Scope and sequence · History & Geography
Grade 6 Geography: Physical Geography: The Earth’s Systems
A year of true stories about the working earth, from Pliny the Younger watching Vesuvius bury Pompeii and Marie Tharp mapping the hidden ridge beneath the Atlantic to Benjamin Franklin charting the Gulf Stream for the mail ships, the great Mississippi flood of 1927 and the Dutch dikes and Delta Works that hold back the North Sea, each one taken apart to see how the land, the air and the water move and then tried in miniature with clay, a paint-tray stream, a sponge mountain and a pan of colored water at the kitchen table.
School Launch is a free helpful tool, not an accredited school or curriculum provider. It does not issue credits, transcripts, diplomas or grades of record. Parents and schools are responsible for meeting their own state or local requirements. More
What to cover
32 of 36 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: Maps of the Land's Shape
- MUST COVER 1.1 Contour Lines ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 Reading a Topographic Map · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 A Potato Mountain ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 Profiles and Cross-Sections · unit test
Unit 2: The Moving Earth
- MUST COVER 2.1 Inside the Earth ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 Plates and Their Edges · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 Mountains Built by Collision · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 The Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Iceland · unit test
Unit 3: Volcanoes and Earthquakes
- MUST COVER 3.1 Vesuvius and Pompeii ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Kinds of Volcanoes · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 Building Against Earthquakes ⚙ · unit test
Unit 4: Weathering, Erosion and Rivers
- MUST COVER 4.1 Weathering ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Rivers at Work · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Deltas and Floodplains · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 Glaciers · unit test
Unit 5: Climate as Physical Geography
- MUST COVER 5.1 Weather and Climate ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 Latitude and the Sun’s Angle · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Altitude, Winds and Rain Shadows · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 Köppen’s Climate Zones ★ · unit test
Unit 6: Biomes
- MUST COVER 6.1 Tropical Rain Forests ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Deserts and Grasslands · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 Forests of the Temperate Lands and the Taiga · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 Tundra and Ice · unit test
Unit 7: Oceans and Currents
- MUST COVER 7.1 The Gulf Stream ★ ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 Gyres and Currents · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 Tides · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 Currents and Climate · unit test
Unit 8: Living with Natural Hazards
- MUST COVER 8.1 The Netherlands and the Sea ★ ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Levees on the Mississippi ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Hurricanes ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 Tornado Alley and Warning Systems ⚙ · unit test
Unit 9: Bonus: Map Lab OPTIONAL unit
- OPTIONAL 9.1 Contour Map Puzzle
- OPTIONAL 9.2 Plate Boundary Detective
- OPTIONAL 9.3 Climate Mystery Cities
- OPTIONAL 9.4 Make a Stream-Table Map
36-week pacing calendar
From the course’s own 36-week pacing guide, with catch-up and review weeks added to fill a 36-week (180-day) year.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Session 1: Lesson 1.1 Contour Lines: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 2 | Session 1: Lesson 1.2 Reading a Topographic Map: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 3 | Session 1: Lesson 1.3 A Potato Mountain: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 4 | Session 1: Lesson 1.4 Profiles and Cross-Sections: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 1 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 5 | Session 1: Lesson 2.1 Inside the Earth: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 6 | Session 1: Lesson 2.2 Plates and Their Edges: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 7 | Session 1: Lesson 2.3 Mountains Built by Collision: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 8 | Session 1: Lesson 2.4 The Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Iceland: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 2 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 9 | Session 1: Lesson 3.1 Vesuvius and Pompeii: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 10 | Session 1: Lesson 3.2 Kinds of Volcanoes: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 11 | Session 1: Lesson 3.3 The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 12 | Session 1: Lesson 3.4 Building Against Earthquakes: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 3 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 13 | Session 1: Lesson 4.1 Weathering: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 14 | Session 1: Lesson 4.2 Rivers at Work: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 15 | Session 1: Lesson 4.3 Deltas and Floodplains: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 16 | Session 1: Lesson 4.4 Glaciers: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 4 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 17 | Session 1: Lesson 5.1 Weather and Climate: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 18 | Session 1: Lesson 5.2 Latitude and the Sun’s Angle: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 19 | Session 1: Lesson 5.3 Altitude, Winds and Rain Shadows: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 20 | Session 1: Lesson 5.4 Köppen’s Climate Zones: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 5 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 21 | Session 1: Lesson 6.1 Tropical Rain Forests: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 22 | Session 1: Lesson 6.2 Deserts and Grasslands: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 23 | Session 1: Lesson 6.3 Forests of the Temperate Lands and the Taiga: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 24 | Session 1: Lesson 6.4 Tundra and Ice: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 6 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 25 | Session 1: Lesson 7.1 The Gulf Stream: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 26 | Session 1: Lesson 7.2 Gyres and Currents: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 27 | Session 1: Lesson 7.3 Tides: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 28 | Session 1: Lesson 7.4 Currents and Climate: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 7 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 29 | Session 1: Lesson 8.1 The Netherlands and the Sea: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 30 | Session 1: Lesson 8.2 Levees on the Mississippi: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 31 | Session 1: Lesson 8.3 Hurricanes: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 32 | Session 1: Lesson 8.4 Tornado Alley and Warning Systems: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 8 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 33 | Session 1: Lesson 9.1 Contour Map Puzzle: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 34 | Session 1: Lesson 9.2 Plate Boundary Detective: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 35 | Session 1: Lesson 9.3 Climate Mystery Cities: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 36 | Session 1: Lesson 9.4 Make a Stream-Table Map: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 9 review and unit project |
Grading: Projects (careful work, honest observations and the explain-it step) 30%, Map notebook (dated maps with title, key, north arrow and scale) 20%, Practice questions 10%, Unit reviews 20%, Unit projects 20%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69. Below 60: redo the project or review with help.