Physical Science Curriculum

NGSS

Grade 3-5 NGSS Standards

3-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. Examples could include an unbalanced force on one side of a ball can make it start moving; and balanced forces pushing on a box from both sides will not produce any motion at all.

3-PS2-2. Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion. Examples of motion with a predictable pattern could include a child swinging in a swing, a ball rolling back and forth in a bowl, and two children on a seesaw.

3-PS2-3. Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other. Examples of an electric interaction could include the force on hair from a charged balloon and the electrical forces between a charged rod and pieces of paper; examples of a magnetic interaction could include the force between two permanent magnets, the force between an electromagnet and steel paperclips, and the force exerted by one magnet versus the distance from another magnet. Examples of cause and effect relationships could include how the distance between objects affects strength of the force and how the orientation of magnets affects the direction of the force.

3-PS2-4. Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets. Examples of problems could include constructing a latch to keep a door shut and creating a device to keep two moving objects from touching each other.

4-PS3-1. Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.

4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

4-PS3-3. Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide. Emphasis is on the change in the energy due to the change in speed, not on the forces, as objects interact.

4-PS3-4. Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another. Examples of devices could include electric circuits that convert electrical energy into motion energy of a vehicle, light, or sound; and a passive solar heater that converts light into heat. Examples of constraints could include the materials, cost, or time to design the device.

4-PS4-1. Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move. Examples of models could include diagrams, analogies, and physical models using wire to illustrate wavelength and amplitude of waves.

4-PS4-2. Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen.

4-PS4-3. Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information. Examples of solutions could include drums sending coded information through sound waves, using a grid of 1s and 0s representing black and white to send information about a picture, and using Morse code to send text.

5-PS1-1. Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen. Examples of evidence could include adding air to expand a basketball, compressing air in a syringe, dissolving sugar in water, and evaporating salt water. Examples of models could include drawings, diagrams, and physical models.

5-PS1-2. Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.

5-PS1-3. Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties. Examples of materials to be identified could include baking soda and other powders, metals, minerals, and liquids. Examples of properties could include color, hardness, reflectivity, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, response to magnetic forces, and solubility; density is not intended as an identifiable property.

5-PS1-4. Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances.

5-PS2-1. Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down. “Down” is a local description of the direction that points toward the center of the spherical Earth. Emphasis is on the gravitational force that Earth exerts on objects as evidence of gravity.

5-PS3-1. Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun. Examples of models could include diagrams and flow charts.

Middle School NGSS Standards

MS-PS1-1. Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures. Emphasis is on developing models of molecules that vary in complexity. Examples of simple molecules could include water, carbon dioxide, and oxygen; examples of extended structures could include sodium chloride or diamonds. Examples of models could include drawings, 3-D ball and stick structures, or computer representations showing different molecules with different types of atoms.

MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred. Examples of reactions could include burning sugar or steel wool, fat reacting with sodium hydroxide, and mixing zinc with hydrogen chloride. Properties could include density, melting point, boiling point, solubility, flammability, and odor.

MS-PS1-3. Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society. Emphasis is on natural resources that undergo a chemical process to form the synthetic material. Examples of new materials could include new medicine, foods, and alternative fuels. Examples of natural resources could include minerals, forests, or petroleum.

MS-PS1-4. Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed. Emphasis is on qualitative molecular-level models of solids, liquids, and gases to show that adding or removing thermal energy increases or decreases kinetic energy of the particles until a change of state occurs. Examples of models could include drawings and diagrams. Examples of pure substances could include water, carbon dioxide, and helium.

MS-PS1-5. Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved. Emphasis is on law of conservation of matter and on physical models or drawings, including digital forms, that represent atoms.

MS-PS1-6. Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes. Examples of designs could involve chemical reactions such as dissolving ammonium chloride or calcium chloride.

MS-PS2-1. Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects. Examples of practical problems could include the impact of vehicles colliding and sports-related collisions.

MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object. Emphasis is on balanced (Newton’s First Law) and unbalanced forces in a system, qualitative comparisons of forces, mass, and changes in motion (Newton’s Second Law), frame of reference, and specification of units.

MS-PS2-3. Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces. Examples of devices that use electric and magnetic forces could include electromagnets, electric motors, or generators. Examples of data could include the effect of the number of turns of wire on the strength of an electromagnet, or the effect of increasing the number or strength of magnets on the speed of an electric motor.

MS-PS2-4. Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational, electrical, and magnetic forces can be attractive or repulsive. Examples of evidence for arguments could include charts, graphs, and images demonstrating field lines and field strength. Examples of cause-and-effect relationships could include how the distance between objects affects the strength of the force and how the orientation of magnets affects the direction of the magnetic force.

MS-PS2-5. Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact. Examples of this phenomenon could include the interactions of magnets, electrically charged strips of tape, and electrically charged pith balls. Examples of investigations could include first-hand experiences or simulations.

MS-PS3-1. Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object. Emphasis is on descriptive relationships between kinetic energy and mass separately from kinetic energy and speed. Examples could include riding a bicycle at different speeds, rolling different sizes of rocks downhill, and getting hit by a wiffle ball versus a tennis ball.

MS-PS3-2. Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system. Emphasis is on relative amounts of potential energy, not on calculating using a formula. Examples of systems could include: a roller coaster car at varying positions on a hill, a balloon with compressed air, and two charges at varying distances apart.

MS-PS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer. Examples of devices could include an insulated box, a solar cooker, and a Styrofoam cup.

MS-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample. Examples of experiments could include comparing final water temperatures after different masses of ice melt in the same volume of water with the same initial temperature.

MS-PS3-5. Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object. Examples of empirical evidence used in arguments could include an object’s increase in temperature, decrease in height, or acceleration.

MS-PS4-1. Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave. Emphasis is on describing waves with both qualitative and quantitative thinking.

MS-PS4-2. Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials. Emphasis is on both light and mechanical waves. Examples of models could include drawings, simulations, and written descriptions.

MS-PS4-3. Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals. Emphasis is on a basic understanding that waves can be used for communication purposes. Examples could include using fiber optic cable to transmit light pulses, radio wave pulses in Wi-Fi devices, and conversion of sound waves to digital signals.