Grade 6 · Science

6th grade How people change the environment, and ways to reduce the harm worksheet

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How people change the environment, and ways to reduce the harm

Grade 6 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.
Bo sorts four activities. Which one adds carbon dioxide to the air (NOAA)?
- Burning gasoline in a car
- Riding a bike to school
- Planting a tree in a park
- Building a rain garden
2.
Esme sorts four cases. Which one is an invasive species problem (USGS)?
Use the picture in question 1.
- Rain runs off a new parking lot
- Native trees grow back after a storm
- A factory adds a smokestack scrubber
- Zebra mussels from another continent clog lake pipes
3.
Before the 1700s, 280 or less; 1960, 317; 1990, 354; 2024, 425. Note: Mauna Loa yearly means, rounded. Using the NOAA table, how much did carbon dioxide rise from 1960 to 2024, by Kira's math?
- About 742 ppm
- About 37 ppm
- About 145 ppm
- About 108 ppm
Read this first
Where rain goes (Data: USGS)
Ground Runs off Soaks in
Forest or meadow 10% 50%
Mostly paved (75–100%) 55% 15%
4.
Using the USGS table, how much less rain soaks in on mostly paved ground than in a meadow, by Luz's math?
- 5 percentage points less
- 45 percentage points less
- 35 percentage points less
- 65 percentage points less
5.
A town clears a forest beside a river to build homes. What will most likely happen to runoff, by Noah's reading (USGS)?
- The river will dry up as more soaks in
- Less rain will run off
- Rain will stop falling there
- More rain will run off into the river
6.
Boats from a lake with zebra mussels visit a clean lake, and nobody checks them. What will most likely happen, by Pia's reading (USGS)?
Use the picture in question 5.
- The mussels will turn into a native kind
- Nothing, since mussels cannot ride on boats
- The lake's fish will turn into mussels
- Zebra mussels may start living in the clean lake
7.
Before the 1700s, 280 or less; 1960, 317; 1990, 354; 2024, 425. Note: Mauna Loa yearly means, rounded. People keep burning more coal, oil and gas. What will most likely happen to the carbon dioxide in the air, by Ren's reading (NOAA)?
- It will turn into oxygen
- It will keep rising
- It will drop back to 280 ppm
- It will stay at the 1960 level
8.
Which fix best cuts the carbon dioxide from a family's short car trips, by Tala's reading?
- Drive the long way around
- Leave the car running while parked
- Plant flowers in the driveway
- Walk or bike for short trips
9.
Which fix best cuts the sulfur pollution from a coal power plant, by Zee's reading (EPA)?
Use the picture in question 8.
- Add a scrubber to clean the smoke
- Burn the coal faster
- Add a scrubber, which needs no money or water
- Build the smokestack shorter
10.
Which fix best cuts the trash a school sends to a landfill, by Ari's reading (EPA)?
Use the picture in question 8.
- Recycle, which needs no bins, trucks or workers
- Throw recycling in the trash
- Recycle paper and compost food scraps
- Buy more single-use cups

Ground	Runs off	Soaks in
Forest or meadow	10%	50%
Mostly paved (75–100%)	55%	15%

6th grade How people change the environment, and ways to reduce the harm worksheet – printable — Print: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

How people change the environment, and ways to reduce the harm. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

I can link a human cause to its effect: paving and more runoff, burning fuel and more carbon dioxide, ship and boat travel and zebra mussels, too much fishing and fewer fish.
I can choose a fix that matches the cause and name its cost, such as space for a rain garden or workers for boat checks.
I can read a small data table, such as NOAA carbon dioxide or EPA air data, and use test results to choose a design within a budget.

Standard: MS-ESS3-3, MS-ESS3-4, MS-LS2-4

Words to know

runoff: Rain that flows over the ground instead of soaking in

invasive species: A living thing from somewhere else that spreads and causes harm

carbon dioxide (CO₂): A gas that burning fuel adds to the air

ppm: Parts per million: how many of a million air bits are CO₂

overfished: So few fish are left that the group cannot keep up

trade-off: What you give up to get a fix

Common mistakes

Your child linked a cause to the wrong effect. Paving sends more rain into streams (USGS), zebra mussels spread and clog pipes (USGS), and too much fishing leaves fewer fish (NOAA).

Your child picked a fix that does not match the cause. A good fix works on the cause: rain gardens for runoff, boat checks for mussels, catch limits for fish.

Your child gave a fix no cost. Every fix has a cost to weigh, such as money, space, water or workers.

What to say

Ask: what does this cause change?

Ask: which box does the fix touch?

Ask: what does this fix need?

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with how people change the environment, and ways to reduce the harm?

Your child linked a cause to the wrong effect. Paving sends more rain into streams (USGS), zebra mussels spread and clog pipes (USGS), and too much fishing leaves fewer fish (NOAA).

How can I help my child with how people change the environment, and ways to reduce the harm?

Ask: what does this cause change?

Are these 6th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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