6th Grade Science Based on E.D. Hirsch's "What Your 6th Grader Needs to Know These questions are copyright 1997 Karen Crowther and are not endorsed nor sponsored by the Core Curriculum Foundation nor E.D. Hirsch. They are brought to you as a public service by Redwood Games (http://www.redwoodgames.com/hs.html) You may use them for personal use provided you do not remove this notice and provided you do not distribute them. Grade 6 Science #1 ================== Read p 322-325 What type of reproduction results in offspring with the same genes as the parent? _______________________________________________ What type of reproduction results in offspring with a mixture of genes from two parents? _________________________________________ When an amoeba splits in two it is called __________________ _______________. What are 3 methods of asexual reproduction (give examples) 1.________________________________________________________________________ 2.________________________________________________________________________ 3.________________________________________________________________________ What are the threadlike particles that contain the organizations blue prints or instructions? ___________________________________________ Cells with chromosome pairs are called _____________________________ Cells with a single chromosomes (not paired) are called __________________. When do these single-chromosome cells usually occur? _____________________ __________________________________________________________________________ The process of cell division is called __________________________ Draw and label a diagram of cell mitosis in 7 stages: What is the process by which a cell makes new haploid sex cells called? ______________________________________ Draw the 9 steps of meosis: Grade 6 Science #2 ================== Read p 326-331 Do all organisms have the same kinds of chromosomes? ________ Do all organisms of the same species have the same kinds of chromosomes? ____ How many pairs of chromosomes do humans have? ____________________ Is an organism with more chromosomes more complex than one with fewer? __ What is the molecule that carries the organism's instructions? ________ What does DNA look like? _________________________________________________ What are the DNA codes for making individual traits called? _______________ Who do you inherit genes from?_____________________________________________ Who was the father of genetics? _______________________________________ Explain why the 3rd generation of peas had 1/4 short plants: ______________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ What is a stronger trait called? _________________________ What is the weaker trait called? _________________________ Name two causes of albinoism: 1._____________________________________________________________________ 2._____________________________________________________________________ What is it called when a gene doesn't copy itself exactly? _______________ Name 4 causes of mutations: 1._____________________________________________________________________ 2._____________________________________________________________________ 3._____________________________________________________________________ 4._____________________________________________________________________ Explain how mutations can be beneficial by the moth example: _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Grade 6 Science #3 ================== Read p 331-336 What is a Greek term for "living together" __________________________ Give some examples of this: _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ When a whole species dies out we call it _______________________________ How much tropical rainforest is cut down every year? ______________________ Name some reflexes: 1.___________________________________ 2._________________________________________ 3._________________________________________ Can animals inherit instincts? ______________ Name some instictive behaviors: 1.___________________________________ 2._________________________________________ 3._________________________________________ What is the difference between instinctive behavior and learned behavior? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ What is necessary for learned behavior to happen?______________________ In what 4 ways can animals learn? 1.___________________________________ 2._________________________________________ 3._________________________________________ 4.________________________________________ What about the brain determines how highly developed an animals reasoning ability is? _____________________________________________ What is the controversy over how much of an organism's behavior is learned or instinctive called? _______________________________________________ Grade 6 Science #4 ================== Read p 336-340 How do ants fight off predators in their home? ___________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Name types of microbes that can harm our bodies: 1.__________________ 2.__________________ 3.__________________ 4.__________________ What system of ours resists diseases? The ______________________ system. What two weapons do our bodies use to fight disease. Explain how they work: 1._______________________________________________________________________ 2._______________________________________________________________________ What is it called when a person is protected from getting a disease more than once?____________________________ What is it that causes this? ___________________________________ Why do you only get chicken pox once but you get the flu again and again? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Would it be a good idea to get rid of all microbes? _____ Why or why not? __________________________________________________________________________ Why do you sneeze and cough when you're getting a cold? _________________ __________________________________________________________________________ How does mucus fight infections? _________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ What causes allergies? ___________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Grade 6 Science #5 ================== Read p 340-342 What type of organism causes malaria? _________________________ How do viruses reproduce, if they are considered nonliving? ________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Infectious diseases that can be spread from one organism to another are called _________________ or ______________________ diseases. What is it called when an infectious disease spreads through communities? An __________________________________ What cause the Black Death? ______________________________________________ What causes rabies? ______________________________________ Name some ways that communicable diseases spread among humans: 1._______________________________________________________ 2._______________________________________________________ 3._______________________________________________________ 4._______________________________________________________ 5._______________________________________________________ What does AIDS do? ______________________________________________________ What is the estimated number of people walking around with AIDS without showing any symptoms at all? __________________________________ Can a person without any symptoms pass on the AIDS virus? ______ Is there any way (except a blood test) to know for sure a person does not have AIDS? _______________ Is there a cure for AIDS? _________________ You can protect yourself from this deadly disease in the following ways: 1. Do not touch the blood of another person. 