Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

GRADE 6 SCIENCE LESSON PLANS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. The circulatory system Substance abuse and its effects The effects of rain on the environment Conservation of fish Photosynthesis Transpiration Methods of communicating using sound Movement of sound How to make a magnet

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

GRADE 6 SCIENCE LESSON PLAN

1. The Circulatory System Science Grade 6 Day/Date Unit Topic
Human Body Circulatory system

Duration: 80 minutes Learning Outcomes

Learners will be able to: i) identify the parts of the circulatory system ii) explain how the system works

Fact of the week

Did you know that the body has 10 000 km of
blood vessels?

Resources:
Charts, pictures/models of the blood circulatory system.

Introduction/Starter Activity
1. Ask pupils to press two fingers against their neck and to say what they feel. (Responses could be a steady pumping / beating). Ask them to count the number of pulses they feel during 10 seconds. 2. Now ask pupils to stand up and run on the spot until you reach a count of 20. 3. Ask pupils to put their fingers against their neck again and to count the number of pulses they feel during 10 seconds. 4. Ask them to suggest why they have a higher count the second time. Lead the discussion to the understanding that the blood is being pumped around the body faster so that the lungs can get more oxygen which we need to breathe.
10 minutes

Main Activity/Exploration/Experiment
1. Write the Fact of the week on the board. 2. Put class into groups of 4-6 and ask groups to appoint a leader, reporter, secretary and timekeeper. 3. Ask leader to collect materials needed for the activity: pictures or models of circulatory system, copies of the Circulatory System diagram. 4. The groups have to look at the pictures and secretary will write on the sheets what they think each section of the diagram shows. Timekeeper will keep them focused and busy so they can finish in the allotted time. 5. Reporter will report the groups findings back to the class. 6. Show the larger diagrams and ask children to explain the parts and completing the information as required. Congratulate those that get some parts correct, and lead the discussion to an understanding of the system. 7. Children should copy diagrams into their books and write a sentence about the circulation system. 50 minutes

Plenary/Conclusion
Take class outside to play the circulation game which has been drawn earlier onto the ground (see page 39 for diagram). 20 minutes

Homework: Pupils to complete their drawings and writing of notes at home. Lesson Evaluation - Write three sentences that describe the successes and challenges of this lesson with respect to a) Teaching and b) Learning. Page 2

Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Circulatory system

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Circulation Activity Draw this on the ground with the lungs at the top and the body tissue at the bottom. o Peg or draw out a map of the circulation system as shown below on the school field or playground. o Groups of learners representing the blood walk around the system explaining what is happening at each point. o Label each area or ask learners to do so. o Ask learners what happens if the heart beat increases.

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Grade 6 lesson Plan

2. Substance abuse and its effects Science Grade 6 Day/Date Unit Topic
Health Substance abuse and its effects

Duration: 40 minutes Learning Outcomes

Learner should be able to:: i) define substance abuse ii) state what the effects of substance abuse are

Fact of the week

Did you know that there is a drug enforcement commission
that deals with drug abusers and traffickers in Zambia? They work with the Police to arrest and send to court offenders who traffic in and use illegal drugs.

Resources:
Role play cards

Introduction/Starter Activity

5 minutes 1. Ask learners to name as many drugs as they know. Put them up on the board. 2.Ask children to explain the difference between an illegal substance and a legal substance. 3. Explain that some drugs that people use are perfectly legal, for example cigarettes and alcohol and medical drugs like aspirin or Valium. Examples of illegal substances can be mandrax, dagga, heroin, cocaine etc. 4. Classify the drugs listed on the board into two categories: Legal and Illegal

Main Activity/Exploration/Experiment
1. 2. 1. 2. 3. Write up Fact of the week and explain to the children that in the lesson you are going to look at something called substance abuse and how it affects people. Ask if they know what to abuse something is. Explain that it means to use something incorrectly so that it may get damaged or in the case of the body something in the body will get damaged. Ask if anyone knows what substance abuse is.? Explain that in the old days people used to talk about drug abuse or alcohol abuse, but these days people abuse other substances such as glue, petrol or spirit so we now use the term substance abuse. 12 minutes Put children in groups and ask the leader to collect role play cards from teachers table. Pupils will enact the role play on the card. 10 minutes Stop the groups and give each group a chance to show their role play. After each role play ask the class what they think will happen next. Ask what the message is in the role play.

