The following curriculum outlines the Earth and Space Science (Grade 6) course material on the Science for All website, which is part of a Girl Scout Gold Award project, Catalyzing Curiosity in Science. Catalyzing Curiosity in Science strives to improve the quality of science education all over the United States of America, especially in communities with a lack of resources and funding for science education in schools. Furthermore, it is an initiative to improve the country’s perception of science and to increase the importance science gets, by fostering a love for science in students.

This curriculum will also align with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) performance expectations. The following eight NGSS practices that are implemented for students to develop while learning this material are listed below:

1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)

2. Developing and using models

3. Planning and carrying out investigations

4. Analyzing and interpreting data

5. Using mathematics and computational thinking

6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)

7. Engaging in argument from evidence

8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Additionally, the following crosscutting concepts are incorporated into the curriculum to deepen students’ understanding of this material are listed below.

1. Patterns

2. Cause and effect: mechanism and explanation

3. Scale, proportion, and quantity

4. Systems and system models

5. Energy and matter: flows, cycles, and conservation

6. Structure and function