NGSS Engineering-aligned Physics Curriculum
Engineering and physics are complementary! Hands-on engineering curriculum, aligned to Next Gen physics and physical-science standards, provides context on how these topics can be applied to make the world a healthier, happier and safer place.
Engineering and physics go hand-in-hand!
Teach Engineering provides high-quality NGSS-aligned lessons and activities with physics-focused worksheets and assessments to promote physical science proficiency for middle and high school students.
Our curriculum also includes advanced high-school physics activities that span the core concepts of AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2.
Physics and Physical Science Curricula
Physics and Physical Science Curriculum featuring Engineering
Our engineering curriculum is aligned to Next Gen's Physics and Physical Science Standards, and engages students in science and engineering practices including: asking questions, carrying out investigations and communicating information through exploring real-world challenges.
Middle School
Matter and its Interactions
The Structure and Properties of Matter
- Gumdrop Ozone Depletion Model: Battling for Oxygen (Activity)
- Is It Shocking? (Activity)
- The Building Blocks of Matter (Lesson)
- Gumdrop Atoms (Activity)
- Antimatter Matters (Lesson)
Chemical Reactions
- Chromatography Lab (Activity)
- Counting Atoms: How Not to Break the Law of Conservation of Matter (Activity)
- Red Cabbage Chemistry (Activity)
- Maximum Mentos Fountain (Activity)
- Breathing Cells (Activity)
Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Forces and Motion — Newton’s Laws
- Sliding Textbooks (Activity)
- Action-Reaction! Rocket (Activity)
- Equal & Opposite Thrust in Aircraft: You’re a Pushover! (Activity)
- What Are Newton's Laws? (Unit)
- Physics Tug of War (Activity)
Forces and Motion — Friction / Drag
- Factors Affecting Friction (Lesson)
- Sliders (Activity)
- Blow-and-Go Parachute (Activity)
- May the Force Be with You: Drag (Lesson)
- How Far? Measuring Friction Using Different Materials (Activity)
Types of Interactions
Collisions
- Bouncing Balls: Collisions, Momentum & Math in Sports (Activity)
- Exploring Linear Momentum (Lesson)
- Skateboard Disaster (Activity)
- Creative Crash Test Cars (Maker)
- Energy in Collisions: Rolling Ramp and Review (Activity)
Gravity / Center of Mass
- Hanging Around: Gravity and Slinky Spring Scales (Activity)
- Mobile Forces (Activity)
- Measuring g for Gravity (Activity)
- Gravity-Fed Water System for Developing Communities (Activity)
- Tightrope Trials (Activity)
Electricity and Magnetism
- Northward Ho! Create and Use Simple Compasses (Activity)
- Yogurt Cup Speakers (Activity)
- Electricity & Magnetism: Whose Field Line Is It, Anyway? (Activity)
- The Electric and Magnetic Personalities of Mr. Maxwell (Lesson)
Energy
Definitions of Energy
- Energy Forms and States Demonstrations (Activity)
- Exploring Energy: What Is Energy? (Lesson)
- Exploring Energy (Unit)
- The Energy Problem (Lesson)
- Energy Basics (Lesson)
Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer
- Exploring Energy: What Is Energy? (Lesson)
- Exploring Energy: Energy Conversion (Lesson)
- Frictional Force in Hockey: The Puck Stops Here (Activity)
- Swinging Pendulum (Activity)
- Amusement Park Ride: Ups and Downs in Design (Activity)
The Relationship between Energy and Forces
- Energy in Collisions: Rolling Ramp and Review (Activity)
- Human Power (Activity)
- Power, Work and the Waterwheel (Activity)
- May the Force Be with You: Drag (Lesson)
- May the Force Be with You: Thrust (Lesson)
Energy in Chemical Process and Everyday Life
- Efficiency of a Water Heating System (Activity)
- Household Energy Conservation and Efficiency (Lesson)
- Maximum Mentos Fountain (Activity)
- Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration at the Atomic Level (Lesson)
- Counting Atoms: How Not to Break the Law of Conservation of Matter (Activity)
Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer — Wave Properties
- Waves: The Three Color Mystery (Unit)
- Exploring Light: Absorb, Reflect, Transmit or Refract? (Activity)
- Sounds Like Music (Lesson)
- Waves and Wave Properties (Lesson)
- Light Properties (Lesson)
Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer — Electromagnetic Radiation
- Building a Fancy Spectrograph (Activity)
- Using a Fancy Spectrograph (Activity)
- Graphing the Rainbow (Activity)
- Exploring the Electromagnetic Spectrum (Lesson)
- Riding the Radio Waves (Lesson)
Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer — Information Technologies and Instrumentation
- A Spectral Mystery (Activity)
- Engineering Your Own Spectrograph (Activity)
- These Eyes! Technologies to Measure Eye Pressure (Lesson)
- Filtering: Extracting What We Want from What We Have (Lesson)
- Intraocular Pressure Sensor Design Challenge (Activity)
Frequently Asked Questions
Both the Engineering Design Process and the Scientific Method are tools employed by engineers to solve challenging, multifaceted problems. The steps of the scientific method are employed when an engineer needs to test a hypothesis or learn about unknown processes, while the engineering design process is an iterative cycle that is useful in designing new products and processes. Through applying the Engineering Design Process, engineers continuously learn from failure to make incremental improvements in product or process designs. Learn more about how to use the Engineering Design Process and find example curriculum on our Engineering Design Hub!
The difference between Making and Engineering is in the extent of planning and analysis that goes into product design. Engineered products are not the result of trial and error, but a careful understanding of how the world around us works through the mastery and application of knowledge in physics, math, chemistry, biology, sociology and other fields ---and integrating that knowledge to design products and processes that behave in creative, yet predictable, ways. For a broader idea of what engineers do, check out our What is Engineering video!