4. 5. 6. 7.

Message 1. Life is miserable at home and the whole family suffers as a result of the dads drinking Message 2. The person can get hurt because he is not in control of his body. While at first sniffing
glue was fun, he became sick with possible brain damage and his vision was affected.

Message 3. Drug addicts often turn to crime to get money for their habit. Message 4: Alcohol can make you violent and get angry about silly or unimportant things.

Plenary/Conclusion
1. 2.

6 minutes

Ask learners to return to their groups, the group leader should collect a work sheet from you. Learners to answer questions in their groups and write answers individually in their books.

Homework:
Pupils to write up the findings from the lesson in their own words. 2 minutes

Lesson Evaluation - Write three sentences that describe the successes and challenges of Page 5

Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

this lesson with respect to a)

Teaching and b) Learning.

Comment [j1]:

Role Play Cards for substance abuse and its effects lesson Role play 1
The scene is a house where the dad has come home very drunk and is demanding his supper. Mum is saying that she has been waiting all day for him to come home and give her some money to buy food. The dad is very bad tempered and angry and starts shouting at the children to get out of the house and then he is just about to hit his wife when Stop the action.

Role play 2
The scene is a group of street kids at a set of robots. There is a new person who is joining the gang. The others encourage the new person to have a go at sniffing some glue out of a bottle. The person does and feels good. Two months later the person is feeling very sick and cannot see properly and collapses in the road. A car is about to run over the person when Stop the action.

Role play 3
The scene is a group of girls showing off a new phone to their friends. Suddenly out of nowhere a thief snatches the phone from the girl and runs off. The next scene is where the thief is trying to sell the phone. The thief gets the money and then goes to some others and asks to have some H (heroin) from them. They say they need more money but the thief pleads with them until. Stop the action.

Role Play 4
A group of friends have been drinking all afternoon. They begin to have a talk about football. Some think that Arsenal are the best, some think that Man U is better, One person gets very angry that no one is mentioning a Zambian team. The person starts pushing the others around. Some dont like this and they start. Stop the action.

Work sheet for plenary activity on the effects of substance abuse

Discuss and write answers to the following questions: 1. Why do people use drugs? 2. What are the effects of taking drugs on the individual taking the drug, the families of the drug user and the community in which they live? 3. How can drug abuse be reduced?

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Grade 6 Science Lesson Plan

3. The effects of rain on the environment Science Grade 6 Day/Date Unit Topic
The Environment The effects of rain on the environment

Duration 40 minutes Learning Outcomes

Learners should be able to show that rain can have both positive and negative effects on the environment

Fact of the week

Did you know although water is life it can
also be a danger to life?

Resources:
Magazine pictures of flooded fields, homes etc. Green fields, people bathing/washing, cows grazing in the grass

Introduction/Starter Activity
1. Song: Pula pula, nela kapili luce malaka (Lozi) (or local language equivalent) Calling the first rains to bring up pumpkins, maize, vegetables, etc. What traditional beliefs do we have about the first rains? Pupils come up with traditional songs, poems riddles, proverbs in praise of rain. 5 minutes

Main Activity/Exploration/Experiment
1. 2. 3. 4. Put the class into groups of 4. Assign a role to each member: spokesperson, timekeeper, secretary, chairperson/ leader. Ask the group leader to collect the work card from the teacher. Work card will be labelled Advantages and disadvantages of rain to our environment and will have instructions for each group. Pupils will discuss how the rain affects them in their community and come up with 3 items for each section. 10 minutes Ask spokesperson to report back the findings of the group and write them on the board in the following table: Positive effects of rain Negative effects of rain

Expect positive things like: rivers and lakes fill up in readiness for dry season; crops and plants grow healthily; water supply is replenished for home use, etc. On the negative side: floods cause damage to crops and fields; soil erosion takes place; roads and paths get destroyed; houses collapse in the rainy season; the electricity supply is erratic and often fails in storms, etc. (Outbreaks of cholera and malaria can also be mentioned as an indirect effects of rain.) 15 minutes
8. Pupils can begin to copy the table into their books under the title The effects of Rain on the Environment 5 minutes

Plenary/Conclusion
1. Divide class into 2 groups. Make a score list on the board. Appoint 2 pupils from each group to facilitate the game. Award one point for each correct answer. 2. Pupils should give either an advantage or a disadvantage of rain when asked to do so. Example: Question: What is an advantage? Answer: Crops grow well. 3. Total up the scores and congratulate the winning team. 5 minutes

Homework: 1. Complete the table on the lists of advantages and disadvantages of the effects of rain. Page 7

Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

2. Talk to your families at home to see if they can add some items to their lists. Lesson Evaluation - Write three sentences that describe the successes and challenges of this lesson with respect to a) Teaching and b) Learning.

