Standard #: SC.6.N.1.5


This document was generated on CPALMS - www.cpalms.org



Recognize that science involves creativity, not just in designing experiments, but also in creating explanations that fit evidence.


General Information

Subject Area: Science
Grade: 6
Body of Knowledge: Nature of Science
Big Idea: The Practice of Science -

A: Scientific inquiry is a multifaceted activity; The processes of science include the formulation of scientifically investigable questions, construction of investigations into those questions, the collection of appropriate data, the evaluation of the meaning of those data, and the communication of this evaluation.

B: The processes of science frequently do not correspond to the traditional portrayal of "the scientific method."

C: Scientific argumentation is a necessary part of scientific inquiry and plays an important role in the generation and validation of scientific knowledge.

D: Scientific knowledge is based on observation and inference; it is important to recognize that these are very different things. Not only does science require creativity in its methods and processes, but also in its questions and explanations.

Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08
Content Complexity Rating: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts - More Information
Date of Last Rating: 05/08
Status: State Board Approved

Related Courses

Course Number1111 Course Title222
2002040: M/J Comprehensive Science 1 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
2002050: M/J Comprehensive Science 1, Advanced (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
2001010: M/J Earth/Space Science (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
2000010: M/J Life Science (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
2000020: M/J Life Science, Advanced (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
2003010: M/J Physical Science (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
7820015: Access M/J Comprehensive Science 1 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2023, 2023 and beyond (current))
2002055: M/J Comprehensive Science 1 Accelerated Honors (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
2003030: M/J STEM Physical Science (Specifically in versions: 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
2002200: M/J STEM Environmental Science (Specifically in versions: 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
2001025: M/J STEM Astronomy and Space Science (Specifically in versions: 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
2000025: M/J STEM Life Science (Specifically in versions: 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
2001100: M/J Coastal Science 1 (Specifically in versions: 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))


Related Access Points

Access Point Number Access Point Title
SC.6.N.1.Pa.3 Recognize that people conduct activities and share information about science.
SC.6.N.1.In.4 Compare results of observations and experiments of self and others.
SC.6.N.1.Su.4 Identify information based on observations and experiments of self and others.


Related Resources

Lesson Plans

Name Description
Pnyx Hill: The Crumbling Foundation of Democracy (Part 2)

Students will use information related to weather patterns and the climate of Greece to explore weathering and erosion as potential contributing factors to the change in appearance of Pnyx Hill over time. They will then consider how similar factors could impact stone structures at the U.S. Capitol in this integrated lesson plan.

Pnyx Hill: The Crumbling Foundation of Democracy (Part 1)

Students will be introduced to Pnyx Hill in Athens, Greece, a historic political meeting site. They will explore how weathering and erosion have likely changed its appearance over time using scientific and creative thinking with models based on archaeological and historical information. After learning that Pnyx was the site of early democratic meetings, students will conduct a visual and structural comparison to our current Congressional halls in this integrated lesson plan.

Just Right Goldilocks’ Café: Temperature & Turbidity

This is lesson 3 of 3 in the Goldilocks’ Café Just Right unit. This lesson focuses on systematic investigation on getting a cup of coffee to be the “just right” temperature and turbidity level. Students will use both the temperature probe and turbidity sensor and code using ScratchX during their investigation.

Just Right Goldilocks’ Café: Turbidity

This is lesson 2 of 3 in the Just Right Goldilocks’ Café unit. This lesson focuses on systematic investigation on getting a cup of coffee to be the “just right” level of turbidity. Students will use turbidity sensors and code using ScratchX during their investigation.

Just Right Goldilocks’ Café: Temperature

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Gr. 6 Lesson 3-Florida’s Limestone–Tums for Our Water and Soil

Students will conduct a controlled experiment to determine the effect Florida's limestone has on the pH levels of Florida's water and soil. Students will compare limestone's effect to that of other rocks and minerals found naturally in Florida. At the end of this investigation, students should be able to articulate the effect limestone has on the pH of water in Florida, the importance of this phenomenon, and a basic understanding of the process by which limestone affects pH levels in water.

Body in Balance

The student will create explanations that fit evidence in science relating to how the human body maintains homeostasis. Students will discover body system interactions and how the organ systems work together to maintain homeostasis.

Pokemontures App.

In this Model Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will understand how global patterns affect the temperature of an area by studying the features of an application's virtual creatures called the "Pokemontures." These creatures have the ability to match the temperature of their environment. As students study the Pokemontures' features and calculate their approximate temperature, they will apply concepts linked to the patterns that affect temperature. Students will also review heat transfers and sea/land breezes with the use of this MEA.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Small but Mighty: The progression of the Cell Theory

The cell theory has had a major impact on modern science, from the development of the theory to the present day. This lesson will examine strategies students can use to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the development of the cell theory.

An Inquiry into Albedo, Land Surface and AirTemperture

This lesson is designed to provide a hands on inquiry on Sphere Interactions by investigating the relationship between Surface Albedo and Atmospheric Temperature. In this activity, students will develop an Argument Driven Inquiry (ADI) with the Guiding question: "What is the relationship between the land surface Albedo and Atmospheric Temperature?"