2. Do not use drugs and needles (A doctor's needles are safe.) 3. Do not have sex (Ask your parents to tell you more about this in connection with marriage) Remember what the book said: 10 MILLION people (some of them you've met) are walking around with AIDS and there is no way for you to tell which of them have it. They probably believe they don't have it. But if you engage in one of the above activities you can get AIDS whether or not they have symptoms yet. So be safe and smart. Don't risk yourself and you won't need to worry about this deadly disease. Grade 6 Science #6 ================== Read p 342-344 Name 3 ways to get noncommunicable diseases: 1.__________________________________________ 2.__________________________________________ 3.__________________________________________ When was the first antibiotic discovered? ________________ What was it? ____________________________ Who discovered it? _____________________________ Can we cure viruses like we do strep throat with antibiotics? _________ What can we do to prevent virus infections? ________________________________ Explain how a vaccine works: _______________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Draw the food guide pyramid and explain how much of each group you should eat and why: What are 4 ways you can keep healthy? 1.__________________________________ 2.__________________________________ 3.__________________________________ 4.__________________________________ Grade 6 Science #7 ================== Read p 344-346 What is cartilage? ____________________________________________________________________________ What purpose does cartilage serve? ____________________________________________________________________________ What is inside bones?___________________________ What does marrow do? ____________________________________________________________________________ What type of tissue connects the bones together? _____________________ What connects muscles to bones? ______________________ What purposes do bones serve? 1.________________________ 2.________________________ What is the name of the bones that protect the brain? ________________ What is the difference between the bones in a baby's head and those in an adult? ____________________________________________________________________________ Grade 6 Science #8 ================== Read p 347-top of 350 What is the ultimate source of food for all living things on the earth? _________________________ What did Isaac Newton think light was like? ________________ What did Christian Huygens think light was like? _________________ What do we think light is made of today? ______________________________ What is a packet of light called? _________________ What do we call the photons that we can and cannot see? ____________________ __________________________ How fast does light travel in a vacuum? __________________________ Why is there a delay between the time you see lightning and hear thunder? ____________________________________________________________________________ Why does your leg look crooked when you look at it under water? What is it called when light changes direction (bends at an angle)? ___________________________ Grade 6 Science #9 ================== Read p 350-351 If you mix all the colors of the rainbow in light, what color do you get? ____________________ If you mix all the colors of the rainbow in PAINT, what color do you get? _________________________ List the order of colors in a rainbow: 1.____________________________ 2.____________________________ 3.____________________________ 4.____________________________ 5.____________________________ 6.____________________________ How (why) does a prism separte light into different colors? ______________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ What is the spread of light that a prism makes called? ___________________ What is the type of light that has a longer wavelength than red (is below red but you can't see it) called?______________________________ What is the type of light that has a shorter wavelength than violet (is above violet but you can't see it) called? ____________________________ List the types of electromagnetic radiation from longest waves (least energetic) to shortest waves (most energy): 1.____________________________ 2.____________________________ 3.____________________________ 4.____________________________ 5.____________________________ Grade 6 Science #10 =================== Read p 351- top of 353 If a photon of light vibrates more slowly it has [more,less] energy than one that is vibrating faster. What is the term for how fast a light ray is vibrating? ________________ Wavelength refers to the distance between ________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ The slower the frequency the [shorter,longer] the wavelength. The faster the frequency the [shorter, longer] the wavelength. Calculate the wavelength of violet light. You know the frequency of violet light is 750 trillion vibrations per second and the speed of light is 300,000 km per second. Note: Frequency is measured in Hertz which stands for vibrations per second. If violet light is vibrating 750 trillion times per second then its frequency is 750 trillion Hertz or Hz. Grade 6 Science #11 =================== Read p 353-355 What do Xrays usually do when they encounter an object? ____________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ What do radar waves usually do when they encounter an object? ______________ ____________________________________________________________________________ What does light do when it encounters water (bounce off or penetrate)? ___________________________________________________________________________ What is a material that lets most of the light through called? _______________________________ What is a material that lets only some light through called? ________________________________________ What is a material that doesn't let any (or hardly any) light through called? _____________________________ What are object in our house doing that makes us able to see them? __________________________________________________________________ Explain why grass looks green to us ______________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Which