Rain water and the Environment

In your groups discuss how rain affects the way you live. You should think about your own homes and areas where you live and make a list of 3 positive effects (advantages) and 3 negative effects (disadvantages) caused by rain.

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Grade 6 Science Lesson Plan

4. Conservation of fish Science Grade 6 Unit
Plants and Animals

Day/Date Topic
Conservation of fish

Duration 80 minutes Learning Outcomes

Learners will be able to define ways of conserving fish by i) Investigating different fishing methods and ii) Investigating how fish stocks can be protected

Fact of the week

Did you knowThat the Zambian Government
has put in place a law that says it is illegal to fish between December 1st and March 31st?

Resources:
NB: For those teachers in fishing areas ask children in advance of the lesson to bring in examples of any nets/lines that they have at home to show to the class. Equipment for magnetic fish game, different types of fishing nets or pictures of nets and fishing lines, newspaper articles on fishing

Introduction/Starter Activity
Ask pupils in pairs to discuss where they think the main fishing areas are in Zambia 3 minutes 2. Report the findings back from the class, writing the areas that they mention on the board. Make sure that the following areas are mentioned if not write them up. Lakes Tanganyika, Bangweulu, Kariba, Mweru and rivers Kafue, Luangwa and Zambezi along their lengths and Lukanga Swamps, Itezhi Tezhi dam 5 minutes 1.

Main Activity/Exploration/Experiment
1. Magnetic fishing game (see appendix). You may need to go outside for this as you will need a bit of space if the groups play the game as a relay. 5 minutes 2. When finished and children have returned to their desks, ask children why the game ended. They will probably say because there were no more fish. 3. Ask children if this could happen in real life: could all the fish finish in a river? 4. Explain that today you are going to be looking at ways of making sure that the rivers do not lose all their fish. This is called conservation of fish. Write up the word conservation on the board. 10 minutes 5. Put class into four groups and ask them to think of as many ways as possible of making sure that the stocks of fish in rivers and lakes do not dry up. 5 minutes 6. Each group should report back their findings and you should write them on the board.

Encourage responses such as: not polluting rivers and lakes, not fishing too much, not fishing small fish as they need to grow into big fish.
Ask children to imagine what it would be like if everyone died when they got to the age of 13. What would happen to the country? (No adults therefore nobody to breed; the population would eventually die out.) 5 minutes 7. Write the Fact of the week on the board and ask children why they think this will help to conserve fish stocks. 5 minutes 8. Ask children if they know of any methods of catching fish. If you have samples or pictures of fishing nets or other means of catching fish, show them to the children.

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

From this activity you will be able to get the point across that different types of nets can help with conservation of fish. The smaller the holes in the net the smaller the fish you catch and for some breeds of fish the baby fish get caught with smaller nets, which is bad. 5 minutes
9. Explain that another way of conserving fish is something called fish farming. Ask if they know what this is and why they think it will help with the conservation of fish. 5 minutes

The point is that by building a fish pond you can control the stocks of fish, make sure they have the correct feed, make sure that it does not get polluted, that the fish are caught at the proper time and that the catchment area is increased.
10. Ask children to write in their science books their own notes on the conservation of fish. They should be encouraged to mention why it is important and what methods can be used to help with the conservation of fish. 20 minutes

Plenary/Conclusion
Fish Life Cycle Game (Adapt the frog life cycle game to baby fish. Mark in different hazards for baby fish.) Ask pupils to reform the 4 groups from earlier in the lesson. Ask the leader to collect the game activity from you. Play the game if time allows until one group finishes. Stop the game if the lesson is nearly over and see which pupils have the most fish at the stage they are at. 10 minutes

Homework:
Pupils to finish off their notes on the conservation of fish.

Lesson Evaluation - Write three sentences that describe the successes and challenges of this lesson with respect to a) Teaching and b) Learning.

