🔬
Sixth grade Science Practice
Sixth-grade science explores life science, physical science, and Earth science through investigation, modeling, and data analysis, building foundational understanding of cells, matter, Earth's systems, and the universe.
82 skills · 656 questions · No signup required to try
🎯
Adaptive difficulty
Questions get harder as your child improves and ease back when they struggle.
📈
Mastery tracking
See real progress across every sixth grade Science skill.
🏆
Motivating
Streaks, points, badges, and games keep kids coming back.
Sixth grade Science topics covered
Cells and life science
- Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells
- Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell
- Develop and use a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis in cycling matter
- Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis
Matter and energy
- Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures
- Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances
- Gather information about the total number of atoms in a closed system before and after a reaction
- Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state
Earth's systems
- Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials
- Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth's surface
- Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks
- Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of Earth's interior in driving plate movement
Weather and climate
- Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses result in changes in weather
- Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation
- Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused climate change over the past century
- Distinguish between weather and climate and use data to describe local and global climate patterns
Ecosystems and energy flow
- Construct a food web to model the flow of energy through an ecosystem
- Analyze how matter cycles through living and nonliving components of an ecosystem
- Explain how producers, consumers, and decomposers interact in an ecosystem
- Use a model to illustrate how energy is transferred and lost at each trophic level
Interdependence and human impact
- Analyze data to show how human activities affect biodiversity and ecosystem health
- Evaluate the positive and negative impacts of resource use on ecosystems
- Explain how invasive species can disrupt the balance of an existing ecosystem
- Design and evaluate a solution to reduce the human impact on an ecosystem
Forces, motion, and energy
- Describe and calculate the speed and velocity of an object using distance-time graphs
- Explain how balanced and unbalanced forces affect the motion of an object
- Investigate the effects of gravity and friction as forces that act on objects
- Distinguish between potential energy and kinetic energy and describe conversions between them
Waves and electromagnetic spectrum
- Use a model to describe the basic properties of waves including amplitude, wavelength, and frequency
- Distinguish between transverse and longitudinal waves and give examples of each
- Explain how sound travels as a longitudinal wave through different media
- Describe the relationship between wave frequency and energy
Earth's history and rock record
- Explain how sedimentary rock layers provide evidence of Earth's past environments
- Describe how fossils form and what they reveal about past life on Earth
- Interpret rock strata using the principles of superposition and original horizontality
- Explain how absolute and relative dating methods are used to determine the age of rocks and fossils
Space science and the solar system
- Develop and use a scale model to compare the sizes and distances of objects in the solar system
- Explain how gravity influences the motion of planets, moons, and other objects in the solar system
- Describe the characteristics that distinguish the inner and outer planets
- Explain how Earth's rotation and revolution cause day, night, and the changing seasons
Scientific practices and engineering design
- Formulate a testable hypothesis and design a controlled experiment to investigate a scientific question
- Identify independent, dependent, and controlled variables in an experiment
- Collect, record, and organize data using tables, graphs, and digital tools
- Analyze data to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies, and draw evidence-based conclusions
Frequently asked questions
Is Sixth grade Science practice free?+
Yes — try several questions per grade free, no signup needed. A free account unlocks unlimited adaptive practice and saved progress.
How does ZeLarn adapt to my child's level?+
After each answer, ZeLarn adjusts the difficulty — promoting to harder questions after a correct streak and easing back when your child struggles — so practice always stays at the right challenge.
Is ZeLarn a good IXL alternative for sixth grade Science?+
ZeLarn offers adaptive practice, mastery tracking, and gamification (streaks, badges, games) as a free, engaging alternative for sixth grade students.