color absorbs more light, black or white? ___________________________ Grade 6 Science #12 =================== Read p 355-top of 358 Draw a picture illustrating the principle of reflection which says: The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. What type of surface scatters reflected light? _______________ Why are mirrors made to be very smooth? ___________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ What is a surface that is curved inward called? _____________________ What is a surface that is curved outward called? ______________________ What shape is a flashlight reflector? ___________________ Why? ________________________________________________________________ When a concave mirror concentrates the light at a single point, that point is called the ___________________ point. Grade 6 Science #13 =================== Read p 358-362 A lense is designed to __________________ light. It does that by having at least one _________________ surface. Describe how light behaves when it goes from air through a piece of glass: __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ A convex lense [scatters, focuses] light passing through it. A concave lense [scatters, focuses] light passing through it. What type of lense is in a camera? __________________ Why did the first telescopes have two convex lenses? ____________________ __________________________________________________________________________ What type of telescopes were the first ones? ____________________________ Who used a telescope to see the craters on the moon in 1610? _______________________________ What type of telescope did Newton invent? _______________________ Describe how it works: __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Why was this telescope better than a refracting one? 1.______________________________________________________________ 2._____________________________________________________________ The main lense of an microscope is called the __________________ lense Grade 6 Science #14 =================== Read p 362-3656 Can sound travel through a vacuum? ___________ What is sound in air? ___________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ About how fast does sound travel through air? ___________________________ The lengths of sound waves vary from about _____________ to ____________ Is the speed of sound different for different mediums (air, water, etc.)? ___ What is the frequency of sound? From ________________ to ___________________ What is another (musical) term for frequency? _____________ What freqency is middle-A? __________________________ Light has more energy at higher frequencies. Is this true of sound? _____ What determines the energy (loudness) of a soundwave? ___________________ Draw a picture of two soundwaves that have different frequencies (pitches): Label the one that is higher. Draw a picture of two soundwaves that have the same pitch but one is louder. Label the louder one. What is the term for when a sound causes something else to vibrate and add more sound? _____________________________________ What is it called when a jet flies faster than the speed of sound? ___________________________________ The speed of sound through air is about 1000 feet per second. How much is this in miles per hour? ____________________ Grade 6 Science #15 =================== Read p 366-371 Who proposed the theory that all matter is made of atoms? __________________ What is the definition of an element? ______________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Most of the mass of an atom is in its ___________________________ What surrounds the nucleus? ____________________ What charge is the nucleus? ___________________ What charge are the electrons? ____________________ Who invented the periodic chart? ______________________________ What is special about columns in the periodic chart? ______________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ What did Niels Bohr think was responsible for the elements' chemical properties? ______________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Why does sodium tend to react by giving away an electron? _______________ _________________________________________________________________________ When two or more atoms join together they make a ________________________ Write the chemical symbol for a molecule of oxygen: ____________ What is ozone? _________________________________________________________ Write the chemical formula for water: _________________ Grade 6 Science #16 =================== Read p 371-374 What does an acid have that makes it react with a base? ___________________ Name 2 acids: _______________________ ________________________________ Name 2 bases: _______________________ _________________________________ What do you get when you mix an acid and a base? A _______________ When an element or molecule joins with oxygen it is called _________________ Name a common example of this: _______________________ Name a chemical reaction that absorbs energy: _______________________________ __________________________________________________ Name a reaction that gives off energy: ___________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ State a basic law of physics that concerns energy: _________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ State a basic law of physics that concerns matter: _________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Grade 6 Science #17 =================== Read p 374-375 When most liquids freeze they [contract,expand]. When water freezes it [contracts, expands]. What would happen to Earth's oceans and lakes if ice sank? ________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ How much energy does it take to raise the temperature of a gram of water from 99 degrees Centigrade to 100 degrees centigrade (calculate this) ________________________ How much energy does it take to turn 1 gram of 100 degree water into 100 degree steam (look in your text)? ________________________ What is the heat that is required to boil a liquid called? Heat of __________ How much energy does it take to turn 0 degree ice into 0 degree water? _____________________ What is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree called? _________________ heat. Does it take the same amount of energy to melt all the metals? ________ What effect does the high specific heat of water have on the earth's climate? __________________________________________ Grade 6 Science #18 =================== Read p 376-377 What type of business did Wilbur and Orville Wright start? _________________ What type of gliders did the Wright brothers test in 1900? ________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ What error did they discover that affected aircraft design? ______________ __________________________________________________________________________ What experimental aparatus did the Wright brothers build to get correct data on this error? ______________________________________________________ Why did the Wright brother's pilot fly lying down? _______________________ ______________________________________________ Where did they test their glider? ________________________________________ On what date did the Wright brothers first test their engine powered aircraft? _________________________________ How far did their airplane fly? ___________________________ Grade 6 Science #19 =================== Read p 377-378 When did Einstein first develop his theory of relativity? ________ Where was Einstein born? ____________________________ Was he a brilliant student in elementary school? _______ What did he later study? ___________________________ Where did he first work? ____________________________________ What did his first 4 papers propose? 