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Science and Technology/Engineering > Grade 6 > Life Science

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Science and Technology/Engineering | Grade : 6

Discipline - Life Science

Core Idea - From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

[6.LS.1.3] - Construct an argument supported by evidence that the body systems interact to carry out essential functions of life. Clarification Statements: Emphasis is on the functions and interactions of the body systems, not specific body parts or organs. An argument should convey that different types of cells can join together to form specialized tissues, which in turn may form organs that work together as body systems. Body systems to be included are the circulatory, digestive, respiratory, excretory, muscular/skeletal, and nervous systems. Essential functions of life include obtaining food and other nutrients (water, oxygen, minerals), releasing energy from food, removing wastes, responding to stimuli, maintaining internal conditions, and growing/developing. An example of interacting systems could include the respiratory system taking in oxygen from the environment which the circulatory system delivers to cells for cellular respiration, or the digestive system taking in nutrients which the circulatory system transports to cells around the body.State Assessment Boundaries: The mechanism of one body system independent of others or the biochemical processes involved in body systems are not expected in state assessment. Describing the function or comparing different types of cells, tissues, or organs are not expected in state assessment.


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Predecessor Standards:

  • 4.LS.1.1
    Construct an argument that animals and plants have internal and external structures that support their survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. Clarification Statements: Animal structures can include legs, wings, fins, feathers, trunks, claws, horns, antennae, eyes, ears, nose, heart, stomach, lung, brain, and skin. Plant structures can include leaves, roots, stems, bark, branches, flowers, fruit, and seeds. State Assessment Boundary: State assessment will be limited to macroscopic structures.

Successor Standards:

  • 8.LS.1.7
    Use informational text to describe that food molecules, including carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, are broken down and rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support cell growth and/or release of energy. State Assessment Boundary: Specific details of the chemical reaction for cellular respiration, biochemical steps of breaking down food, or the resulting molecules (e.g., carbohydrates are broken down into monosaccharides) are not expected in state assessment.
  • HS.LS.1.2
    Develop and use a model to illustrate the key functions of animal body systems, including (a) food digestion, nutrient uptake, and transport through the body; (b) exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide; (c) removal of wastes; and (d) regulation of body processes. Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the primary function of the following body systems (and structures): digestive (mouth, stomach, small intestine [villi], large intestine, pancreas), respiratory (lungs [alveoli], diaphragm), circulatory (heart, veins, arteries, capillaries), excretory (kidneys, liver, skin), and nervous (neurons, brain, spinal cord). State Assessment Boundary: Chemical reactions in cells, details of particular structures (such as the structure of the neuron), or the identification of specific proteins in cells are not expected in state assessment.

Same Level Standards:

  • WCA.6-8.1
    Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
  • WCA.6-8.7
    Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
  • 6.LS.1.2
    Develop and use a model to describe how parts of cells contribute to the cellular functions of obtaining food, water, and other nutrients from its environment, disposing of wastes, and providing energy for cellular processes. Clarification Statement: Parts of plant and animal cells include (a) the nucleus, which contains a cell’s genetic material and regulates its activities; (b) chloroplasts, which produce necessary food (sugar) and oxygen through photosynthesis (in plants); (c) mitochondria, which release energy from food through cellular respiration; (d) vacuoles, which store materials, including water, nutrients, and waste; (e) the cell membrane, which is a selective barrier that enables nutrients to enter the cell and wastes to be expelled; and (f) the cell wall, which provides structural support (in plants). State Assessment Boundary: Specific biochemical steps or chemical processes, the role of ATP, active transport processes involving the cell membrane, or identifying or comparing different types of cells are not expected in state assessment.