Starting Middle School Chemistry Mid-Year: Curriculum for January Hires
Chemistry Complete – Middle School is for teachers who take over grade 6–8 chemistry or the chemistry part of a physical science course in January with no plans. It has 20+ resources on states of matter, density, solubility, physical vs chemical changes, atoms, elements, compounds and the periodic table, so you can be teaching from the first week of semester 2.
See Chemistry Complete – MS →Chemistry Complete – Middle School is a no-prep curriculum for grades 6–8 with 20+ resources, starting at $149.90. A January hire can use it right away to teach matter and its properties, including states of matter, mass, volume, density and solubility, physical vs chemical changes, and atoms, elements, compounds, symbols, periodic table patterns, and metals and nonmetals, with inquiry practices.
The curriculum
Chemistry Complete – Middle School, Grades 6–8
Start with the full curriculum. The other resources below are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Chemistry Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School Chemistry
Physics Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School Physics
Biology Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School Biology
STEM Complete Curriculum Bundle | Grades 6–10
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
Why middle school chemistry is hard to inherit
Chemistry asks middle schoolers to think about things they cannot see. Atoms, elements and compounds are abstract, and students who missed the groundwork in the fall will memorize symbols without understanding what they stand for. Density is another sticking point: many students mix up heavy and dense, and if mass and volume were never taught properly, density calculations go wrong. As a new hire, you also have to deal with the chemical storage. Some schools have a cabinet of reagents with outdated labels, and you should not run any demonstration until you know what is there and what your school's safety rules allow. That makes the usual hands-on approach to physical and chemical changes harder in your first weeks. On top of that, chemistry is sometimes only one part of a physical science course, and you may not know whether the fall teacher covered matter at all. You need a structure that starts with observable properties and builds to atoms, which you can teach with diagrams and data before the cabinet is checked.
Why it fits
What helps when you start in January
The curriculum moves from properties students can observe to atoms they cannot, which is the order a restart needs.
- States of matter lessons give every student a concrete, visible starting point.
- Mass and volume come before density, which fixes the common heavy-versus-dense confusion.
- Physical vs chemical change lessons can be taught with images and data before any demonstration.
- Conceptual atomic structure prepares students for the periodic table without advanced math.
- Periodic table pattern lessons turn memorizing symbols into finding trends and groups.
- Metals and nonmetals tasks link the table back to properties students can observe.
Getting started
Opening weeks in a new chemistry classroom
A suggested sequence; the product has no built-in calendar. Adjust it to what you find.
- Ask what matter isStart with the states of matter materials. Students classify everyday substances and explain why, which shows you who has a working idea of particles. Keep it short.
- Check the chemical cabinetWhile the class works, inventory the storage area and check it against your school's safety rules. Do not plan demonstrations until this is done. Write it down.
- Teach mass and volume, then densityUse the mass and volume lessons before the density work. A short calculation task shows who can handle the math and who confuses heavy with dense.
- Sort changes with evidenceUse the physical vs chemical changes lesson with images and descriptions. Students decide which is which and explain the evidence that convinced them. Discuss disagreements openly.
- Introduce atoms and elementsMove to conceptual atomic structure and element symbols. Starting with what an element is keeps the periodic table from becoming a list to memorize. Keep it visual.
Which version
Which version is right for you
The $149.90 version includes all 20+ resources, a focused set that covers matter and the periodic table. For a full semester of chemistry you will probably add your own practice and labs. The $189.90 option bundles in Teach-Life-Balance, a digital course offering a planner, guides and templates. It adds no chemistry lessons. If your course is physical science with chemistry and physics, Physics Complete – Middle School follows the same structure, and TEACHMORE15 gives 15% off when you buy both together.
Honest limits
Honest limits
This is a compact set of 20+ resources, so it is the core of a semester, not every day of it. No chemicals, glassware or safety equipment are included. Any lab work follows your school's rules and uses its supplies. The practices are described as inquiry-based, but the curriculum makes no claim of NGSS or state alignment. Check it against your state standards. Colleagues can use it after you send Teach Lessons a short message. If the set is wrong for your course, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of matching value. There is no cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is it aligned to NGSS or state science standards?
No standards body or state has approved or endorsed it, and alignment is not guaranteed. It is written for U.S. middle school science and includes inquiry practices along with matter, atoms and the periodic table. Compare the units with your state standards and district course description, and add what is required but missing.
Can I teach chemistry without running labs at first?
Yes. Physical and chemical changes, density and the periodic table can all be taught with diagrams, data and models. Demonstrations help, but they can wait until you have checked the chemical storage and your school's safety rules. The product does not include supplies. Ask your department head who handles disposal.
How deep does it go on atoms?
Atomic structure is taught at a conceptual level, appropriate for middle school. Students learn what atoms, elements and compounds are, use symbols, and look for patterns in the periodic table. It is not a high school chemistry course and does not include advanced calculations. That depth fits students meeting chemistry for the first time.
Is it enough for a full semester?
With 20+ resources, it gives you a clear core for matter and the periodic table. Depending on how many class periods you have, you will probably add practice, review and labs of your own. The STEM Complete Curriculum Bundle for grades 6–10 ($149.00) is a separate product if you want more science material.
I teach chemistry and life science. What should I buy?
If you really teach both, Biology Complete – Middle School follows the same structure, and TEACHMORE15 gives 15% off when you buy two or more Complete Curriculum packages. If you teach only chemistry, one curriculum is enough. Check your actual teaching assignment for the spring before buying a second package, since schedules can change.
When can I start using it?
Right after purchase. You receive a download link by email, and the files are also in your customer account under Orders. Materials work printed or in a digital classroom. See the product page for the full list of contents. There is no shipping, and you can download the files again from your account whenever you need them.
From states of matter to the periodic table
Check the contents on the product page and pick the version that fits your schedule.
See Chemistry Complete – MS →