New Hampshire 6th Grade Science Standards in Life Science

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Life Science

• LS1 All living organisms have identifiable structures and characteristics that allow for survival (organisms, populations, & species).
  • 1 Classification
    • S:LS1:6:1.1 Identify ways in which living things can be grouped and organized, such as taxonomic groups of plants, animals and fungi.
    • S:LS1:6:1.2 Categorize organisms into kingdoms that are currently recognized, according to shared characteristics.
  • 2 Living Things and Organization
    • S:LS1:6:2.1 Recognize that all living things are composed of cells, and explain that while many organisms are single celled, such as yeast, others, including humans, are multicellular.
    • S:LS1:6:2.2 Explain that the way in which cells function is similar in all organisms.
    • S:LS1:6:2.3 Recognize that cells use energy obtain from food, to conduct the functions necessary to sustain life, such as cell growth.
    • S:LS1:6:2.4 Recognize and describe the hierarchical organization of living systems, including cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, whole organisms, and ecosystems.
    • S:LS1:6:2.5 Explain that multicellular organisms have specialized cells, tissues, organs and organ systems that perform certain necessary functions, including digestion, respiration, reproduction, circulation, excretion, movement, control and coordination and protection from disease.
    • S:LS1:6:2.6 Recognize that the human cells found in tissues and organs are similar to those of other animals, but somewhat different from cells found in plants.
  • 3 Reproduction
    • S:LS1:6:3.1 Explain that cells repeatedly divide to make more cells for growth and repair.
    • S:LS1:6:3.2 Explain that the same genetic information is copied in each cell of a new organism.
    • S:LS1:6:3.3 Explain that all living things reproduce in order to continue their species.
• LS2 Energy flows and matter recycles through an ecosystem.
  • 1 Environment
    • S:LS2:6:1.1 Identify and describe the factors that influence the number and kinds of organisms an ecosystem can support, including the resources that are available, the differences in temperature, the composition of the soil, any disease, the threat of predators, and competition from other organisms.
    • S:LS2:6:1.2 Explain that most microorganisms do not cause disease and that many are beneficial to the environment.
  • 2 Flow of Energy
    • S:LS2:6:2.1 Describe how energy is transferred in an ecosystem through food webs; and explain the roles and relationships between producers, consumers and decomposers.
    • S:LS2:6:2.2 Recognize that one of the most general distinctions among organisms is between plants, which use sunlight to make their own food, and animals, which consume energy-rich foods.
    • S:LS2:6:2.3 Describe the process of photosynthesis and explain that plants can use the food they make immediately or store it for later use.
    • S:LS2:6:2.4 Recognize that energy, in the form of heat, is usually a byproduct when one form of energy is converted to another, such as when living organisms transform stored energy to motion.
  • 3 Recycling of Materials
    • S:LS2:6:3.1 Define a population as all individuals of a species that exist together at a given place and time; and explain that all populations living together in a community, along with the physical factors with which they interact, compose an ecosystem.
    • S:LS2:6:3.2 Using food webs, identify and describe the ways in which organisms interact and depend on one another in an ecosystem.
    • S:LS2:6:3.3 Explain how insects and various other organisms depend on dead plant and animal matter for food; and describe how this process contributes to the system.
• LS3 Groups of organisms show evidence of change over time (e.g. evolution, natural selection, structures, behaviors, and biochemistry).
  • 1 Change
    • S:LS3:6:1.1 Provide examples of how all organisms, including humans, impact their environment; and explain how some changes can be detrimental to other organisms.
    • S:LS3:6:1.2 Explain how changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms and the entire species.
  • 2 Evidence of Evolution
    • S:LS3:6:2.1 Describe the fundamental concepts related to biological evolution, such as biological adaptations and the diversity of species.
  • 3 Natural Selection
    • S:LS3:6:3.1 Recognize that there are genetic variations among individuals in groups of organisms and provide examples of how these variations affect the survival of an organism.
    • S:LS3:6:3.2 Recognize that only organisms that are able to reproduce can pass on their genetic information to the next generation.
• LS4 Humans are similar to other species in many ways, and yet are unique among Earth’s life forms.
  • 1 Behavior
    • S:LS4:6:1.1 Recognize that learning requires more than just storage and retrieval of information and that prior knowledge needs to be tapped in order to make sense out of new experiences or information.
    • S:LS4:6:1.2 Explain that people can learn about others from direct experience, from the media, and from listening to others talk about their life and work.
    • S:LS4:6:1.3 Provide examples of how humans make judgments about new situations based on memories of past experiences.
  • 2 Disease
    • S:LS4:6:2.1 Explain that the human body has ways to defend itself against disease-causing organisms and describe how defenders, including tears, saliva, the skin, some blood cells and stomach secretions support the defense process.
    • S:LS4:6:2.2 Recognize that there are some diseases that human beings can only get once; and explain how many diseases can be prevented by vaccination.
    • S:LS4:6:2.3 Explain how vaccines induce the body to build immunity to a disease without actually causing the disease itself.
    • S:LS4:6:2.4 Recognize a healthy body cannot fight all germs that invade it; and explain how some germs interfere with the body’s defenses.
  • 3 Human Identity
    • S:LS4:6:3.1 Recognize that the length and quality of human life are influenced by many factors, including sanitation, diet, medical care, gender, genes, environmental conditions, and personal health behaviors.
• LS5 The growth of scientific knowledge in Life Science has been advanced through the development of technology and is used (alone or in combination with other sciences) to identify, understand and solve local and global issues.
  • 1 Design Technology
    • S:LS5:6:1.1 Recognize that an agricultural system is designed to maximize the use of all the elements in the system, including using plants for food, oxygen, for the filtration of air and water, and for making compost.
  • 2 Tools
    • S:LS5:6:2.1 Demonstrate the appropriate use of tools, such as thermometers, probes, microscopes and computers to gather, analyze and interpret data in the life sciences.
  • 3 Social Issues (Local and Global), Medical Technology, Biotechnology
    • S:LS5:6:3.1 Provide examples of early health care technology that helped to extend the life expectancy of humans, such as the discovery of penicillin, sterilization of surgical instruments.
    • S:LS5:6:3.2 Differentiate between vaccines, which help prevent diseases from developing and spreading, and medicines, which relieve symptoms or cure diseases.
    • S:LS5:6:3.3 Recognize that the quality of personal health can be influenced by society and technology.
    • S:LS5:6:3.4 Identify and describe some of the processes and systems used to grow food in New Hampshire, including irrigation, pest control and harvesting.
  • 4 Career Technical Education Connections
    • S:LS5:6:4.1 Understand that some form of science is used in most jobs/careers and that some jobs/careers specifically require knowledge of life science.