(6.1) Scientific processes. The student conducts field and laboratory investigations using safe, environmentally appropriate, and ethical practices. The student is expected to:

(A) demonstrate safe practices during field and laboratory investigations; and
(B) make wise choices in the use and conservation of resources and the disposal or recycling of materials.

Interactive Student
(B) Dumptown Game
(B) Recycling Survey 
(B) Word Search
(B) It's not all garbage
(B) Salmon Challenge

Interactive Classroom

(6.2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific inquiry methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:

(A) plan and implement investigative procedures including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology;
(B) collect data by observing and measuring;
(C) analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence;
(D) communicate valid conclusions; and
(E) construct graphs, tables, maps, and charts using tools including computers to organize, examine, and evaluate data.

Interactive Student

(A) Scientific Method
(A,B,C,D,E) Frog Pond Habitat
(C) Hair Detective
(E) Kids Graphing Page
(B) Dolphins in Depth

Interactive Classroom
(A,B,C,D) Green Thumb Movie

(6.3) Scientific processes. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze, review, and critique scientific explanations, including hypotheses and theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses using scientific evidence and information;
(B) draw inferences based on data related to promotional materials for products and services;
(C) represent the natural world using models and identify their limitations;
(D) evaluate the impact of research on scientific thought, society, and the environment; and
(E) connect Grade 6 science concepts with the history of science and contributions of scientists.

Interactive Student

Interactive Classroom

(6.4) Scientific processes. The student knows how to use a variety of tools and methods to conduct science inquiry. The student is expected to:

(A) collect, analyze, and record information using tools including beakers, petri dishes, meter sticks, graduated cylinders, weather instruments, timing devices, hot plates, test tubes, safety goggles, spring scales, magnets, balances, microscopes, telescopes, thermometers, calculators, field equipment, compasses, computers, and computer probes; and
(B) identify patterns in collected information using percent, average, range, and frequency.

Interactive Student
(A) Virtual Scanning Electron Microscopy
(A) The World Within: Powers of Ten
(A) 3-D Cell
(A) Cell Cycle
(A) Animal Cell Mitosis

Interactive Classroom
(A) How Big?

(6.5) Scientific concepts. The student knows that systems may combine with other systems to form a larger system. The student is expected to:

(A) identify and describe a system that results from the combination of two or more systems such as in the solar system; and
(B) describe how the properties of a system are different from the properties of its parts.

Interactive Student

Interactive Classroom

(6.6) Science concepts. The student knows that there is a relationship between force and motion. The student is expected to:

(A) identify and describe the changes in position, direction of motion, and speed of an object when acted upon by force;
(B) demonstrate that changes in motion can be measured and graphically represented; and
(C) identify forces that shape features of the Earth including uplifting, movement of water, and volcanic activity.

Interactive Student
(A) Orbital Simulator-Velocity, Gravity & Mass
(A) Gravity

(A) Funderstanding Roller Coaster
(C) Parts & Types of Volcanoes
(C) Java Game

Interactive Classroom
(A) Gravity
(C) The Earth 25 Million Years Ago
(C) Parts & Types of Volcanoes
(C) Build a Volcano
(C) Crusty Stuff
(C) Volcano Explorer

(6.7) Science concepts. The student knows that substances have physical and chemical properties. The student is expected to:

(A) demonstrate that new substances can be made when two or more substances are chemically combined and compare the properties of the new substances to the original substances; and
B) classify substances by their physical and chemical properties.

Interactive Student
(A) Physical Changes
(A) ALIENS Juice Bar
(B) Mass, Volume, Density- Density Lab

Interactive Classroom
(A) Physical Changes
(A, B) Physical & Chemical Changes- Online Quiz

(6.8) Science concepts. The student knows that complex interactions occur between matter and energy. The student is expected to:

(A) define matter and energy;
(B) explain and illustrate the interactions between matter and energy in the water cycle and in the decay of biomass such as in a compost bin; and
(C) describe energy flow in living systems including food chains and food webs.

