Sixth Grade Lesson Plans (Page 13)

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-9th

In this lesson plan, students will model the complex biologic manufacturing process. First, they will model the cellular expansion process that occurs in a bioreactor. Then, students will lyse the cells to isolate the proteins from the dyed cell debris. Lastly, they will model the advanced filtration process to purify proteins so they can be used as medicines. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-LS1-2. Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways the parts of cells contribute to the function.

Purposeful Packaging

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

Students will play the role of packaging engineers, exploring how to protect shipped items in innovative ways. Students will use data analysis of consumer surveys to inform the iteration of their materials and designs. Learning Objectives Students will: Design a more sustainable way of packing items for shipment. Collect consumer feedback using surveys. Calculate averages, analyze survey data and evaluate the effectiveness of their design. NGSS Alignment The 3 dimensions… Read more

Rocks, Rocks, Rocks: Test, Identify Properties & Classify

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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Student teams test rocks to identify their physical properties such as luster, hardness, color, etc., and classify them as igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary. They complete a data table to record all of the rock properties, and then answer worksheet questions to deepen their understanding of rock properties.Engineering Connection Civil and geological engineers, for example, design tunnels through rock, build roads on the sides of mountains, and construct skyscrapers rooted… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-ESS2-1. Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.

Satellite Shield

Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-7th

Learners explore the properties of materials by designing a barrier that will protect a satellite from colliding objects. They test out multiple combinations of materials and collect data on the results to determine which materials are the most effective at shielding the satellites from the hazards of space debris. Learning Objectives Students will: Design a barrier that can protect the satellite from high-velocity impacts with space debris. Explore design considerations based on… Read more

Saving a Life: Heart Valve Replacement

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

Students use their knowledge about how healthy heart valves function to design, construct and implant prototype replacement mitral valves for hypothetical patients' hearts. Building on what they learned in the associated lesson about artificial heart valves, combined with the testing and scoring of their prototype heart valve designs in this activity, students discover the pros and cons of different types of artificial heart valves based on materials, surgery requirements,… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

Solar Sails: The Future of Space Travel

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

Working as if they were engineers, students design and construct model solar sails made of aluminum foil to move cardboard tube satellites through "space" on a string. Working in teams, they follow the engineering design thinking steps—ask, research, imagine, plan, create, test, improve—to design and test small-scale solar sails for satellites and space probes. During the process, learn about Newton's laws of motion and the transfer of energy from wave energy to… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object's motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
MS-PS2-1.. Apply Newton's Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.

Sustainable Fishing

Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-12th

"Boats" © 2016 Dennis Jarvis By using a model for how fishing affects marine life populations, students will construct explanations for one of the reasons why fish populations are declining. They will then work to design solutions for ways of making fisheries more sustainable for the animals and the people who depend on them. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth's resources and environment. http://www.nextgenscience.org/5ess3-earth-human-activity
MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment. http://www.nextgenscience.org/msess3-earth-human-activity

The Great Gravity Escape

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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Students use water balloons and a length of string to understand how the force of gravity between two objects and the velocity of a spacecraft can balance to form an orbit. They see that when the velocity becomes too great for gravity to hold the spacecraft in orbit, the object escapes the orbit and travels further away from the planet.Engineering Connection Engineers and scientists make amazingly precise calculations so that a spacecraft's journey is timed exactly to reach… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-ESS1-2. Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.

The Math Behind Circuits

Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-6th

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In this math-based lesson, students explore different types of circuits and make calculations to gain practical skills in building, visualizing, and understanding circuits. Learning Objectives Students will: Create circuits and draw circuit diagrams. Explore how voltage works in parallel and series circuits. Make calculations of voltage and milliamp hours. NGSS Alignment This lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance… Read more

Tracking a Virus

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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Students simulate the spread of a virus such as HIV through a population by "sharing" (but not drinking) the water in a plastic cup with several classmates. Although invisible, the water in a few of the cups has already be tainted with the "virus" (sodium carbonate). After all the students have shared their liquids, the contents of the cups are tested for the virus with phenolphthalein, a chemical that causes a striking color change in the presence of sodium carbonate.… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-LS1-3. Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.

Sixth Grade Lesson Plans (134 results)

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