Hands-On Science and Technology for Ontario, Grade 6: An Inquiry Approach With STEM Skills and Connections

by Jennifer E. Lawson, Kellie Ierullo (Contribution by), Jennifer Manitowabi (Contribution by)

Overview

Hands-On Science and Technology for Ontario, Grade 6 is an easy-to-use resource for teaching the five strands of the Ontario science and technology (2022) curriculum:

• STEM Skills and Connections
• Life Systems: Biodiversity
• Matter and Energy: Electricity and Electrical Devices
• Structures and Mechanisms: Flight
• Earth and Space Systems: Space

Hands-On Science and Technology for Ontario, Grade 6 encourages students’ natural curiosity about science and the world around them as they participate in hands-on activities and explore their environment. Using the inquiry approach, this comprehensive resource

• fosters students’ understanding of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills
• makes coding and emerging technologies approachable for both teachers and students
• emphasizes personalized learning using a four-part instructional process: activate, action, consolidate and debrief, enhance
• relates science and technology to sustainability and our changing world, including society, the economy, and the environment
• focuses on practical applications of the engineering design process as students work on solutions to real-life problems
• builds understanding of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives specific to Ontario
• explores contributions to science and technology by people with diverse lived experiences

Using proven Hands-On features, this book provides resources for both teachers and students including background information on the science topics; complete, easy-to-follow lesson plans; materials lists; and digital image banks and reproducibles (find download instructions in the Appendix of the book).

Innovative elements developed specifically for the Ontario curriculum include the following:

• plugged and unplugged coding activities in nearly every lesson
• land-based learning activities
• opportunities for students to use guided research, hands-on inquiry, and the engineering design process
• a fully developed assessment plan to guide assessment for, as, and of learning
• ideas and prompts for STEM Makerspace projects

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781774920718
Publisher:	Portage & Main Press
Publication date:	03/17/2026
Series:	Hands-On Science and Technology for Ontario
Edition description:	New Edition, Updated & Revised
Pages:	359
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Jennifer E. Lawson, PhD, is the creator of the Hands-On books published by Portage & Main Press. As senior writer and editor for the series, she has contributed to more than 50 publications for teachers and students. Jennifer provides professional development workshops for educators locally, nationally, and virtually, and is a Workplace Wellness Advisor. Her most recent book is a collective effort called Teacher, Take Care: A Guide to Well-Being and Workplace Wellness for Educators. She is also one of the founders of Mission to Mexico, an organization that supports schools in some of the most impoverished communities in Puerto Vallarta. Throughout her extensive career in education, Jennifer has worked as a classroom teacher, resource and special education teacher, consultant, principal, university instructor, and school trustee. She lives with her family in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

For over 20 years, Kellie Ierullo (she, her, hers) has been an educator with the Toronto District School Board including as a classroom teacher, special education teacher, and now as a teacher-librarian, technology chair and science/STEM lead educator. Kellie is passionate about helping teachers engage students through meaningful coding and STEM activities and encouraging students to move beyond navigating technology to creating it for themselves. Kellie lives in Woodbridge, Ontario with her family.

Jennifer H. Manitowabi (she/her/hers) is an Ojibway educator and PhD student at Lakehead University. Throughout her career in education in both Canada and the US, she has worked as a bus driver, classroom teacher, principal, and education director. Jennifer encourages all teachers to incorporate Indigenous worldviews into their lessons and find opportunities to build relationships with the First Nations of Turtle Island. Jennifer is a member of Lac Seul First Nation, where she currently resides, and can often be found creating artwork that celebrates her culture.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Hands-On Science and Technology for Ontario, Grade 6 1

• Introduction to Hands-On Science and Technology 2
• Program Introduction 2
• The Inquiry Approach to Science and Technology 2
• 21st Century Teaching and Learning 3
• The Goals of the Science and Technology Program 3
• Hands-On Science and Technology Strands and Expectations 4
• Hands-On Science and Technology Fundamental Concepts and Big Ideas 4
• Hands-On Science and Technology Program Principles 5
• Infusing Indigenous Perspectives 5
• Cultural Connections 7
• Land-Based Learning 7
• Technology 7
• Sustainability 7
• Program Implementation 8
• Program Resources 8
• Classroom Environment 11
• Planning Units—Timelines 12
• Classroom Management 12
• Classroom Safety 12
• Scientific Inquiry Skills: Guidelines for Teachers 12
• Observing 12
• Questioning 13
• Exploring 13
• Classifying 13
• Measuring 14
• Communicating, Analyzing, and Interpreting 14
• Predicting 16
• Inferring 17
• Inquiry Through Investigation and Experiments 17
• Inquiry Through Research 17
• Online Considerations 18
• Addressing Students’ Literacy Needs 18
• Technological Problem Solving 19
• Makerspace 19