How do scientists draw the invisible?

A short lesson on ways that scientists develop their understanding of things that they cannot see by developing models based on testing and hypothesis.
Students will collaborate, discuss and develop a way to draw the landscape inside a shoebox that has been sealed using minimal tools. Students will NOT be attempting to say what is in the box but what the layout (landscape) is inside the box.
Students will discover the difficulty that scientists have encountered as they begin the process of answering questions about things that they can not see. Students will learn that not all questions are easily solved and that sometimes only a partial answer is learned until another scientist adds more to the answer.

Exotic Tadpole Explosion!

Inquiry based challenge to develop a plan to investigate a large tadpole population growth in the town of Belle Pole. Students analyze preexisting data and make conclusions about the data. Student groups compare their approaches and conclusions with other student groups. A whole group discussion leads students to conclude that results often varied based on methods used to conduct the same investigation. The lesson ends with students writing a self reflection from their student group and whole group discussions.

Sound Is Not The Only Place You Hear About Volume!

This lesson introduces the idea of finding volume. Volume in sixth grade math is very "rectangular" (cubes, rectangular prisms) and this lesson brings to light that volume is simply a measure of available space, but can take on many shapes or forms (cylinders for example - graduated cylinders and beakers) in science. Students will be left to design their own data collection and organizing the data that they collect. They will apply the skill of finding volume to using fractional parts of a number (decimals) and finding the product using the volume formula.

Inland Flood Protection Using Levees-An Engineering Design Challenge

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NASA Beginning Engineering, Science and Technology The NASA BEST Activities Guides is designed to teach students the Engineering Design
Process. These lessons are created to accommodate grades 6-8.

All follow the same set of activities and teach students about humans' endeavor to return to the
Moon. Specifically, how we investigate the Moon remotely, the modes of transportation to and on
the Moon, and how humans will live and work on the Moon.
Punkin Chunkin - An Engineering Design Challenge

This Engineering Design Challenge is intended to help students apply the concepts of the transfer of potential and kinetic energy. It is not intended as an initial introduction to this benchmark.

Uncle Henry's Dilemma

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Perspectives Video: Expert

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Reef Sampling

NOAA Scientist, Doug Devries talks about fish survey techniques and technologies.

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Perspectives Video: Teaching Idea

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TCC's STEM Gym

The STEMGym - a great way to engage kids.

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Presentation/Slideshow

Name Description
A Walk Through Time This interactive tutorial explores the evolution of time measurement through the ages, beginning with Stonehenge and ancient calendar systems. It progresses through sun and water clocks, mechanical and quartz-movement clocks, and atomic clocks.

Teaching Ideas

Name Description
Design a Powerful Bird Wing

In this hands-on and web interactive project, students design and build a bird wing powerful enough to spin them in an office chair when it is flapped. By modifying the shape, size, and/or materials used in their design based on observations of natural and man-made transportation methods, students will learn about thrust, forces, durability, and energy use.

Let's Learn About Weathering These classroom activities will help students understand 4 types of weather processes: wind, running water, plant growth, and freezing water. Students will learn how the processes of weathering and erosion change and move materials that become soil.
THE GREAT VOLUME EXCHANGER Use of a discrepant event piques curiosity and provides an excellent metaphor for a problem in science that can be addressed in a scientific way. Water is poured into a "magic" box, and out comes a much larger volume of water (or other liquid).

Text Resources

Name Description
Cool Jobs: Paid to Dream

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. Predict the future and get paid for it? This article explores the variety of disciplines that involve dreaming up new ideas for products and technology. From storing data in bacteria to tapping into the geothermal energy between tectonic plates, the article provides an overview of how futurists get "paid to dream."

Scary ‘Chicken’ Roamed Earth with T. Rex

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. Fossil hunters discovered a new, bird-like dinosaur and they think it looked ridiculous! Paleontologists have found pieces of this dinosaur before, but couldn't put the pieces together until they found these specific bones in North Dakota. They pieced together information from other fossils and finally discovered this silly looking creature.

Virtual Manipulative

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Mesquite - Phylogenetic Trees Students use software to create evolutionary trees by comparing and contrasting physical traits.

This activity demonstrates the complexity of creating evolutionary trees when multiple traits are being analyzed. The use of the software simplifies the analysis without compromising the learning objectives.

Student Resources

Presentation/Slideshow

Name Description
A Walk Through Time: This interactive tutorial explores the evolution of time measurement through the ages, beginning with Stonehenge and ancient calendar systems. It progresses through sun and water clocks, mechanical and quartz-movement clocks, and atomic clocks.


Parent Resources

Teaching Idea

Name Description
Design a Powerful Bird Wing:

In this hands-on and web interactive project, students design and build a bird wing powerful enough to spin them in an office chair when it is flapped. By modifying the shape, size, and/or materials used in their design based on observations of natural and man-made transportation methods, students will learn about thrust, forces, durability, and energy use.



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