Grade 6 Science - Georgia Department Of Education

Achievement Level DescriptorsforGrade 6 ScienceGeorgia Department of EducationSeptember 2015All Rights Reserved

Grade 6Georgia End-of-Grade: ScienceSeptember 2015Achievement Levels and Achievement Level DescriptorsWith the implementation of the Georgia Milestones Assessment System, Georgia educators have developed four achievement levels to describestudent mastery and command of the knowledge and skills outlined in Georgia’s content standards. Most students have at least someknowledge of the content described in the content standards; however, achievement levels succinctly describe how much mastery a studenthas. Achievement levels give meaning and context to scale scores by describing the knowledge and skills students must demonstrate to achieveeach level.The four achievement levels on Georgia Milestones are Beginning Learner, Developing Learner, Proficient Learner, and Distinguished Learner.The general meaning of each of the four levels is provided below:Beginning Learners do not yet demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level/course of learning, as specifiedin Georgia’s content standards. The students need substantial academic support to be prepared for the next grade level or course and to be ontrack for college and career readiness.Developing Learners demonstrate partial proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level/course of learning, as specified inGeorgia’s content standards. The students need additional academic support to ensure success in the next grade level or course and to be ontrack for college and career readiness.Proficient Learners demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level/course of learning, as specified inGeorgia’s content standards. The students are prepared for the next grade level or course and are on track for college and career readiness.Distinguished Learners demonstrate advanced proficiency in the knowledge and skills necessary at this grade level/course of learning, asspecified in Georgia’s content standards. The students are well prepared for the next grade level or course and are well prepared for college andcareer readiness.More detailed and content-specific concepts and skills are provided for each grade, content area, and course in the Achievement LevelDescriptors (ALDs). ALDs are narrative descriptions of the knowledge and skills expected at each of the four achievement levels and weredeveloped for each grade level, content area, and course by committees of Georgia educators in March 2015 and July 2015. The ALDs are basedon the state-adopted content standards.ALDs show a progression of knowledge and skills for which students must demonstrate competency across the achievement levels. It isimportant to understand that a student should demonstrate mastery of the knowledge and skills within his/her achievement level as well as allcontent and skills in any achievement levels that precede his/her own, if any. For example, a Proficient Learner should also possess theknowledge and skills of a Developing Learner and a Beginning Learner.Georgia Department of EducationPage 2 of 6All Rights Reserved

Grade 6Georgia End-of-Grade: ScienceSeptember 2015POLICY ALDsBeginning LearnerBeginning Learners do not yetdemonstrate proficiency in theknowledge and skills necessary atthis grade level/course of learning,as specified in Georgia’s contentstandards. The students needsubstantial academic support to beprepared for the next grade level orcourse and to be on track forcollege and career readiness.Developing LearnerDeveloping Learners demonstratepartial proficiency in theknowledge and skills necessary atthis grade level/course of learning,as specified in Georgia’s contentstandards. The students needadditional academic support toensure success in the next gradelevel or course and to be on trackfor college and career readiness.Proficient LearnerProficient Learners demonstrateproficiency in the knowledge andskills necessary at this gradelevel/course of learning, asspecified in Georgia’s contentstandards. The students areprepared for the next grade level orcourse and are on track for collegeand career readiness.Distinguished LearnerDistinguished Learnersdemonstrate advancedproficiency in the knowledge andskills necessary at this gradelevel/course of learning, asspecified in Georgia’s contentstandards. The students are wellprepared for the next grade levelor course and are well preparedfor college and career readiness.RANGE ALDsBeginning LearnerA student who achieves at theBeginning Learner leveldemonstrates minimal command ofthe grade-level standards. Thepattern exhibited by studentresponses indicates that studentsare most likely able to identify objects in the SolarSystem; recognize the differencesbetween planets, moons, andsolar systems; identify which planets cansupport life; recognize that the Big Bang is ascientific theory; recognize changes in theMoon’s appearance throughouta month; recognize that Earth is made oflayers;Georgia Department of EducationDeveloping LearnerA student who achieves at theDeveloping Learner leveldemonstrates partial command ofthe grade-level standards. Thepattern exhibited by studentresponses indicates that studentsare most likely able to identify the difference betweengeocentric and heliocentrictheories; list the planets in order from theSun; list the following in order fromlargest to smallest: universe,galaxy, solar system, sun,planet; explain the Big Bang theory; explain the difference betweenrotation and revolution; identify gravity as a force thataffects Earth and other objectsin the sky;Proficient LearnerA student who achieves at theProficient Learner leveldemonstrates proficiency of thegrade-level standards. The patternexhibited by student responsesindicates that students are mostlikely able to describe and explain theevidence supporting theheliocentric model as thecurrently accepted model; describe the position of theSolar System in the Milky Waygalaxy and the universe; compare and contrast theplanets, relative to Earth, interms of size and surface andatmospheric features thatsupport life; describe and explain theevidence supporting the BigBang theory;Page 3 of 6Distinguished LearnerA student who achieves at theDistinguished Learner leveldemonstrates advancedproficiency of the grade-levelstandards. The pattern exhibitedby student responses indicatesthat students are most likely ableto relate the nature of science tothe progression of basichistorical scientific models(geocentric, heliocentric) asthey describe the Solar System; relate the nature of science tothe Big Bang theory as itdescribes the formation of theuniverse; explain why solar and lunareclipses do not occur everytime there is a full and/or newmoon;All Rights Reserved