The Hands-On Science and Technology Assessment Plan 22

• Assessment for Learning 23
• Assessment as Learning 23
• Assessment of Learning 24
• Performance Assessment 25
• Portfolios 25
• Evidence of Student Achievement Levels for Evaluation 26
• Important Note to Teachers 26
• References 27
• Assessment Reproducibles 28
• Achievement Chart for Science & Technology 43

Unit 1: Biodiversity 45

• Introduction 46
• Unit Overview 50
• Curriculum Correlation 51
• Resources for Students 52
  • 1 What Do We Know About the Diversity of Living Things? 55
  • 2 How Can We Show Classification Systems in Different Ways? 60
  • 3 How Is the Animal Kingdom Organized? 65
  • 4 How Can We Compare and Contrast Animals? 71.
  • 5 What Can We Learn by Investigating an Arthropod Colony? 78
  • 6 What Are Characteristics of Organisms in the Plant Kingdom? 84
  • 7 How Do Living Things Adapt to Survive in Their Environment? 88
  • 8 What Can We Learn About Organisms Through a Pond Study? 92
  • 9 What Are Bacteria? 99
  • 10 What Is a Fungus? 103
  • 11 What Are Some Benefits and Issues Related to Biodiversity? 107
  • 12 Inquiry Project: How Can I Use Technological Problem-Solving Skills to Explore the Diversity of Living Things? 112

Unit 2: Flight 115

• Introduction 116
• Unit Overview 119
• Curriculum Correlation 120
• Resources for Students 121
  • 1 How Do Organisms and Other Objects Move Through Air? 124
  • 2 What Are the Properties of Air? 130
  • 3 What Are the Features of Lighter-Than-Air Flying Devices? 138
  • 4 What Is Bernoulli’s Principle? 144
  • 5 How Is Bernoulli’s Principle Used in the Design of Airplane Wings? 150
  • 6 What Are the Forces Affecting Flight? 155
  • 7 How Are Unbalanced Forces Used to Steer Flying Devices? 163
  • 8 How Is Pneumatic Power Used in Flight? 169
  • 9 How Can We Design and Construct Model Aircraft to Meet Certain Criteria? 173
  • 10 Inquiry Project: What Is the Environmental Impact of Aviation Technology? 177

Unit 3: Electricity and Electrical Devices 181

• Introduction 182
• Unit Overview 185
• Curriculum Correlation 186
• Resources for Students 187
  • 1 What Do We Know About Electricity? 190
  • 2 What Is Static Electricity? 194
  • 3 What Is Current Electricity? 201
  • 4 How Do We Get Electricity From Chemical Sources? 205
  • 5 How Do Electric Circuits Work? 211
  • 6 What Are Electrical Conductors and Insulators? 215
  • 7 How Do Electrical Switches Work? 219
  • 8 What Do We Know About Parallel and Series Circuits? 222
  • 9 How Can We Design and Construct an Electrical Device to Perform a Useful Function? 228
  • 10 How Can We Construct an Electromagnet? 231
  • 11 How Do Motors and Generators Transform Energy? 235
  • 12 What Is the Environmental Impact of Using Electricity? 241
  • 13 How Can We Reduce the Environmental Impact of Using Electricity? 247
  • 14 Inquiry Project: What More Do I Want to Know About Electricity? 253

Unit 4: Space 257

• Introduction 258
• Unit Overview 262
• Curriculum Correlation 263
• Resources for Students 264
  • 1 What Do We Know About Space? 268
  • 2 What Are the Features of Our Solar System? 272
  • 3 What Are the Characteristics of the Planets in Our Solar System? 277
  • 4 What Are the Characteristics of the Sun? 283
  • 5 Why Do We Have a Day/Night Cycle? 287
  • 6 Why Do We Have a Year Cycle? 291
  • 7 How Can We Use the Sun to Tell Time? 295
  • 8 What Is the Surface of the Moon Like? 299
  • 9 What Are Gravity, Mass, and Weight? 303
  • 10 What Are the Phases of the Moon? 308
  • 11 What Is a Lunar Eclipse? 312
  • 12 What Are Constellations? 315
  • 13 What Can We Learn About Space Exploration? 319
  • 14 How Have Canadians Contributed to Space Science and Technology? 323
  • 15 How Has Space Exploration Contributed to Daily Life on Earth? 327
  • 16 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Space Exploration? 331
  • 17 Inquiry Project: What More Do I Want to Know About Space? 335
• References 339

Appendix: Image Banks 341

About the Contributors 352