Standards are the floor. Mastery and understanding are the goal.

Explore how each subject becomes a coherent sequence of knowledge, reasoning, practice, and transfer—not a disconnected checklist.

Grade 6 Science

20 curriculum outcomes with explicit teaching progressions

Select a record to inspect its progression

Matter · MS-PS1-1

MS-PS1-1

Independently model the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in model the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures, explicitly connecting atoms, molecules, models.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for model the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for model the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Matter · MS-PS1-2

MS-PS1-2

Independently analyze substance-property data for evidence of chemical reactions across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in analyze substance-property data for evidence of chemical reactions, explicitly connecting properties, chemical reactions, data.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for analyze substance-property data for evidence of chemical reactions, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for analyze substance-property data for evidence of chemical reactions, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Matter · MS-PS1-3

MS-PS1-3

Independently explain how synthetic materials originate in natural resources and affect society across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in explain how synthetic materials originate in natural resources and affect society, explicitly connecting synthetic materials, natural resources, society.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for explain how synthetic materials originate in natural resources and affect society, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for explain how synthetic materials originate in natural resources and affect society, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Matter · MS-PS1-4

MS-PS1-4

Independently model particle motion, temperature, and state changes as thermal energy changes across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in model particle motion, temperature, and state changes as thermal energy changes, explicitly connecting particles, thermal energy, state change.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for model particle motion, temperature, and state changes as thermal energy changes, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for model particle motion, temperature, and state changes as thermal energy changes, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Cells Organisms · MS-LS1-1

MS-LS1-1

Independently investigate evidence that living things are made of cells across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in investigate evidence that living things are made of cells, explicitly connecting cells, organisms, investigation.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for investigate evidence that living things are made of cells, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for investigate evidence that living things are made of cells, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Cells Organisms · MS-LS1-2

MS-LS1-2

Independently model how cell parts contribute to cell function across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in model how cell parts contribute to cell function, explicitly connecting cells, organelles, systems.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for model how cell parts contribute to cell function, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for model how cell parts contribute to cell function, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Cells Organisms · MS-LS1-3

MS-LS1-3

Independently use evidence that body systems are interacting groups of cells across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in use evidence that body systems are interacting groups of cells, explicitly connecting body systems, cells, evidence.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for use evidence that body systems are interacting groups of cells, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for use evidence that body systems are interacting groups of cells, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Organism Reproduction · MS-LS1-4

MS-LS1-4

Independently use empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to argue how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in use empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to argue how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction, explicitly connecting reproduction, behavior, plant structures, argument from evidence.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for use empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to argue how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for use empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to argue how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Organism Growth · MS-LS1-5

MS-LS1-5

Independently construct an evidence-based explanation of how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in construct an evidence-based explanation of how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms, explicitly connecting growth, environmental factors, genetic factors, evidence.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for construct an evidence-based explanation of how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for construct an evidence-based explanation of how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Matter Energy Organisms · MS-LS1-6

MS-LS1-6

Independently explain photosynthesis as matter cycling and energy flow across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in explain photosynthesis as matter cycling and energy flow, explicitly connecting photosynthesis, matter, energy.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for explain photosynthesis as matter cycling and energy flow, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for explain photosynthesis as matter cycling and energy flow, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Matter Energy Organisms · MS-LS1-7

MS-LS1-7

Independently model how food is rearranged to support growth and release energy across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in model how food is rearranged to support growth and release energy, explicitly connecting food, chemical reactions, energy.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for model how food is rearranged to support growth and release energy, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for model how food is rearranged to support growth and release energy, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Sensory Systems · MS-LS1-8

MS-LS1-8

Independently gather and synthesize information showing that sensory receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in gather and synthesize information showing that sensory receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories, explicitly connecting sensory receptors, stimuli, brain, information synthesis.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for gather and synthesize information showing that sensory receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for gather and synthesize information showing that sensory receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Earth Space · MS-ESS1-1

MS-ESS1-1

Independently model earth-sun-moon patterns including phases, eclipses, and seasons across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in model earth-sun-moon patterns including phases, eclipses, and seasons, explicitly connecting earth sun moon, cycles, models.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for model earth-sun-moon patterns including phases, eclipses, and seasons, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for model earth-sun-moon patterns including phases, eclipses, and seasons, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Earth Space · MS-ESS1-2

MS-ESS1-2

Independently model gravity's role in galaxies and the solar system across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in model gravity's role in galaxies and the solar system, explicitly connecting gravity, solar system, galaxies.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for model gravity's role in galaxies and the solar system, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for model gravity's role in galaxies and the solar system, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Earth Space · MS-ESS1-3

MS-ESS1-3

Independently analyze scale data for objects in the solar system across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in analyze scale data for objects in the solar system, explicitly connecting scale, solar system, data.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for analyze scale data for objects in the solar system, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for analyze scale data for objects in the solar system, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Earth History · MS-ESS1-4

MS-ESS1-4

Independently explain how rock strata organize earth's geologic history across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in explain how rock strata organize earth's geologic history, explicitly connecting geologic time, rock strata, evidence.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for explain how rock strata organize earth's geologic history, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for explain how rock strata organize earth's geologic history, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Engineering Design · MS-ETS1-1

MS-ETS1-1

Independently define design criteria and constraints precisely enough for a successful solution across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in define design criteria and constraints precisely enough for a successful solution, explicitly connecting engineering, criteria, constraints.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for define design criteria and constraints precisely enough for a successful solution, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for define design criteria and constraints precisely enough for a successful solution, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Engineering Design · MS-ETS1-2

MS-ETS1-2

Independently evaluate competing solutions systematically against criteria and constraints across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explain the specific system parts and causal mechanism involved in evaluate competing solutions systematically against criteria and constraints, explicitly connecting engineering, evaluation, tradeoffs.
  2. 2I can use a bounded grade 6 phenomenon, model, observation, or dataset to evaluate evidence for evaluate competing solutions systematically against criteria and constraints, including a relevant limitation or uncertainty.
  3. 3I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation or model for evaluate competing solutions systematically against criteria and constraints, then revise or transfer it to a new phenomenon without relying on vocabulary recall.
Computer Science · EEP-CS.6

Program with variables, control, and functions

Independently develop and test a program using variables, input, conditionals, iteration, and functions across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explicitly teach and model how to model program state with input and variables using a concrete computing example.
  2. 2I can analyze how to combine conditionals and iteration to control behavior using a traced example or representation.
  3. 3I can independently define a function, test edge cases, and document the program in a new computing context and explain the evidence that the solution works.
Ai Literacy · EEP-AI.6

Explain how training data shapes AI output

Independently explain how patterns in training data influence ai responses, including errors, gaps, and bias across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can explicitly teach and model how to model how examples can train a system to recognize a pattern with an age-appropriate ai-use scenario.
  2. 2I can analyze how to analyze how incomplete or unbalanced data can distort an output by comparing responsible and irresponsible choices.
  3. 3I can independently test outputs across cases and explain observed limitations in a new learning context while preserving the learner's own thinking and responsibility.
Request Academy Access