Sixth Grade Earth and Space Science Study....

Sixth Grade Earth and Space Science

KEY: 

MSN = MSNucleus website                                                 

HEW = Reader’s Digest How the Earth Works

HWW = How the Weather Works                                

HUW=How the Universe Works

Used MS Nucleus site on earth and space science as my “spine” for the year.  Slightly reordered their topics for the year.  Their stuff includes plenty of activities and labs. 

Even though we covered space for only the last ten weeks in depth, we followed current events in space using NASA and SpaceWeather.com all school year. 

Although I listed HEW, HWW, and HUW, I really did not end up using them for the year as the MSNucleas website, along with Oregon State's Volcano World (and an outside class I taught using that site) were enough.  He also did an outside astronomy class for 8 weeks in the fall.

Week 1

MS Nucleus:  “Type of Maps”

Possible extra reading/work projects for first two weeks:

HEW, Shape of the Earth, pgs. 22-31 - includes projects

The Amazing Pop-Up Geography Book, Kate Petty and Jennie Maizels (fun intro)

[Pages 295 through end of McGraw Hill’s Complete Book of Maps and Geography, dealing with mapping using lines of latitude and longitude, as well as time zones.]

Use The World in Maps books for practice using different types of maps: Northern and Western Asia; Australia, the Pacific, and Antarctica, both by Martyn Bramwell.

National Geo. Society: The Earth Pack, Ron van der Meer and Ron Fisher - last spread on mapping (pop-up book).

Son read:

Geography from A to Z, a picture glossary, Jack Knowlton (simple)

Reader’s Digest Explorer Guides, Way to Go! Finding Your Way with a Compass - includes projects

Magic School Bus book on Amazing Magnetism (simple)

My Town, Usborne (simple)

Land Masses, Fun, Facts and Activities, Caroline Arnold (simple) - includes projects

Field Trip: Visited Raven Run and did orienteering class (Also did another one in the spring at a Louisville area park)

Week 2

MS Nucleus: “Maps as a Tool”

HWW, Weather Mapping, pgs 166-183 - with projects

Also continued with readings and projects from last week.

Son began reading through Kids’ Survival Handbook, Claire Llewellyn

Field Trip: any stargazing 

Week 3-4

MSN: “Evidence of Plate Tectonics”

Additional readings/work:

HEW, Earth’s Structure, pgs. 34-53 - with projects

Nat. Geo Earth Pack, first spread on planet earth

Eyewitness Earth

Nature Company Guides: Rocks and Fossils, Arthur B. Busbey III, et al, pgs. 30-41

Science Nature Guides: Mountains and Valleys, The Changing World, Steve and Jane Parker

pertinent portions of Rand McNally’s Children’s Atlas of Earth through Time

Son read:

Wonders of the Seasons, Keith Brandt (simple)

Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights, Debbie Miller

Look Inside the Earth, Gina Ingoglia, Grosset and Dunlap pub.

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders, Rocks and Minerals, pgs. 6-11

(Did cave study here while we were talking about “what’s inside the earth”.  It might have been a better fit with weathering and erosion, but I covered soil studies at that time, so I thought that timewise it would fit better here.)

Regarding more specific study of caves:

Caving: Exploring Limestone Caves, Larry Dane Brimner

Caves, George Laycock

Caves: Facts, Stories, Activities, Jenny Wood, Scholastic

Kentucky Archaeological Survey handouts on caves

Son Read:

In the Dark Cave, Richard Watson (simple)

Caves and Caverns Activity Book, Kate Coder, Audrey Taylor and Ann Molosky (simple)

Field Trip: Visited caves in our area

Weeks 5-6

MSN: “Volcanoes”

Additional readings/work:

HEW, Volcanic Earth, pgs. 54-61 - projects

Nat. Geo Earth Pack, third spread

pertinent portions of Science and Nature Guides: Earthquakes and Volcanoes, The Changing World, John Stidworthy - includes activities

Nature Co. Rocks and Fossils, pgs. 42-43; 186-187

Son Read:

Magic School Bus Voyage to the Volcano (simple)

Volcano Alert! Paul Challen

Eye Wonder Volcano

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders: Earthquakes and Volcanoes, pertinent portions

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders: Rocks and Minerals, pgs. 12-13

Field Trip: any area stargazing happenings....