1.___________________________________________________________________ 2.___________________________________________________________________ 3.___________________________________________________________________ 4.___________________________________________________________________ What does E=mc2 stand for? __________________________________________ What does it mean? _____________________________________________________ What is an example of this principle? __________________________________ What did the Royal Society of London observe that proved Einstein's General Theory of Relativity? __________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What did Einstein win in 1921? ______________________________________ Why did the Nazi's take away his citizenship and destroy his property? ___________________________________________________ Note: Einstien moved to the United States after this and taught at Princeton University. He was a tireless worker for peace and considered himself to be a pacifist. Grade 6 Science #20 =================== Read p 379-380 What is one drug that helps the inflamation of arthritis? ___________________ What did a dose of this cost before a way to synthesise it was discovered? _____________ Who discovered a way to synthesise cortesone and progesterone? __________ _______________________________, who was born in _________________ in the year, __________________________ What degree did he get? __________________________ Why did Julian have to go to Europe to get his Doctorate? ________________ ____________________________________________________ What did he use to create the cortisone? _______________________ What company hired him as chief chemist? _____________________ What things did he create out of soybeans? 1.____________________________________________ 2.____________________________________________ 3.____________________________________________ 4.____________________________________________ What is Progesterone used for? 1.____________________________________________ 2.____________________________________________ What award did Julian win in 1947? _________________________ Grade 6 Science #21 =================== Read p 380-381 Who took X-ray photographs of DNA which Crick and Watson used to make their model? __________________________________________________________________ Note: Your book does not adequately explain that Rosalyn Franklin was the one who took the X-ray photos that Watson and Crick used and which showed DNA as a helix. She died of cancer before the Nobel Prize was awarded. Since the Nobel Prize is only given to living people, she was not named, despite the fact that many considered her work to be crucial in demonstrating the helical nature of DNA. Watson's book, The Double Helix, is considered by many to be self-serving by trying to minimize Franklin's contribution. What is DNA shaped like? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How does DNA duplicate itself? __________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ What year did Watson and Crick build their model? ______________ What prize did Watson and Crick receive in 1962? __________________________ Grade 6 Science #22 =================== Read p 381-382 When was Severo Ochoa born? _________________________ Where was Ochoa born? ______________________________ What degree did he receive? __________________________ What area of research did he concentrate on? ____________________________ Where did he go in 1941 _______________________________ In the early 1950's Ochoa isolated a chemical that did one thing in plants and "undid" it in animals. What did this enzyme do? 1._______________________________________ 2._______________________________________ What is Dr. Ochoa best known for? ________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ What prize did he win in 1959? ____________________________________ Grade 6 Science #21 =================== Read p 380-381 Who took X-ray photographs of DNA which Crick and Watson used to make their model? __________________________________________________________________ Note: Your book does not adequately explain that Rosalyn Franklin was the one who took the X-ray photos that Watson and Crick used and which showed DNA as a helix. She died of cancer before the Nobel Prize was awarded. Since the Nobel Prize is only given to living people, she was not named, despite the fact that many considered her work to be crucial in demonstrating the helical nature of DNA. Watson's book, The Double Helix, is considered by many to be self-serving by trying to minimize Franklin's contribution. What is DNA shaped like? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How does DNA duplicate itself? __________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ What year did Watson and Crick build their model? ______________ What prize did Watson and Crick receive in 1962? __________________________ Grade 6 Science #22 =================== Read p 381-382 When was Severo Ochoa born? _________________________ Where was Ochoa born? ______________________________ What degree did he receive? __________________________ What area of research did he concentrate on? ____________________________ Where did he go in 1941 _______________________________ In the early 1950's Ochoa isolated a chemical that did one thing in plants and "undid" it in animals. What did this enzyme do? 1._______________________________________ 2._______________________________________ What is Dr. Ochoa best known for? ________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ What prize did he win in 1959? ____________________________________ Grade 6 Science #23 =================== Read p 382-383 When was Barbara McClintock born? ______________________ What did she study? ______________________________ What did she discover at Cornell? 1.___________________________ 2.___________________________ 3.____________________________________________________ What did she discover at Cold Spring? 1._________________________________________________ 2._________________________________________________ What did she receive in 1981? ___________________________________