Interactive Student
(A) States of Matter
(A) Water Cycle 
(A) Water Cycle Gizmo
(C) Food Webs
(C) Food Chain

Interactive Classroom
(A) States of Matter
(C) Create a Food Web Page

(6.9) Science concepts. The student knows that obtaining, transforming, and distributing energy affects the environment. The student is expected to:

(A) identify energy transformations occurring during the production of energy for human use such as electrical energy to heat energy or heat energy to electrical energy;
(B) compare methods used for transforming energy in devices such as water heaters, cooling systems, or hydroelectric and wind power plants; and
(C) research and describe energy types from their source to their use and determine if the type is renewable, non-renewable, or inexhaustible.

Interactive Student
(A) Energy Quiz
(B,C) Wind Power Game

Interactive Classroom

(6.10) Science concepts. The student knows the relationship between structure and function in living systems. The student is expected to:

(A) differentiate between structure and function;
(B) determine that all organisms are composed of cells that carry on functions to sustain life; and
(C) identify how structure complements function at different levels of organization including organs, organ systems, organisms, and populations.

Interactive Student
(A), (B) Plant and Animal Cells
(C) Flower Parts

Interactive Classroom
(A, B) Plant and Animal Cells
(B) Cells Alive
(B) Cell Quiz

(6.11) Science concepts. The student knows that traits of species can change through generations and that the instructions for traits are contained in the genetic material of the organisms. The student is expected to:

(A) identify some changes in traits that can occur over several generations through natural occurrence and selective breeding;
(B) identify cells as structures containing genetic material; and
(C) interpret the role of genes in inheritance.

Interactive Student
(A) Endangered Species Map
(A) Inherited Traits Form

(C) Genetics Stuff

Interactive Classroom
(A) Endangered Species Map
(B) Cells Alive
(B, C) DNA and Proteins

(6.12) Science concepts. The student knows that the responses of organisms are caused by internal or external stimuli. The student is expected to:

(A) identify responses in organisms to internal stimuli such as hunger or thirst;
(B) identify responses in organisms to external stimuli such as the presence or absence of heat or light; and
(C) identify components of an ecosystem to which organisms may respond.

Interactive Student

(A) Skinner's Bird
(A) Pavlov's Dog

(B) Phototropism

Interactive Classroom

(6.13) Science concepts. The student knows components of our solar system. The student is expected to:

(A) identify characteristics of objects in our solar system including the Sun, planets, meteorites, comets, asteroids, and moons; and
(B) describe types of equipment and transportation needed for space travel.

Interactive Student
(A) Orbital Simulator-Velocity, Gravity & Mass
(A) Stars and Constellations
(A) How Much Would You Weigh?
(A) Moon Olympics
(A) How Old Would You Be?
(A) Connect the Stars
(B) Design a Space Station

Interactive Classroom
(A) Stars and Constellations
(A) Parts of the Solar System
(A) Shoot the Cannonball
(A) Name That Planet!
(A) Space Trivia Quiz 1
(A) Space Trivia Quiz 2
(A) Space Trivia Quiz 3

(6.14) Science concepts. The student knows the structures and functions of Earth systems. The student is expected to:

(A) summarize the rock cycle;
(B) identify relationships between groundwater and surface water in a watershed; and
(C) describe components of the atmosphere, including oxygen, nitrogen, and water vapor, and identify the role of atmospheric movement in weather change.

Interactive Student
(A) Rock Cycle Gizmo

(C) How Lightning Works

Interactive Classroom
 

Online TAKS Released Test  2004   2003

(1)  Reading/Fluency. Students read grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. Students are expected to adjust fluency when reading aloud grade-level text based on the reading purpose and the nature of the text.

(2)  Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:

(A)  determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes;
(B)  use context (e.g., cause and effect or compare and contrast organizational text structures) to determine or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or multiple meaning words;
(C)  complete analogies that describe part to whole or whole to part (e.g., ink:pen as page: ____ or pen:ink as book: _____);
(D)  explain the meaning of foreign words and phrases commonly used in written English (e.g., RSVP, que sera sera); and
(E)  use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabication, pronunciations, alternate word choices, and parts of speech of words.

