Middle School Physical Science Curriculum for Homeschool Co-ops
Physics Complete – Middle School gives a homeschool co-op or microschool tutor a grades 6–8 physical science core: speed, velocity and acceleration, motion graphs, balanced and unbalanced forces, Newton's laws at a conceptual level, and energy transformations. Its 20+ no-prep resources are compact and work well for a group that meets once or twice a week and wants hands-on investigations with ramps, balls and timers.
Open the science curriculum →Physics Complete – Middle School is a ready-to-teach physical science curriculum for grades 6–8 that suits a homeschool co-op or microschool group class. It covers motion and forces (speed, acceleration, motion graphs, friction, gravity, Newton's laws conceptually) and energy (kinetic and potential, transformations, thermal energy, conduction, convection, radiation), with inquiry practice. It costs $149.90 for 20+ resources, or $189.90 with Teach-Life-Balance.
The curriculum
Physics 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.
Physics Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School Physics
Physics Foundations Bundle | Measurement, Motion & Forces | 3 Complete Units | Grades 5–9
Physics Complete Curriculum Bundle | 15 Ready-to-Teach Units | Grades 5–12
Chemistry Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School Chemistry
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
What makes co-op physical science work, or not
Physical science is the subject where a co-op group has a real advantage over teaching at home. You have enough students to run a trial three times, one to time, one to measure and one to record. You have floor space for ramps, and you have a crowd to argue about why the heavier ball did not land first. What often goes missing is the thinking behind the activity. Students roll a toy car down a ramp, have fun, and go home without connecting it to speed, acceleration or unbalanced forces. Turning a stopwatch reading into a distance–time graph, and then reading that graph to describe motion, is where middle schoolers struggle. It is also exactly what high school physics expects them to bring with them. Parent tutors face a second problem. Many feel unsure about physics themselves. Newton's laws, velocity versus speed, or the difference between conduction and convection are topics a parent may last have seen decades ago. They need materials that explain each concept clearly enough to teach it, and they need a sequence that puts motion before forces and forces before energy. Otherwise the group spends a year on separate experiments that never add up.
Why it fits
How it fits a hands-on co-op group
The course keeps the physics conceptual and graph-based, which suits a group with simple equipment.
- Distance, speed, velocity and acceleration come first, so later work on forces has a foundation.
- Motion graph activities turn the group's ramp and stopwatch data into something students can interpret.
- Balanced and unbalanced forces, friction and air resistance can be tested with household objects.
- Newton's laws are taught conceptually, at a level a parent tutor can explain with confidence.
- Kinetic and potential energy and energy transformations link back to the earlier motion work.
- Conduction, convection and radiation give clear examples students can spot in a kitchen.
Getting started
Starting a weekly physical science group
Here is a suggested opening sequence for a class that meets weekly. It is a pacing idea of our own, not a calendar from the product.
- Measure speed in the hallwayStart with distance and speed. Have students walk, then jog, a measured distance while others time them, and calculate each speed together on the worksheet before comparing results.
- Draw the first motion graphPlot the group's data as a distance–time graph. Ask what a steeper line means and what a flat line means. Students should read the graph before they draw any more.
- Ramps and accelerationRoll a ball down ramps at two angles and time it. Use the acceleration and velocity material to explain why the steeper ramp produced a faster finish.
- Push, pull, frictionMove to balanced and unbalanced forces. Drag an object across carpet and then across a smooth floor, and have students describe the difference using friction.
- Write a testable hypothesisClose the first stretch by having pairs write a testable hypothesis about a force, plan a simple investigation, and present their results to the group at the next session.
Which version
Which version, and how to stretch it
Both versions have the same 20+ student resources. At $149.90 you get the curriculum; at $189.90 you also get Teach-Life-Balance, a separate planner and template course for the teacher. The resource count is smaller than in some other subjects, so a once-a-week co-op will likely spread investigations over two sessions. If you want more physics material, the Physics Foundations Bundle for grades 5–9 ($59.99) or the Physics Complete Curriculum Bundle with 15 units ($129.99) are separate products. If your co-op runs a combined physical science class, Chemistry Complete – Middle School fits next to it, and TEACHMORE15 takes 15% off two Complete Curriculum packages.
Honest limits
Honest limits for a co-op
No lab kit, sensors or equipment are included. Ramps, balls, stopwatches and measuring tapes come from your own homes. With 20+ resources, this is a compact core rather than a long list of activities, so plan to extend investigations yourself. It is written for U.S. classrooms but does not satisfy a state homeschool law or science credit requirement by itself, so check with your state or umbrella school. The licence covers the buyer's instruction. Before other families' tutors use it, message Teach Lessons. Within 7 days you can exchange it for store credit of equal value if it is not a fit.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is it aligned to NGSS or accepted for homeschool science credit?
The inquiry strand is described as NGSS-style practices, but the curriculum is not endorsed, certified or guaranteed to align with NGSS or any state standard. It also does not satisfy homeschool law or credit requirements by itself. Compare the topic list on the product page with your state's rules or your umbrella school's requirements.
How much math does it need?
It is conceptual. Students calculate speed and read and draw motion graphs, while work and power are handled conceptually rather than with formulas. Middle school arithmetic and some confidence with graphs are enough. If a younger student finds the division hard, let a partner check the numbers so the focus stays on the physics.
Is 20+ resources enough for a whole year?
For a weekly co-op, it can be if investigations run across two sessions and the group repeats trials to collect real data. If you want a fuller year with more ready material, add one of the separate physics bundles, or pair it with Chemistry Complete – Middle School and teach physical science over the whole year.
I am not confident with physics. Can I still teach it?
The concepts stay at a middle school level, and answer keys cover the worksheets. Read each lesson the evening before and try the investigation yourself once, with your own children if you have them at home. That is usually enough to lead it, and saying you will test it together is a fine answer to a hard question.
Can two tutors share one copy?
The licence covers instructional use by the buyer. If another parent will teach the class or a session from your copy, send Teach Lessons a short message first and explain the arrangement. Sending the files to every co-op family, posting them in a shared drive or putting them online is not permitted.
Does it cover electricity or waves?
The content described covers motion and forces, and energy, including kinetic and potential energy, thermal energy and heat transfer by conduction, convection and radiation. If your co-op wants other physics topics this year, check the full list on the product page before you buy, or look at the separate physics bundles.
Turn ramp races into real physics
Read the full topic list on the product page and decide whether the core fits your co-op year.
Open the science curriculum →