Grade 6 recognize that there aredifferent types of rocks andminerals on Earth;recognize that gravity attractsobjects to Earth;recognize that Earth’s surfacechanges;list the phases of the Moon inorder;identify different types of soil;list parts of the water cycle;recognize that water moves inthe ocean;identify the names and locationsof Earth’s oceans;identify different types ofweather;recognize standard safetypractices for all types ofclassroom laboratory and fieldinvestigations;use scientific data to formscientific explanations;recognize tools andinstrumentation for observingand measuring in scientificinvestigations;recognize the ideas of systems,models, change, and scale inexploring scientific andtechnological matters;communicate scientific ideas intext;recognize scientific claims;recall the processes of scientificinquiry;Georgia Department of EducationGeorgia End-of-Grade: Science identify the characteristics thatare needed to support life;relate the tilt of Earth to thedistribution of sunlightthroughout the year;identify each of Earth’s layersbased on its characteristics;investigate the contribution ofminerals to rock composition;classify rocks by their process offormation;describe processes that changerocks and the surface of Earth;recognize that lithosphericplates move;explain that fossils provideinformation about the past;describe soil as consisting ofweathered rocks anddecomposed organic material;identify renewable andnonrenewable resources;explain that a large portion ofEarth’s surface is water,consisting mostly of oceanwater;explain the role of the Sun asthe major source of energy;explain each part of the watercycle;describe the composition andlocation of the world’s oceans;explain the causes of surfacewaves;recognize that land and waterabsorb and lose heat differently; Page 4 of 6explain the motion of objects inthe day/night sky in terms ofrelative position;explain how gravity is a forcethat governs motion in the SolarSystem;describe the characteristics ofcomets, asteroids, and meteors;compare and contrast comets,asteroids, and meteors;demonstrate the phases of theMoon by showing the alignmentof Earth, the Moon, and theSun;explain the alignment of Earth,the Moon, and the Sun duringsolar and lunar eclipses;explain how distribution ofsunlight throughout the yearaffects climate;compare and contrast Earth’scrust, mantle, and core,including temperature, densityand composition;distinguish between theprocesses that change rocks andthe surface of Earth;describe the movement at eachof the plate boundaries thatcauses major geological eventson Earth’s surface;describe how fossils showevidence of the changingsurface and climate of Earth;September 2015 explain the effects of physicalprocesses (plate tectonics,erosion, deposition, volcaniceruption, gravity) on geologicalfeatures, including oceans(composition, currents, tides);evaluate the ideas of systems,models, change, and scale inexploring scientific andtechnological matters;evaluate scientific claims; andexplain that the majority offresh water is frozen.All Rights Reserved

Grade 6 recognize that water covers alarge portion of Earth’s surface;recognize that water moves indifferent forms (e.g., currents,waves); anddistinguish a rock from and amineral.Georgia End-of-Grade: Science identify which storms occur onland verses over water;comprehend standard safetypractices for all types ofclassroom laboratory and fieldinvestigations;analyze scientific data;use scientific tools andinstrumentation in scientificinvestigations;use the ideas of systems,models, change, and scale inexploring scientific andtechnological matters;communicate scientific ideas intext, tables, charts, anddiagrams;investigate scientific claims;recognize the process ofscientific inquiry.recognize that rocks are madeof minerals;identify the three types of rocks;recognize that comets,asteroids, and meteors exist;andrecognize that gravitationalattraction between Earth andthe Moon has the greatesteffect on tides. Georgia Department of EducationPage 5 of 6September 2015explain the relationshipbetween the location andcomposition of Earth’s oceans;describe the composition ofeach of the horizons in soil;describe methods forconserving natural resourcessuch as water, soil, and air;explain the effects of humanactivity on the erosion of Earth’ssurface;relate various atmosphericconditions to phases of water;relate how moistureevaporating from the oceansaffects weather patterns andweather events such ashurricanes;explain how unequal heating ofland and water affects weatherpatterns including tornados andthunderstorms;use standard safety practices forall classroom laboratory andfield investigations;use computational andestimation skills to analyze dataand form scientific explanations;use tools and instrumentationfor observing and measuring inscientific investigations;utilize the ideas of systems,models, change, and scale inexploring scientific andtechnological matters;All Rights Reserved