(B) Paint by Idioms
(B) Eye on Idioms
(D) Rooting Out Words
(D) Flip Chips

(B) Face Idioms
(B) Visuwords

(3)  Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A)  infer the implicit theme of a work of fiction, distinguishing theme from the topic;
(B)  analyze the function of stylistic elements (e.g., magic helper, rule of three) in traditional and classical literature from various cultures; and
(C)  compare and contrast the historical and cultural settings of two literary works.

(4)  Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain how figurative language (e.g., personification, metaphors, similes, hyperbole) contributes to the meaning of a poem.

(5)  Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the similarities and differences in the setting, characters, and plot of a play and those in a film based upon the same story line.

(6)  Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A)  summarize the elements of plot development (e.g., rising action, turning point, climax, falling action, denouement) in various works of fiction;
(B)  recognize dialect and conversational voice and explain how authors use dialect to convey character; and
(C)  describe different forms of point-of-view, including first- and third-person.

(7)  Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to identify the literary language and devices used in memoirs and personal narratives and compare their characteristics with those of an autobiography.

(8)  Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain how authors create meaning through stylistic elements and figurative language emphasizing the use of personification, hyperbole, and refrains.

(9)  Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to compare and contrast the stated or implied purposes of different authors writing on the same topic.

(10)  Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:

(A)  summarize the main ideas and supporting details in text, demonstrating an understanding that a summary does not include opinions;
(B)  explain whether facts included in an argument are used for or against an issue;
(C)  explain how different organizational patterns (e.g., proposition-and-support, problem-and-solution) develop the main idea and the author's viewpoint; and
(D)  synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar or different genres.

(11)  Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected to:

(A)  compare and contrast the structure and viewpoints of two different authors writing for the same purpose, noting the stated claim and supporting evidence; and
(B)  identify simply faulty reasoning used in persuasive texts.

(12)  Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A)  follow multi-tasked instructions to complete a task, solve a problem, or perform procedures; and
(B)  interpret factual, quantitative, or technical information presented in maps, charts, illustrations, graphs, timelines, tables, and diagrams.

(13)  Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts. Students are expected to:

(A)  explain messages conveyed in various forms of media;
(B)  recognize how various techniques influence viewers' emotions;
(C)  critique persuasive techniques (e.g., testimonials, bandwagon appeal) used in media messages; and
(D)  analyze various digital media venues for levels of formality and informality.

(14)  Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:

(A)  plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for conveying the intended meaning to an audience, determining appropriate topics through a range of strategies (e.g., discussion, background reading, personal interests, interviews), and developing a thesis or controlling idea;
(B)  develop drafts by choosing an appropriate organizational strategy (e.g., sequence of events, cause-effect, compare-contrast) and building on ideas to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing;
(C)  revise drafts to clarify meaning, enhance style, include simple and compound sentences, and improve transitions by adding, deleting, combining, and rearranging sentences or larger units of text after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed;
(D)  edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and
(E)  revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for appropriate audiences.

(D) Capitalization and Punctuation
(D) Punctuation Campground
(D) Title Ball 
(D) Punctuation Paintball
(D) Word Confusion
(D) Spell Check

(15)  Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:

(A)  write imaginative stories that include:
(i)  a clearly defined focus, plot, and point of view;
(ii)  a specific, believable setting created through the use of sensory details; and
(iii)  dialogue that develops the story; and
(B)  write poems using:
(i)  poetic techniques (e.g., alliteration, onomatopoeia);
(ii)  figurative language (e.g., similes, metaphors); and
(iii)  graphic elements (e.g., capital letters, line length).

(Bi) Acrostic Poem

(16)  Writing. Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected to write a personal narrative that has a clearly defined focus and communicates the importance of or reasons for actions and/or consequences.

(17)  Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:

(A)  create multi-paragraph essays to convey information about a topic that:
(i)  present effective introductions and concluding paragraphs;
(ii)  guide and inform the reader's understanding of key ideas and evidence;
(iii)  include specific facts, details, and examples in an appropriately organized structure; and
(iv)  use a variety of sentence structures and transitions to link paragraphs;
(B)  write informal letters that convey ideas, include important information, demonstrate a sense of closure, and use appropriate conventions (e.g., date, salutation, closing);
(C)  write responses to literary or expository texts and provide evidence from the text to demonstrate understanding; and
(D)  produce a multimedia presentation involving text and graphics using available technology.

