Concept map

***Note*** All numbers in the yellow squares refer to relevant Massachusetts Middle School Science Technology & Engineering Physical Science (MA STE MS-PS) frameworks, unless otherwise stated. For more detail, refer to the STE Frameworks document on the Resources page.

Unit Overview

During Unit 1, students will begin their study of physical science. They will study energy, in this case by studying how energy may be transformed from gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy, and inquiring into how much may be lost to heat and friction. By investigating and modeling net forces, students will develop an understanding of how science explains the root causes of motion that they experience every day. Later in the unit they will learn about wave phenomena, and consider the ways in which wave behaviors are different from the particle behaviors that they have been studying. They will further explore sound waves and information transmission by building BoseBuild speakers and carrying out experiments. From NGSS: Physical science will focus on helping students understand ideas related to why some objects will keep moving, why objects fall to the ground and why some materials are attracted to each other while others are not. Students answer the question, “How can one describe physical interactions between objects and within systems of objects?” At the middle school level, the PS2 Disciplinary Core Idea from the NRC Framework is broken down into two sub-ideas: Forces and Motion and Types of interactions. By the end of middle school, students will be able to apply Newton’s Third Law of Motion to relate forces to explain the motion of objects. Students also apply ideas about gravitational, electrical, and magnetic forces to explain a variety of phenomena including beginning ideas about why some materials attract each other while other repel. In particular, students will develop understanding that gravitational interactions are always attractive but that electrical and magnetic forces can be both attractive and negative. Students also develop ideas that objects can exert forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact, through fields. Students are also able to apply an engineering practice and concept to solve a problem caused when objects collide. The crosscutting concepts of cause and effect; system and system models; stability and change; and the influence of science, engineering, and technology on society and the natural world serve as organizing concepts for these disciplinary core ideas. In these performance expectations, students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in asking questions, planning and carrying out investigations, and designing solutions, and engaging in argument; and to use these practices to demonstrate understanding of the core ideas. In addition, students should be able to describe and predict characteristic properties and behaviors of waves when the waves interact with matter. Students can apply an understanding of waves as a means to send digital information. The crosscutting concepts of patterns and structure and function are used as organizing concepts for these disciplinary core ideas. These performance expectations focus on students demonstrating proficiency in developing and using models, using mathematical thinking, and obtaining, evaluating and communicating information; and to use these practices to demonstrate understanding of the core ideas.

Unit 1 Essential Questions

• How do we measure things that we don’t see?
• How do waves impact our daily lives?
• Is it possible to reduce complex technologies, such as a cell phone or media player to simple physical phenomena?
• How are waves and particles similar? Different?
• How is matter and energy related?
• In what ways can we measure and predict motion?
• How can motion be explained from a descriptive standpoint and a causal one?
• How do forces cause and affect motion?
• What situations can be explained by our knowledge of forces?
• How do the principles of physics affect one’s daily life?
• Describe something in nature that has become more compelling because of an understanding of physics principles
• Is it possible to describe the whole natural world (chemical and biological) with a small number of physical principles? If so, how?

Lesson Descriptions

Lesson 1.1-Introduction to speed

Students will design a device to measure how fast a toy car is moving.

Lesson 1.2-Motion maps

Students will select a runner to complete a 20 meter dash, and will then create a position-time graph based upon their motion.

Lesson 1.3-The moving man

By using a PhET simulation, students will generate a number of motion scenarios and create position time graphs that accurately describe the motion.

Lesson 1.4-Speeding up and slowing down

Students will use carts set up with motion detectors in order to match the motion graphs generated by the detectors with a selection of motion graphs that show carts that accelerate. Students will compare position versus time graphs with velocity versus time graphs in a pair of scenarios involving moving objects.

Lesson 1.5-Broom ball

Students will play a game in which they learn that in order to change the speed of an object with a broom, a net force must be applied by the broom.

Lesson 1.6-Force pairs

Students will learn to use a spring scale, and through performing a series of investigations will discover that forces always come in pairs; Newton's 3rd law.

Lesson 1.7-Newton's law review

Students will frame what they have learned about forces and motion in terms of Newton's first, second, and third laws.

Lesson 1.8-Energy skate park

Students will explore transformations between gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy in idealized and less-idealized scenarios through an online simulation.

Lesson 1.9-Energy conversions

Students will explore several everyday devices and identify forms that energy takes in the devices, and how it is transferred in useful and non-useful ways.

Lesson 1.10-Waves

Students will generate transverse and longitudinal waves using a Slinky, and examine which variables can change the speed of the wave. Students will also explore a PhET simulation in order to compare a simple model of sound waves in order to compare them to Slinky waves.

Lesson 1.11-BoseBuild 1: magnets and waves

Students will familiarize themselves with the BoseBuild for Education kits. They will use a powerful magnet and a tight coil of copper wire in order to generate waves with different properties, which they will sketch in their notebook.

Lesson 1.12-BoseBuild 2: waves and sound

Students will deduce the optimal height for the coil to be placed above the powerful magnet, thereby designing an important aspect of a loud speaker.

Lesson 1.13-BoseBuild 3: build your own speaker

Students will design and build a speaker with the intent of generating the loudest sound. They will be introduced to basic acoustic principles.

Unit Project-DIY speaker

Students will use what they have learned about sound and waves in order to design an effective speaker using a magnet, coil, and everyday materials. Students will also explore some basic music theory and identify the science behind what makes music so interesting to them.