Grade 6: Life Science

Here is a comprehensive overview of the Grade 6 Life Science content, aligned with the British Columbia (BC) Curriculum.

In BC, the Grade 6 science curriculum is integrated. The life science content is a major component that focuses on the incredible diversity of life on Earth and how we organize and understand it.

BC Grade 6 Science: Life Science Content – The Diversity of Life

This unit explores the questions: “What kinds of living things exist on Earth?” and “How do we make sense of all this diversity?” It moves from basic biological principles to the grand scale of global ecosystems.

Overarching Big Ideas (for the Life Science Unit)

• Multicellular organisms rely on internal systems to survive, reproduce, and interact with their environment.

• The study of life helps us to appreciate the diversity and interconnectedness of living things and their environments.

Core Components of the Grade 6 Life Science Content

Part A: The Basic Principles of Life

• Key Concepts: Characteristics of living things, basic needs.

• Learning Goals:

  • Identify the key characteristics that define living things (e.g., growth, reproduction, response to environment, energy use).

  • Understand that all living things have the same basic needs (water, energy, gas exchange, habitat).

  • Differentiate between living, non-living, and once-living things.

Part B: The Classification of Living Things

• Key Concepts: Taxonomy, kingdoms, dichotomous keys.

• Learning Goals:

  • Understand that classification is the process of grouping organisms based on similar characteristics.

  • Identify the six major kingdoms of life (Archaea, Bacteria, Protists, Fungi, Plants, Animals).

  • Use dichotomous keys to identify local plants and animals.

  • Understand that classification shows evolutionary relationships.

Part C: Survival and Adaptations

• Key Concepts: Adaptations, natural selection, fitness.

• Learning Goals:

  • Define adaptation as a characteristic that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.

  • Identify different types of adaptations:

    • Structural (physical features like camouflage, webbed feet)

    • Behavioral (actions like migration, hibernation)

    • Physiological (internal processes like venom production)

  • Understand how adaptations develop over time through natural selection.

Part D: Global Ecosystems and Biomes

• Key Concepts: Biomes, biodiversity, interdependence.

• Learning Goals:

  • Identify major world biomes (e.g., rainforests, deserts, tundra, oceans, grasslands).

  • Describe the characteristic climate, plants, and animals of different biomes.

  • Understand that organisms are adapted to their specific biome.

  • Recognize British Columbia’s high biodiversity due to its variety of ecosystems.

Part E: Human Interactions with the Environment

• Key Concepts: Stewardship, conservation, human impact.

• Learning Goals:

  • Analyze how human activities affect ecosystems and biodiversity.

  • Identify ways to practice environmental stewardship.

  • Understand the importance of conservation and protecting biodiversity.

Curricular Competencies in Action (The “Doing” of Science)

• Questioning and Predicting:

  • “Why are polar bears white while grizzly bears are brown?”

  • “What would happen to a forest ecosystem if all the decomposers disappeared?”

• Planning and Conducting:

  • Field Study: Local Biodiversity Survey. Students conduct a survey of plants and/or animals in a local park or schoolyard.

  • Lab: Owl Pellet Dissection. Students dissect owl pellets to learn about food chains and local ecosystems.

  • Investigation: Plant Adaptations. Compare the leaves of plants from different environments (e.g., cactus, fern, maple tree).

• Processing and Analyzing Data and Information:

  • Create food webs for local ecosystems.

  • Classify local organisms using dichotomous keys.

  • Graph population data from ecosystem studies.

• Evaluating:

  • Evaluate the effectiveness of different conservation strategies.

  • Assess human impacts on local ecosystems.

• Applying and Innovating:

  • Design a creature with specific adaptations for an extreme environment.

  • Plan and implement a schoolyard habitat enhancement project.

• Communicating:

  • Create a field guide to local species.

  • Present research on a specific biome and its unique adaptations.

Sample Learning Standards from the BC Curriculum

• Content: “Explain the importance of classification of living things.”

• Content: “Analyze how different organisms adapt to their environments.”

• Content: “Demonstrate the knowledge of the characteristics of living things.”

• Curricular Competency: “Experience and interpret the local environment.”

Key Connections to Other Grade 6 Science Topics

• Connection to Chemistry: All living things are made of matter and undergo chemical processes (digestion, respiration).

• Connection to Physics: Organisms interact with physical forces (gravity, buoyancy, flight).

• Connection to Earth Science: Ecosystems exist within larger geological and climatic systems.

This life science content helps students develop a deep appreciation for the complexity and beauty of life on Earth while building foundational knowledge for more advanced biological studies in later grades.