(18)  Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write persuasive essays for appropriate audiences that establish a position and include sound reasoning, detailed and relevant evidence, and consideration of alternatives.

(19)  Oral and Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function of and use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A)  use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking:
(i)  verbs (irregular verbs and active and passive voice);
(ii)  non-count nouns (e.g., rice, paper);
(iii)  predicate adjectives (She is intelligent.) and their comparative and superlative forms (e.g., many, more, most);
(iv)  conjunctive adverbs (e.g., consequently, furthermore, indeed);
(v)  prepositions and prepositional phrases to convey location, time, direction, or to provide details;
(vi)  indefinite pronouns (e.g., all, both, nothing, anything);
(vii)  subordinating conjunctions (e.g., while, because, although, if); and
(viii)  transitional words and phrases that demonstrate an understanding of the function of the transition related to the organization of the writing (e.g., on the contrary, in addition to);
(B)  differentiate between the active and passive voice and know how to use them both; and
(C)  use complete simple and compound sentences with correct subject-verb agreement.

(C) Sentence Sort

(Av) Prepositions

(20)  Oral and Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation. Students write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in their compositions. Students are expected to:

(A)  use capitalization for:
(i)  abbreviations;
(ii)  initials and acronyms; and
(iii)  organizations;
(B)  recognize and use punctuation marks including:
(i)  commas in compound sentences;
(ii)  proper punctuation and spacing for quotations; and
(iii)  parentheses, brackets, and ellipses (to indicate omissions and interruptions or incomplete statements); and
(C)  use proper mechanics including italics and underlining for titles of books.

(21)  Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to:

(A)  differentiate between commonly confused terms (e.g., its, it's; affect, effect);
(B)  use spelling patterns and rules and print and electronic resources to determine and check correct spellings; and
(C)  know how to use the spell-check function in word processing while understanding its limitations.

(22)  Research/Research Plan. Students ask open-ended research questions and develop a plan for answering them. Students are expected to:

(A)  brainstorm, consult with others, decide upon a topic, and formulate open-ended questions to address the major research topic; and
(B)  generate a research plan for gathering relevant information about the major research question.

(23)  Research/Gathering Sources. Students determine, locate, and explore the full range of relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they gather. Students are expected to:

(A)  follow the research plan to collect data from a range of print and electronic resources (e.g., reference texts, periodicals, web pages, online sources) and data from experts;
(B)  differentiate between primary and secondary sources;
(C)  record data, utilizing available technology (e.g., word processors) in order to see the relationships between ideas, and convert graphic/visual data (e.g., charts, diagrams, timelines) into written notes;
(D)  identify the source of notes (e.g., author, title, page number) and record bibliographic information concerning those sources according to a standard format; and
(E)  differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism and identify the importance of citing valid and reliable sources.

(24)  Research/Synthesizing Information. Students clarify research questions and evaluate and synthesize collected information. Students are expected to:

(A)  refine the major research question, if necessary, guided by the answers to a secondary set of questions; and
(B)  evaluate the relevance and reliability of sources for the research.

(25)  Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their ideas and information according to the purpose of the research and their audience. Students are expected to synthesize the research into a written or an oral presentation that:

(A)  compiles important information from multiple sources;
(B)  develops a topic sentence, summarizes findings, and uses evidence to support conclusions;
(C)  presents the findings in a consistent format; and
(D)  uses quotations to support ideas and an appropriate form of documentation to acknowledge sources (e.g., bibliography, works cited).

(26)  Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students will use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:

(A)  listen to and interpret a speaker's messages (both verbal and nonverbal) and ask questions to clarify the speaker's purpose and perspective;
(B)  follow and give oral instructions that include multiple action steps; and
(C)  paraphrase the major ideas and supporting evidence in formal and informal presentations.

(27)  Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to give an organized presentation with a specific point of view, employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.

(28)  Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate in student-led discussions by eliciting and considering suggestions from other group members and by identifying points of agreement and disagreement.