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Grade 6 Science Lesson Plan

5. Photosynthesis Science Grade 6 Unit
Plants and Animals

Day/Date Topic
Photosynthesis

Duration 80 minutes Learning Outcomes

Learners will be able to describe the process of photosynthesis

Fact of the week

Did you know that plants take in carbon
dioxide and release oxygen when sunlight shines on them? (This was discovered by Dutch scientist Jan Inglehaus in the eighteenth century.)

Resources:
Important: Prepare a plant at least a week in
advance of the lesson by putting some masking tape on a section of one of the leaves and leaving it in the sunlight. Different potted plants with leaves, brought into the classroom or growing where you can take the children to look at them. Work cards for each group Leaf diagram for each group Large diagram of leaf with words covered up for plenary activity

Introduction/Starter Activity
1. Ask pupils to be in pairs. Ask them to discuss what they think would happen to them if they were to be kept in a dark room and given only water for one week. 3 minutes 2. Ask pairs to volunteer to say what they think would happen, and write up some answers on the board. 3 minutes Ensure that the following main ideas are discussed: i) we need food as well as water; ii) if we dont get sunlight, warmth or fresh air, we will not feel good and we will begin to get sick. 4 minutes)

Main Activity/Exploration/Experiment
1. Explain that today you are going to look at plants and how they get their food. Divide the class into four groups and ask them to appoint a leader who should collect the work card from you. 5 minutes

NB: if you have potted plants in the classroom then allocate a plant to each group. You might also use a weed taken from the field and put it into a clear plastic so that children can see the soil and root system of the plant. If you dont have plants that you can bring into the classroom, take the class outside and allocate a plant to each group.
2. Ask children in their groups to answer the questions on the cards. 5 minutes 3. Each group should report back the findings whilst you write them on the board. 10 minutes

NB: Children are likely to focus on the fact that plants get their food via the roots from the soil as mentioned in the previous lessons. Hopefully they will mention things like water and sunlight. Refer back to the introduction when they said that humans need food, water, sunlight and air to be able to live healthily. So do plants. Mention here that sunlight is very important for plants. Some plants like direct sun light to grow nicely, while other plants like more shade, but they still get light and air. Most plants are green.

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

4. Explain to the children that there is one other way that plants get food and that they do this by making it themselves. Ask if anyone knows what the name of this process might be. 5. If no one comes up with the name write Photosynthesis on the board. Explain that this is the process whereby plants make their own food by taking light energy from the sun together with water and carbon dioxide, in order to produce sugar and oxygen from the leaves. The sugar is the food. You can use the example of humans drinking sugar water to give them energy and also ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution), which is mainly sugar, used when people have been sick. 10 minutes 6. Explain that there is one other important factor in this process and refer to the question that asked what colour are most plants. Write chlorophyll on the board. Explain that chlorophyll is a green pigment that exists in green plants. 7. Class should gather around the plant that you prepared earlier in the previous week. Carefully remove tape. The part of the leaf where the tape has been should be much paler than the rest of the leaf. 8. Ask children what has happened. Consider their responses and lead the discussion to the understanding that leaves and plants need sunlight to make food. The chlorophyll is the green pigment that helps the leaves absorb the sunlight that is needed to make oxygen and sugar. 10 minutes 10. Give Fact of the week at this point as a summary. 5 minutes 11. Ask class to return to their places and to complete the sentences that you will write on the board. Once settled ask a few children to explain the process of Photosynthesis. 15 minutes 1. Plants need___________, _____________ and ___________ to make food. 2. The green pigment in plants is called _____________. 3. The gas that is produced during photosynthesis is called ____________. 4. Copy and complete the word equation for Photosynthesis Sunlight + Carbon dioxide + _____________ > Sugar + _____________ 5. In your own words, describe what happens if plants do not get sunlight.

Plenary/Conclusion
Stop children from writing and distribute the sheet with the diagram of the leaf. Allow 5 minutes to put the correct word in the boxes to show the process of photosynthesis. Using the big diagram, ask each table to tell you what should go in each box. Uncover your diagram when the words have been given. 10 minutes

Homework: 1. Pupils draw a leaf putting in the correct words and arrows to show the process of
photosynthesis.

2. Learn all the new words from today for a spelling test next lesson. Lesson Evaluation - Write three sentences that describe the successes and challenges of this lesson with respect to a) Teaching and b) Learning.

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Photosynthesis Photosynthesis is the process by which light energy from the sun is absorbed by the chlorophyll in a plant and changed by a chemical reaction into food (sugars or glucose) and oxygen.

