Nashville Middle School Science Without Phones: Printable Physics Units
Nashville Middle School Science Without Phones: Printable Physics Units
Nashville science teachers who need printable lessons for a classroom without student phones can use the Middle School Physical Science Units Bundle: six physics units for Grades 6–9 at $89.99. Motion and graphs, forces and Newton's laws, work and energy, pressure and buoyancy, circuits, and light and lenses all run on worksheets and teacher slides, so data and graphs end up on paper.
See the physical science unitsYes. For MNPS teachers with no student phones in the room, the Middle School Physical Science Units Bundle covers the physics half of physical science on paper for $89.99. It contains Describing Motion & Interpreting Graphs, Forces & Interactions, Work, Energy & Power, Pressure, Buoyancy & Fluids, Electric Circuits, and Light, Refraction & Lenses. No lab equipment is included, and the units are not written for the Tennessee science standards.
The resources
Middle School Physical Science Units Bundle, Grades 6–9
6 resources in one download: $89.99 instead of $149.94 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Middle School Physical Science Units Bundle | Motion, Forces, Energy, Pressure, Circuits & Light | 6 Units | Grades 6–9
Physics Complete Curriculum Bundle | 15 Ready-to-Teach Units | Grades 5–12
Physics Foundations Bundle | Measurement, Motion & Forces | 3 Complete Units | Grades 5–9
Physics Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School Physics
The real problem
Physical science when the stopwatch app is gone
Since July 1, 2025, Tennessee law (HB932/SB897) has required districts to adopt policies barring student cellphone use during classroom instruction, so Metro Nashville Public Schools teachers start every science period without student phones. Students returned on August 11, 2026, and middle schools now run from 8:55 a.m. to 3:55 p.m. under the new staggered bell schedule. Science is where phones used to creep back in. A phone timed a rolling cart, filmed a falling object in slow motion or lit a dim corner. In a phone-free room the same investigation needs a printed data table, whatever timing equipment the school owns, and students who can turn numbers into a motion graph by hand. The content is shifting too: Tennessee's revised science standards were implemented in 2025–26, and many teachers are still rebuilding units. If you were hired at MNPS's July recruitment fair at the Nashville Fairgrounds or soon after, you may be starting with very little of your own. Ready physics units that work with paper, pencils and existing equipment save weeks.
Why it fits
What each unit gives a phone-free MNPS science room
All six units run from printed worksheets and teacher slides. These points matter most when student phones stay off.
- Describing Motion & Interpreting Graphs trains students to plot and read motion graphs by hand.
- Forces & Interactions works through forces and Newton's laws with printed tasks students complete in class.
- Work, Energy & Power suits calculation practice that students finish on paper and check against answer keys.
- Pressure, Buoyancy & Fluids pairs well with simple demonstrations using equipment your school already owns.
- Electric Circuits and Light, Refraction & Lenses rely on diagrams students draw and label on worksheets.
- Ready slides let a newly hired MNPS teacher teach physics from the first day without building decks.
Getting started
Pacing six units across the school year
A suggested order only. Rearrange it to match your MNPS scope and sequence and the revised Tennessee science standards.
- Fall: motion and graphsBegin with Describing Motion & Interpreting Graphs. Students time movement with a classroom stopwatch if you have one, record data in printed tables and draw their own distance-time graphs.
- Late fall: forces and Newton's lawsForces & Interactions builds on the motion data. Keep explanations conceptual and use the worksheets to have students predict outcomes before you demonstrate. Then let students explain the result.
- Winter: work, energy and powerTeach Work, Energy & Power after forces, once students have the vocabulary. It works well for practice that students finish in class and correct with the keys.
- Early spring: pressure and buoyancyPressure, Buoyancy & Fluids gives a break from graphs. A short sink-or-float demonstration at the front of the room with ordinary classroom materials makes the worksheets concrete for every reader.
- Spring: circuits and lightEnd with Electric Circuits and Light, Refraction & Lenses. Diagrams carry much of the learning here, which suits a room where students sketch rather than photograph the board.
What to buy
Choosing the right physics product
For Grades 6–9 physical science in Nashville, the Middle School Physical Science Units Bundle at $89.99 is the closest match; bought separately the six units cost $149.94. If you teach physics across more grades or want a larger bank, the Physics Complete Curriculum Bundle has 15 units for Grades 5–12 at $129.99. A teacher who only needs measurement, motion and forces can take the Physics Foundations Bundle ($59.99, three units). Physics Complete – Middle School ($149.90, 20+ resources) adds thermal energy with conduction, convection and radiation.
Honest limits
Limits worth knowing up front
This bundle is general middle school physics. It is not written for the Tennessee science standards or MNPS and has no state codes, so check each unit against your scope and sequence. It covers physics only, not chemistry, earth or life science. No lab equipment, stopwatches, circuit parts or lenses are included; demonstrations depend on what your school has. Phone rules are set by your district and school. Sharing with your science team requires a short message to Teach Lessons first. If it is not a fit, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Was this written for Tennessee's science standards?
No. Neither Tennessee nor MNPS has aligned, endorsed or approved it. The revised Tennessee science standards took effect in 2025–26, so compare each unit with them and with your district's scope and sequence. Use the units where topics match and cover the remaining standards with other material.
Can students do the investigations without phones?
The units do not depend on student phones. Investigations and graphs are on printed worksheets. Where a task needs timing or measuring, use school equipment such as stopwatches or rulers if available; none comes with the bundle, so check your science storage before you plan the lesson.
Does it cover chemistry and earth science too?
No. It covers the physics part of physical science: motion, forces, energy, pressure, circuits and light. For matter, atoms and the periodic table, Chemistry Complete – Middle School is a separate product in the store, and earth science needs other sources. Check your scope and sequence to see which strand is missing.
I was hired late. Can I teach from it next week?
Yes. The download is ready the moment you pay: a link arrives by email and the files also wait in your account under Orders. Each unit comes with slides and answer keys, so you can print the first motion worksheets tonight and teach the following day. Read each unit's slides once before class.
Can I use it with Grade 9 physical science?
The bundle spans Grades 6–9, so ninth graders are in range. For a high school physical science or physics class that needs more depth, look at the Physics Complete Curriculum Bundle, which reaches Grade 12 and gives you more units to choose from. Compare both before you decide.
Can other science teachers at my school use the files?
The licence covers your own teaching. For use across a team or school, send Teach Lessons a short message first and say how many teachers are involved. Do not post the files on a public site or pass them to other schools. Each teacher may also buy a copy.
Have the next physics unit printed and ready
Open the product page to check all six units and what each contains.
See the physical science units