Middle School Physical Science Curriculum When Your School Gives You None
Physics Complete – Middle School is for the grades 6–8 science teacher assigned physical science with no curriculum behind it. It gives you 20+ focused resources on motion and forces and on energy, from speed, velocity and motion graphs to Newton's laws, energy transformations and heat transfer, built around testable hypotheses, simple investigations, graphs and models.
See the physical science units →Physics Complete – Middle School is a no-prep physical science curriculum for grades 6–8, priced from $149.90 for 20+ resources. For a teacher with no school curriculum, it covers distance, speed, velocity, acceleration and motion graphs, balanced and unbalanced forces, Newton's laws at a conceptual level, friction, gravity and air resistance, kinetic and potential energy, energy transformations, work and power, and conduction, convection and radiation.
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
Why physical science is hard to build alone
Physical science without a curriculum often stalls on math. Speed, velocity and acceleration all involve calculation, and middle schoolers arrive with very different math backgrounds. A teacher writing lessons from scratch either drops the numbers and teaches definitions, or pushes formulas that half the class cannot follow. Neither builds real understanding of motion. Motion graphs are a good example. They are one of the most useful tools in the course, because a distance-time graph turns abstract motion into something students can read. But making good graph tasks with answer keys takes time, and without them students never learn to interpret a slope or tell a constant speed from an acceleration. Forces bring their own trap. Students hold strong everyday ideas, for instance that a moving object needs a constant push to keep moving. Newton's laws only make sense if lessons confront those ideas directly, through predictions, investigations and evidence. Energy adds abstract concepts like potential energy and heat transfer by conduction, convection and radiation. Without a sequence that moves from motion to forces to energy, each topic stands alone and students never see how they connect.
Why it fits
How the curriculum helps
It is a compact set focused on the core of middle school physical science, built around inquiry rather than formulas alone.
- Motion units build from distance and speed to velocity and acceleration in a logical order.
- Motion graph tasks teach students to read and interpret motion visually, which supports weaker math students.
- Balanced and unbalanced forces lessons prepare students for Newton's laws at a conceptual level.
- Friction, gravity and air resistance give forces concrete, everyday examples students can test.
- Energy units link kinetic and potential energy, transformations, and heat transfer by conduction, convection and radiation.
- Testable hypotheses and simple investigations keep inquiry in the course even with limited equipment.
Getting started
Your first two weeks with it
One suggested way to begin. The curriculum supplies units in sequence but no calendar, so set your own pace.
- Open with a motion investigationStart with a simple investigation on distance and speed, using whatever you can time and measure in the classroom. Students collect real data before they see any formula.
- Move quickly to motion graphsTurn that data into distance-time graphs with the graph tasks. Reading slope as speed gives students a visual way into motion that does not depend only on calculation.
- Surface everyday ideas about forceBefore teaching Newton's laws, ask students to predict what happens when pushes stop. Use the balanced and unbalanced forces lessons to test those predictions with evidence.
- Connect forces to energyWhen you reach kinetic and potential energy, refer back to motion and forces. Students see that the course is one story, not separate chapters on unrelated topics.
- Plan your extension materialWith 20+ resources, the core is covered, but a full year may need more. Note where you will add labs, projects or review so the pacing does not run short in spring.
Which version
Which version, and what to pair it with
The $149.90 version includes all 20+ resources. That is a smaller set than other curricula here, so think about whether you need more material for a full year. The $189.90 version adds Teach-Life-Balance, a digital time-saving course for teachers with a planner, guides and templates; it does not add physics content. If your course also covers matter and the periodic table, pairing this with Chemistry Complete – Middle School makes sense, and code TEACHMORE15 gives 15% off two or more Complete Curriculum packages. The Physics Foundations Bundle and Physics Complete Curriculum Bundle on this page are separate options.
Honest limits
What it does not do
With 20+ resources, it covers motion, forces and energy, not a full physical science year with chemistry, waves or electricity; check the product page listing against your course. No lab equipment is included, and investigations use materials you supply. Its practices are described as NGSS-style, which is not an endorsement, so check it against your state or district science requirements. If colleagues want to use it, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If it does not fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value; cash is not paid back.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does it meet NGSS or my state's standards?
The curriculum describes its inquiry practices as NGSS-style: testable hypotheses, simple investigations, graphs and models. It is not endorsed, adopted or officially matched to NGSS or any state's standards. Compare the motion, forces and energy units with your own state science standards and plan to add material wherever your course requires more.
Is 20+ resources enough for a whole year?
It is a focused set on motion, forces and energy, which are core topics but not the whole of most physical science courses. If your course runs a full year or includes matter and chemistry, you will likely need additional material, such as Chemistry Complete – Middle School or one of the physics bundles shown here.
How much math does it require?
The motion units include distance, speed, velocity and acceleration, so some calculation is involved. Motion graphs give students a visual way to understand those ideas, and Newton's laws are treated at a conceptual level. Worksheets are differentiated, which helps when math skills vary widely in one class.
Can I teach it without lab equipment?
Largely, yes. Investigations are described as simple, and much of the inquiry work uses graphs, data and models. For motion, a measuring tape and a timer go a long way. Where an activity needs something you lack, use the graph or model tasks in the same unit instead.
Does it cover heat and thermal energy?
Yes. The energy content includes thermal energy and heat transfer by conduction, convection and radiation, along with kinetic and potential energy, energy transformations, and work and power at a conceptual level. Heat transfer is a good place to use everyday examples, such as a metal spoon in hot soup or warm air rising near a heater.
When can I start?
Right after purchase. You receive a download link by email, and the files stay in your customer account under Orders. Worksheets, slides and answer keys work for print or digital classrooms, so the first motion lesson can happen this week, with a measuring tape and a stopwatch as your only equipment.
Get motion, forces and energy planned
Check the product page for the full list of what is included and whether it covers enough of your course.
See the physical science units →