Equation showing photosynthesis: Sunlight + Carbon dioxide + water sugar and oxygen

In your groups, discuss the following questions and write the answers on a piece of paper.

List the things that plants need in order to grow. How do plants get their food? What is the main colour of most plants?

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

PHOTOSYNTHESIS In your groups place the correct word card on the diagram where there are arrows to show the process of Photosynthesis.

chlorophyll

water

sugar

oxygen

carbon dioxide

sunlight

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Grade 6 Science Lesson Plan

6. Transpiration Science Grade 6 Unit
Plants and Animals

Day/Date Topic
Transpiration

Duration 80 minutes Learning Outcomes

Learners should be able to conduct an experiment to observe the loss of water in a plant and to state that transpiration is the process by which plants lose water through their leaves

Resources:
Plants with leaves Rubber bands Worksheets Grade 6 Integrated science book

Introduction/Starter Activity
1. Write on the board: Why is water important to plants and animals? 2. Learners discuss the question in pairs. 3. Meanwhile, draw a chart as follows on the board: Animals Plants 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. 3. 4. 4.

20 minutes

4. Ask learners for their answers and write them onto the chart. The final chart might look something like this: Animals Plants 1. Water is used for drinking. 1. Water makes plants grow. 2. Water is used for bathing. 2. Water is absorbed by the roots. 3. Water is the home of some animals. 3. Water helps the movement of food. 4. Water is needed by the body. 4. Water is part of the juice of a fruit.

Main Activity/Exploration/Experiment

50 minutes 1. Ask learners what happens to the water that plants get when they are watered. 2. Remind learners that water evaporates from plants and is an important part of the rain cycle. During the dry season this still happens. Explain that today you shall be looking at this process which is called transpiration. Write the word on the board 3. Explain that transpiration is the process by which plants lose water to the atmosphere through their leaves. 4. Divide class into groups and ask leaders to collect their work sheets from you. 5. Explain that they will be going outside to conduct an experiment. Point out any poisonous plants that exist in the school grounds, and warn them not to touch them. 6. Demonstrate how to place a clear plastic bag and rubber band on a leaf without damaging it. 7. Let learners follow instructions on the sheet.

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Plenary/Conclusion
1. Have the learners share observations from their sheets.
2. Discuss as a class whether the amount of water collected by each group was the same or different, and why. 3. Lead the discussion to the conclusion that the amount of water will be different because different leaves will transpire at a different rate depending on the size and type of leaf. 10 minutes

Homework
Draw a diagram showing the results at the end of 30 minutes. Use words and arrows to explain what happened.

Lesson Evaluation - Write three sentences that describe the successes and challenges of this lesson with respect to a) Teaching and b) Learning.

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Transpiration Worksheet
Transpiration is actually the loss of water from the leaves by evaporation; this helps keeps water moving round the plant by sucking water up from the roots.
1. Study the following diagram, then complete the experiment

The Transpiration Stream Materials

You will need: Clear plastic bag Rubber band 1. Identify a plant with broad leaves. 2. Put a plastic bag on one of the leaves. 3. Use the rubber band to keep the bag closed over the leaf and around the stem. 4. Observe the bag as soon as you have put it on the leaf and record your observations on this sheet. 5. Observe the leaf again at intervals of 15 minutes recording your observations each time. 6. Compare the amount of water in your bag with other pupils bags and record your results. (You can use a measuring cylinder from the science kit to measure this water accurately.)

Duration 0 minutes 15 minutes 30 minutes

Observations

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Grade 6 Lesson Plans

7. Methods of communicating using sound Science Grade 6 Day/Date Unit Topic
Communication Methods of communicating using sound

Duration 40 minutes Learning Outcomes

Learners should be able to state the different methods of communicating using sound

Fact of the week

Smoke was used as a method of communicating a long time ago

Resources:
Sheets of Scrambled Eggs for each group; picture of different items using sound as a means of communicating from Look Around, Book 6 in chapter on sound

Introduction/Starter Activity
Put pupils into 4 groups. Ask each group to discuss how people used to communicate in the past. 5 minutes