Week 7-8

MSN: “Earthquakes”

Additional readings/work:

HEW, Earthquakes, pages 62-73 - projects

Nat Geo Earth Pack, second spread

pertinent portions of Science Nature Guide: Earthquakes and Volcanoes (used above) - includes activities

Earthquake Games, Matthys Levy and Mario Salvadori

Nature Co. Rocks and Fossils, pgs. 44-45

continue Reader’s Digest Pathfinder from last week - Son read

Son Read:

Earthquake Alert!  Shilpa Mehta-Jones

Field Trip: Gem and Mineral show at Armory

Week 9

MSN: “Minerals”

Additional reading/work:

HEW, Rocks and Minerals, pages 74-79 - projects

Eyewitness Rocks and Minerals

Eyewitness Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals, Chris Pellant (field guide)

Nature Co. Rocks and Fossils, pgs. 46-47; 70-79; 86-87

Son Read:

Rocks and Minerals at Your Fingertips, Judy Nayer (simple)

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders: Rocks and Minerals, pgs. 24-29

Field Trip: UK Geology Dept. open house w/ Geological Survey

Week 10-11

MSN: “Igneous Rocks”

Additional reading/work:

HEW, pgs 80-81

Nature Co. Rocks and Fossils, pgs. 48-49; 138-142

Continue with:

Eyewitness Rocks and Minerals

Eyewitness Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals, Chris Pellant (field guide)

Rocks and Minerals at Your Fingertips, Judy Nayer (simple) - Son read

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders: Rocks and Minerals, pgs. 18-19 - Son read

Week 12-13

MSN: “Sedimentary Rocks”

Additional reading/work:

HEW, pgs. 84-87

Nature Co. Rocks and Fossils, pgs. 50-51; 143-149

Continue with:

Eyewitness Rocks and Minerals

Eyewitness Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals, Chris Pellant (field guide)

Son Read:

Rocks and Minerals at Your Fingertips, Judy Nayer (simple)

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders: Rocks and Minerals, pgs. 20-21

Field Trip: any fall sky viewing opportunities....

Week 14-15

MSN: “Metamorphic Rocks”

Additional reading/work:

HEW, pgs. 82-83

Nature Co. Rocks and Fossils, pgs. 52-55; 150-153

Continue with:

Eyewitness Rocks and Minerals

Eyewitness Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals, Chris Pellant (field guide)

Son Read:

Rocks and Minerals at Your Fingertips, Judy Nayer (simple)

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders: Rocks and Minerals, pgs. 16-17; 22-23

Week 16

MSN: “Gems”

Additional reading/work:

HEW, pgs. 90-91

Nature Co. Rocks and Fossils, pgs. 82-87; 154-183

Continue with:

Eyewitness Rocks and Minerals

Eyewitness Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals, Chris Pellant (field guide)

Son Read:

Rocks and Minerals at Your Fingertips, Judy Nayer (simple)

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders: Rocks and Minerals, pgs. 30-45

Field Trip: visit an area jeweler, if possible, to see gemstones being cut and talk to them about how they work....

Week 17

MSN: “Past Life”

Additional reading/work:

HEW, Fossils, pgs. 88-89

Guide to Progression of Life, Stephen Greb, UK Geological Survey

Utilized trilobite worksheets from UK Geological Survey

Nature Co. Rocks and Fossils, pgs. 14-27; 60-69; 90-131; 204-271

pertinent portions of Rand McNally’s Children’s Atlas of Earth through Time

Son Read:

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders: Rocks and Minerals, pgs. 60-61

Read any books on dinosaurs or other ancient life we had time for, such as:

Where are all the Dinosaurs? Mary O’Neill, Troll Assoc.

Graveyards of the Dinosaurs, Shelley Tanaka

Woolly Mammoth, Life, Death, and Rediscovery, Windsor Chorlton

The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs 

Let’s Dig a Dinosaur, Edmon J. Rodman 

Ice Age Cave Bear, Barbara Hehner

Field Trip: We visited a private fossil collection that had been put on temporary display to the public.  The trip included some art activities, too, as it was held at an art museum....

