Last reviewed: 2 November 2026
Updated November 2026. These Grade 6 Science and Technology notes follow the rationalised Grade 6 curriculum design from start to finish: fungi, invertebrates and the human circulatory system; change of state and the composition of air; and light, levers and slopes. Each sub-strand has the key facts, an example from home or school, and a quick check question. They suit learners in Grade 6, children moving up from Grade 5 in January 2027, and parents who want to help with homework.
The strands below are taken from the KICD Grade 6 curriculum designs (Science and Technology, revised 2024), which give the subject 120 lessons in the year.
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Grade 6 Science and Technology Notes: Topic List
| Strand | Sub-strands |
|---|---|
| 1.0 Living Things and their Environment | 1.1 Fungi; 1.2 Invertebrates; 1.3 Human circulatory system |
| 2.0 Matter | 2.1 Change of state; 2.2 Composition of air |
| 3.0 Force and Energy | 3.1 Light; 3.2 Levers as simple machines; 3.3 Slopes as simple machines |
Strand 1: Living Things and their Environment
1.1 Fungi
Fungi are living things that are neither plants nor animals; they have no green colour and cannot make their own food. Common fungi are mushrooms, toadstools, puffballs, yeast and moulds. They give us food (edible mushrooms), help in fermentation (yeast in bread), clean the environment by rotting dead matter, and some moulds are used to make medicines. Some fungi are poisonous or spoil food. For the full topic, see our Grade 6 notes on fungi.
1.2 Invertebrates
Invertebrates are animals without a backbone. Groups in the design: insects; spiders, ticks and mites; millipedes and centipedes; snails and slugs; worms; and sea invertebrates such as the octopus, starfish and crabs. Insects have three body parts and six legs; spiders have two body parts and eight legs. Invertebrates are important for food, pollination (bees) and soil aeration (earthworms), but some are pests or spread disease (mosquitoes and malaria, ticks and East Coast fever in cattle).
Quick check: is a spider an insect? No: it has eight legs and two body parts.
1.3 Human circulatory system
The circulatory system is made up of the heart, blood vessels and blood. The heart has four chambers: two upper auricles (atria) and two lower ventricles. Arteries carry blood away from the heart, veins carry blood back to the heart, and tiny capillaries connect them. Blood has red blood cells (carry oxygen), white blood cells (fight germs) and platelets (help blood clot). Common conditions are hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure and heart attack. Keep the system healthy with plenty of water, physical activity and healthy eating with less salt and fat.
Strand 2: Matter
2.1 Change of state
Matter changes state when heated or cooled: melting (solid to liquid), freezing (liquid to solid), evaporation (liquid to gas), condensation (gas to liquid), sublimation (solid straight to gas) and deposition (gas straight to solid). Uses: melting wax to make candles, drying clothes by evaporation, and repairing plastic by melting it, which are the two projects suggested in the design.
2.2 Composition of air
Air is a mixture of gases: about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, a little under 1% argon and other noble gases, and a very small amount of carbon dioxide, plus water vapour. A burning candle under an upside-down jar goes out once it has used up the oxygen. Air pollution from smoke, dust and vehicle fumes harms health and the environment; reduce it by planting trees, avoiding burning rubbish and servicing vehicles. Both matter topics are covered in depth in our Grade 6 notes on matter.
Strand 3: Force and Energy
3.1 Light
Light travels in straight lines. Transparent materials (clear glass) let all light through, translucent ones (tracing paper, frosted glass) let some through, and opaque ones (wood, metal) let none through, so they form shadows. A plane mirror forms an image that is upright, the same size, the same distance behind the mirror as the object is in front, and laterally inverted (left and right swapped). A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth; a lunar eclipse when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon. A rainbow forms when sunlight passes through raindrops and splits into colours. The design’s project is making a simple periscope from two mirrors and a box.
3.2 Levers as simple machines
A lever has three parts: the fulcrum (pivot), the effort (the push or pull you apply) and the load (what is moved).
| Class | What is in the middle | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| First class | Fulcrum | See-saw, pair of scissors, pliers |
| Second class | Load | Wheelbarrow, bottle opener, nutcracker |
| Third class | Effort | Tweezers, kitchen tongs, fishing rod |
Remember the order with “FLE, 1-2-3”: the Fulcrum is in the middle for class 1, the Load for class 2 and the Effort for class 3.
3.3 Slopes as simple machines
A slope (inclined plane) lets you raise a load using less effort, though you move it a longer distance. Examples from the design: ramps, staircases, ladders, roads winding uphill, wedges, roofs and planks used to load a lorry. Lifts, escalators and cableways also make climbing easier. A gentler slope needs less effort but a longer path.
How Grade 6 Science Is Assessed
At the end of Grade 6, learners sit KPSEA, which includes an Integrated Science paper. The KNEC 2026 KPSEA timetable gave that paper 1 hour 40 minutes. The next KPSEA candidates are the learners entering Grade 6 in January 2027.
Practise Grade 6 Science
Answer free questions on the Grade 6 CBC Challenge and the CBC quizzes, then sit a full KPSEA Grade 6 Integrated Science practice paper. Other subjects are on the Grade 6 notes hub, and the Grade 5 Science and Technology revision guide covers the year before.
Frequently Asked Questions
What topics are in Grade 6 Science and Technology?
Eight sub-strands: fungi, invertebrates, the human circulatory system, change of state, composition of air, light, levers and slopes as simple machines.
Are these Grade 6 science notes rationalised?
Yes. They follow the rationalised Grade 6 Science and Technology design that KICD revised in 2024.
What are the three classes of levers?
First class has the fulcrum in the middle (see-saw), second class has the load in the middle (wheelbarrow), and third class has the effort in the middle (tweezers).
Can I get these Grade 6 science notes as a PDF?
You can print the page or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu on any phone or computer.
Want marked practice? The first five questions of each paper are free. A Day Pass (KSh 20) unlocks the full Grade 6 Integrated Science papers with worked answers for a day, and the Monthly Pass (KSh 500) opens every grade and subject for a month. Compare passes.