Main Activity/Exploration/Experiment
1. Go through the findings of each group and write relevant responses on the board. You may get answers like drums, telling stories, songs, dances, messengers on foot. 2. Write Fact of the week on the board and ask students to suggest how this might have worked. 3. Explain that we are going to look at ways of communicating today. Ask class to return to their groups and to appoint a leader, a reporter and a secretary. 4. Ask the leader to come to the front to collect the picture for their group. 5. Explain that in their groups they will identify and write down the objects in the picture that show communication using sound. 10 minutes 6. Write on the board the groups findings. 7. Go over findings and ask pupils to write a sentence in their books about the different ways of communicating by sound 10 minutes

Plenary/Conclusion
Ask learners to stop writing and to return to their groups where they will complete the Scrambled Eggs activity. Go through the answers before finishing the lesson. 8 minutes

Homework:
Pupils to write answers to the following questions a) Name some sources of sound that are used for communicating. b) Make a simple string telephone. 2 minutes

Lesson Evaluation - Write three sentences that describe the successes and challenges of this lesson with respect to a) Teaching and b) Learning.

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Scrambled Eggs Unscramble the following sets of letters to make words associated with sound 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. mrud nepleheot diora lesiovtein nicomumcanoit dnuos elbl ung kbra

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Grade 6 Lesson Plan

8. The movement of sound Science Grade 6 Day/Date Unit Topic
Materials and Energy Sound and Travel : the movement of sound

Duration 40 minutes Learning Outcomes

Learners will be able to: i) state that light travels faster than the speed of sound and ii) show that sound can travel through solids, liquids and gases

Fact of the week

Did you knowin outer space there is no
medium for sound to travel through so there is no sound?

Resources:
Drum, stick, metal dustbin lid, string, desk, table, floor, wall, water, dish, two metal bars

Introduction/Starter Activity
1. Pupils go outside. 2. Let one pupil stand 100 metres away from the rest of the class. He/she should beat the drum once, loudly while the other students observe what happens. 3. Ask what they see/hear? 4. Ask if they first heard the sound or saw the person beating the drum. Allow a number of pupils to take turns beating the drum. 5. Ask children to discuss what happens in a heavy storm with thunder and lightning. Which comes first, the lightning or the thunder? 6. Ask pupils what they think the activities show about the speed of sound and the speed of light. 7. Reinforce that they demonstrate that light travels faster than sound. 8. Tell children that the next time they are in a storm they should count after they see a flash of lightning until they hear the thunder. If they divide the number by 3, this will tell them roughly how far away the storm is from them in kilometres. 10 minutes

Main Activity/Exploration/Experiment
1. When pupils return to class, ask one pupil to explain to the class what they discovered outside. Reinforce by writing on the board: Light travels faster than the speed of sound. 5 minutes 2. Put the class into 4 groups and explain that each group will be doing a different experiment. Give each group a task card as follows:

Group 1 Your task is to discover whether sound travels through wood. You may use the desk or table to help you devise an experiment to find out whether sound travels though wood. Group 2 Your task is to discover whether sound travels through a wall. You may use the classroom wall to help you devise an experiment to find out whether sound travels through a wall.

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Group 3 Your task is to discover whether sound travels through water. You will be given a bowl of water and two metal rods to help you find out whether sound travels through water. Group 4 Your task is to discover whether sound travels through air. You dont need any special equipment to devise an experiment to find out whether sound travels through air.

If pupils struggle to get started, give them the following cards as an aid.
1. Work in pairs and sit at each end of a table or desk. Cover one ear with your hand and put the other ear close to the table or desk top but not touching it. Ask your partner to lightly scratch the desk top with a stick or pencil. Can you hear the sound? Now move your ear closer so that it touches the desk top. Swap over and repeat the activity. Discuss what this suggests and write down your findings.

2. One pupil goes outside and the other pupils position themselves opposite them inside the classroom with the door shut. The person outside knocks on the wall. Can you hear the knock? Can you hear if the person scratches lightly on the wall? What does this tell you? 3. Work in pairs. Go outside and stand at least 20 metres apart. Tell each other what you would like for supper. Come together and check whether you heard each other properly. What does this tell you? Try it further apart and again closer together. 4. Take a bowl and half fill it with water. Cover one ear with your hand and place the other ear in the water. Someone will be hitting the two metal rods together. Can you hear it? What does this tell you? 20 minutes Ask groups to share their findings and summarize them on the board. Go through the findings, reinforcing that sound can travel through gases, liquids and solids. Explain that we are able to hear sound because it is carried through gases, liquids and solids by sound waves. We hear sounds when we walk as it travels though air. We can hear sounds through water when we swim and sound can travel through doors and other solid objects.

