SCI.07.G6.01 Know ways in which living things can be classified
AISL.SCI.07.G6.02 Know that heritable characteristics, which can be biochemical and anatomical, largely determine what capabilities an organism will have, how it will behave, and how likely it is to survive and reproduce
AISL.SCI.07.G6.03 Know how variation of organisms within a species increases the chance of survival of the species, and how the great diversity of species on Earth increases the chance of survival of life in the event of major global changes
AISL.SCI.08. LIFE SCIENCE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of human body systems and healthy physical growth.
AISL.SCI.08.G6.01 Know the basic structure of the human body systems
AISL.SCI.08.G6.02 Understand the impact of personal health behaviors on the functioning of body system
AISL.SCI.08.G6.03 Understand the fundamental concepts of growth and development
AISL.SCI.09. EARTH & SPACE SCIENCE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the earth's composition and structure.
AISL.SCI.09.G6.01 Know how land forms are created through a combination of constructive and destructive forces
AISL.SCI.09.G6.02 Know processes involved in the rock cycle
AISL.SCI.09.G6.03 Know that fossils provide important evidence of how environmental conditions have changed on the Earth over time
AISL.SCI.09.G6.04 Know that elements exist in fixed amounts and move through the solid Earth, oceans, atmosphere, and living things as part of geochemical cycles
AISL.SCI.10. EARTH & SPACE SCIENCE: Students will understand the processes that shape the earth.
AISL.SCI.10.G6.01 Know that the Sun is the principal energy source for phenomena on the Earth's surface
AISL.SCI.10.G6.02 Know how the tilt of the Earth's axis and the Earth's revolution around the Sun affect seasons and weather patterns.
AISL.SCI.10.G6.03 Know that most of Earth's surface is covered by water, that most of that water is salt water in oceans, and that fresh water is found in rivers, lakes, underground sources, and glaciers
AISL.SCI.11. EARTH & SPACE SCIENCE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the composition and structure of the universe and the earth's place in it.
AISL.SCI.11.G6.01 Know characteristics and movement patterns of the planets in our Solar System
AISL.SCI.11.G6.02 Know how the regular and predictable motions of the Earth and Moon explain phenomena on Earth
AISL.SCI.11.G6.03 Know that the Earth is distinguished from other known celestial bodies in that it is the only planet known to harbor life although similar planets might yet be discovered in the universe.
AISL.SCI.12. SCIENCE AS INQUIRY: Students will demonstrate the use of the scientific method.
AISL.SCI.12.G6.01 Know that there is no fixed procedure called "the scientific method," but that investigations involve systematic observations, carefully collected, relevant evidence, logical reasoning, and some imagination in developing hypotheses and explanations
AISL.SCI.12.G6.02 Design and conduct a scientific investigation
AISL.SCI.12.G6.03 Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret scientific data
AISL.SCI.13. SCIENCE AS INQUIRY: Students will be able to demonstrate scientific thinking
AISL.SCI.13.G6.01 Know that scientific ideas are tentative and subject to change and improvement in principle, but for most core ideas in science, there is much experimental and observational confirmation
AISL.SCI.13.G6.02 Know that models are often used to think about things that cannot be observed or investigated directly
AISL.SCI.13.G6.03 Know ways in which science and society influence one another