Week 18-19

MSN: “Stratigraphy”

Additional reading/work:

HEW, pgs. 92-103, including SOIL - with activities

Nature Co. Rocks and Fossils, pgs. 56-57; 188-201

USDA soil handouts

Continue with Eyewitness Rocks and Minerals

Son Read:

Usborne Starting Point Science: What’s Under the Ground? (simple)

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders: Rocks and Minerals, pgs. 14-15; 46-47; 56-57

Week 20

MSN: “Petroleum/Mining”

Additional reading/work:

Oil, Peter Murray

Oil Spills: Damage, Recovery, and Prevention, Laurence Pringle

Kentucky Coal Facts booklet

Calypso Log: Prestige Oil Spill: Predictable Disaster

After the Spill: The Exxon Valdez Disaster, Then and Now, Sandra Markle

Used Kentucky coal education website: http://www.coaleducation.org and samples of different types of coal

Son Read:

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders: Rocks and Minerals, pgs. 48-55

Week 21

MSN: “Water”

Additional reading/work:

HEW pgs. 104-139 - with activities

Nat Geo Earth Pack, fourth and fifth spreads, covering water and ice/snow

Our Vital Wetlands brochure and other activity books, etc. related to water from state fair

Sequences of Earth and Space: Rivers, Andres Llamas Ruiz

Niagara Falls, Nature’s Wonder, Leonard Everett Fisher

pertinent portions of Science Nature Guides: Oceans and Rivers, The Changing World, Dr. Frances Dipper

Quicksand, Kris Hirschmann

Water Cycle wristband activity

Week 22

MSN: “Oceanography”

Additional reading/work:

HEW, pgs. 140-149 - with activities

pertinent portions of Oceans and Rivers, from last week

portions of What Makes an Ocean Wave? Melvin and Gilda Berger

The Kingfisher Young People’s Book of Oceans

Bill Nye the Science Guy’s Big Blue Ocean - Son Read

Biomes/Atlases: Oceans and Beaches, Trevor Day

The Nature Company Discoveries Library: Under the Sea, portions

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders: Rocks and Minerals, pgs. 58-59

Usborne Storms and Hurricanes - Son Read

Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion - Son Read

Week 23-24

MSN: “Atmosphere”

Additional reading/work:

HEW, pgs. 150-165 - with activities

Usborne Understanding Geography: Storms and Hurricanes, Kathy Gemmell

Tornadoes, Seymour Simon

Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane, Son read

Week 25-26

MSN: “Weather”

Additional reading/work:

HEW, pgs. 166-181

Utilize How the Weather Works as much as possible

pertinent portions of Usborne Weather and Climate, continued from last week

Nat Geo Earth Pack, spread on winds and storms

use various posters and handouts on weather and storms

Explore!  Wild Weather (magazine)

Weather, Seymour Simon (Smithsonian)

Son read:

Magic School Bus Electric Storm (simple)

Kids Discover: Weather

Space Science

Week 27-28

MSN: “Stars and Beyond”

Additional reading/work:

HUW, pgs. 106-151

Starry Skies, Linda Rosenstock

Children’s Night Sky Atlas, Robin Scagell, DK

Do Stars Have Points? Melvin and Gilda Berger

Reader’s Digest Pathfinders: Space, pgs. 46-end

The Usborne Complete Book of Astronomy and Space, pertinent portions

The Stargazers Guide to the Galaxy, Q. L. Pearce

Usborne Spotter’s Guides: The Night Sky

Visual Factfinder: Stars and Planets, James Muirden, pertinent portions

A Guide to Skywatching, David Levy, pertinent portions

Our Solar System, pgs 30-37

Kingfisher Astronomy

Son read:

DK Picturepedia: Space, pgs. 6-9; 38-41

The Ultimate DK Night Sky, Glow in the Dark, Sticker Book

One Small Square: The Night Sky, Donald Silver

Discovering the Stars, Laurence Santrey (simple)

(Week 29-34: Solar System)

Week 29

MSN: “Solar System”

Additional reading/work, regarding primarily Earth:

HEW, pgs. 12-17- with activities

HUW, pgs. 16-31- with activities

Usborne Complete Astronomy and Space, pgs. 12-13; 22-23

A Guide to Skywatching, pgs. 230-231; 244-245

Pathfinders: Space, pgs. 22-25

Visual Factfinder

Kingfisher Astronomy

Son Read:

Picturepedia: Space, pgs. 26-27

Week 30

Additional reading/work, regarding primarily our Moon:

HUW, pgs. 38-53 - with activities

HEW, pgs. 20-21

A Guide to Skywatching, pgs. 234-239

Complete Book of Astronomy and Space, pgs. 24-25

Pathfinders: Space, pgs. 26-27

read article saved regarding the Blue Moon

Our Solar System, pgs 12-15

Visual Factfinder

Use Earth, Moon, and Sun Model

Kingfisher Astronomy

Son Read:

Kids Discover: Moon

listen to book on tape: Moon, Laurence Santrey, Troll Assoc.

Week 31

Additional reading/work, regarding primarily our Sun:

HUW, pgs. 90-105 - with activities

HEW, pgs. 18-19

Complete Book of Astronomy and Space, pgs. 14-17

A Guide to Skywatching, pgs. 232-233

Our Solar System, pgs 4-5

Visual Factfinder

Kingfisher Astronomy

Son Read:

Pathfinders: Space, pgs. 28-29

Kids Discover: Solar System

Week 32

Additional reading/work, regarding movement of the planets in our solar system, Mercury and Venus.

HUW, pgs. 58-67 - with activities

Pathfinders: Space, pgs. 30-31

A Guide to Skywatching, pgs. 240-243

Complete Book of Astronomy and Space, pgs. 18-21

begin reading through Don’t Know Much About the Solar System, Kenneth Davis

Our Solar System, pgs. 6-9

Visual Factfinder

Kingfisher Astronomy

Son read:

Picturepedia: Space, pgs. 28-29

Postcards from Pluto: A Tour of the Solar System, Loreen Leedy

Week 33

Additional reading/work, regarding primarily Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus.

HUW, pgs. 68-77 - with activities

Pathfinders: Space, pgs. 32-33; 36-40

Complete Book of Astronomy and Space, pgs. 26-33

A Guide to Skywatching, pgs. 246-253

Destination: Jupiter, Seymour Simon

Our Solar System, pgs. 16-17; 20-23

Visual Factfinder

Kingfisher Astronomy

Son Read:

Picturepedia: Space, pgs. 30-34

Week 34

Additional reading/work, regarding primarily Neptune, Pluto, Planet X, planetary probes, comets, shooting stars.

HUW, pgs. 78-89 - with activities

Complete Book of Astronomy and Space, pgs. 34-41

Pathfinders: Space, pgs. 34-35; 40-45

A Guide to Skywatching, pgs. 254-263

Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids, Seymour Simon

Our Solar System, pgs. 24-29; 18-19

Visual Factfinder

Kingfisher Astronomy

Son Read:

Picturepedia: Space, pgs. 34-35 

Week 35-36

MSN: “Space Exploration”

Additional reading/work:

HUW, pgs. 32-35; 54-55; 84-85

Complete Book of Astronomy and Space, pgs. 42-44

A Guide to Skywatching, pgs. 265-end

Pathfinders: Space, pgs. 6-19

Eyewitness: Space Exploration

I Want to be an Astronaut, Catherine Grace, Troll Assoc. - Son read

Heroes of Space, D. C. Agle (pop-up book)  - Son read

The Ultimate Space Sticker Book, DK - Son read

Can You Hear a Shout in Space? Melvin and Gilda Berger - Son read

Nat. Geo. Are We Alone? Scientists Search for Life in Space, Gloria Skurzynski

I Didn’t Know that You Can Jump Higher on the Moon, Kate Petty - Son read

utilize articles saved about space exploration and articles about Roger; articles on space

Our Solar System, pgs. 39-43

Visual Factfinder

Kingfisher Astronomy

Son Read:

Picturepedia: Space, pgs. 10-25; 36-37; 42-end

Field Trip:  Attended HS Day at the USAF Museum, Dayton

I created a big activity note book for the year with tabs for each topic we covered.  In it I placed work book pages from McGraw Hill's Complete Book of Science 5/6 that were applicable, as well as work sheets I found online from sites such as Enchanted Learning; teachers' resource pages for treasure hunts related to the Eyewitness books, etc.

When studying soil, we used our Science in a Nutshell kit: Soil Studies.