Plenary/Conclusion
Play a game of Chinese Whispers. All children stand in a circle. Whisper something into the first childs ear who then whispers it to the next person and so on. When they get back to the first person (beginning) the last child says what they have just heard. It invariably is very different from what we first start out with. If the class is very large split into two circles. 5 minutes

Homework: 1. Pupils to write up the experiment they did and write the conclusion.
2. They should make notes on how sound moves through solids, liquids and gases. 3. Encourage them to find out what the speeds of sound and light are.

2 minutes

Lesson Evaluation - Write three sentences that describe the successes and challenges of this lesson with respect to a) Teaching and b) Learning.

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Grade 6 lesson plan

9. How to make a magnet Science Grade 6 Unit
Materials and Energy:

Day/Date Topic
How to make a magnet

Duration 40 minutes Learning Outcomes

Learners should be able to make a magnet by the stroking method

Fact of the week

Did you know the term magnetism is derived
from Magnesia? This is a region in Asia where lodestone, a natural magnetic iron ore was found in ancient times.

Resources:
Bar magnets, razor blades, small nails, steel pins, pieces of wood, plastic etc. Equipment for Needle in the Haystack game (see p. 57) 5 minutes

Introduction/Starter Activity
Needle in the haystack game ( see appendix)

Main Activity/Exploration/Experiment
1. Put Fact of the week on board and discuss it briefly. Explain that if we do not have a natural lodestone, we can make a magnet. That is what we are going to do today. 5 minutes 2. Put class into groups and ask leader to come and collect the equipment for the next activity. (See appendix, pp. 58 and 59) 5 minutes 3. Explain once the children have settled that they must follow the instructions exactly as shown on their cards. Children should now begin to complete the tasks. 10 minutes 4. Stop learners from working and ask them if their magnets worked. Ask each group to demonstrate that it did work. 5 minutes

Plenary/Conclusion
Magnetic Race Game (see appendix, p. 102, for instructions, and model race course on p. 61) Ask for a pair of volunteers from each group to come to the front to play the game.

The number of children who play the game will depend on how much equipment you have. If their homemade magnets are strong enough, they can use these to play the game. 5 minutes

Homework:
Learners should write up the activity they did and draw diagrams to show how to make a magnet. They should explain how they tested whether their magnet worked. 5 minutes Prepare a work card to help those learners who will find this activity difficult.

Lesson Evaluation - Write three sentences that describe the successes and challenges of this lesson with respect to a) Teaching and b) Learning.

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Needle in a haystack.

Materials needed Fine sand - enough for a small pile for each of the groups (The piles of

sand should be prepared before the lesson on a piece of card and be given out to each group.)
3 small nails or dressmaking pins per group

A magnet per group (This should not be given out until the group asks for it.)

INSTRUCTION CARD FOR THE LEARNERS NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK 1. Inside the pile of sand are some dressmaking pins that have been lost. You have to find them but you are not allowed to touch the sand with your hands. 2. How can you do this? You are not allowed to tip up the card or move the sand in any way. 3. If you think you need something else to help you, you can ask your teacher for it.

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Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

How to make a magnet card ACTIVITY A

1. Place razor blade on a table 2. Stroke from one end to the other at least 20 times in one direction, as shown in the diagram, with one end of a bar magnet. 3. Place some iron filings or a few staples on a sheet of paper. Bring the razor blade close to them. Describe what you see is happening.

ACTIVITY B Page 24

Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

Do you think that the objects in the table below are attracted to a magnet? If you think they can be attracted to a magnet because of what you have learnt, put an X in the first column beside the word. Test whether your magnet works with as many of the objects as you have. If they are attracted to the magnet, put a tick in the second column next to the word. How many of them did you correctly predict as being attracted to a magnet?

X Glass bead Leather on shoe Ivory bangle Candle Plastic bottle Bic pen Plastic comb Copper wire Lodestone Nickel cobalt pencil

X Iron nail Rubber Steel pins Plastic ruler Bottle top Paper clip

What do the items that are attracted to a magnet have in common? What do those that are NOT attracted to a magnet have in common?

Magnet Race Game Page 25

Sample Science Lessons for Grade 6

START

FINISH
Place a paper clip at the start and using a magnet underneath the card move the paper clip around the course. The winner is the one to reach the finish post in the least time.

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