Physical Science

Physical science in seventh grade is basically the “why does anything work” year. Why does a metal spoon get hot in soup but a wooden one doesn’t? Why does a roller coaster speed up going downhill? Why does rust weigh more than the iron it came from? These are the questions kids are actually curious about, and this program gives them nine weeks of structured practice thinking through the answers.

We start with matter — not in the abstract, but through properties you can measure. Density calculations, states of matter, figuring out what a mystery substance is based on its physical properties. It’s hands-on thinking even on paper, and the density formula (D = m/V) becomes second nature by the end of Week 1.

The Big Picture

Weeks 2 and 3 zoom in to the atomic level. First the structure of atoms — protons, neutrons, electrons, how elements differ from compounds. Then chemical reactions, which is where conservation of mass comes in. Kids learn that when a piece of steel wool gains weight after burning, that extra mass came from somewhere (the oxygen in the air, specifically). It’s counterintuitive until you really get it.

The middle stretch is all about forces and motion. Week 4 covers Newton’s three laws with real scenarios — car crashes, ice skating, rocket launches. Week 5 focuses on speed calculations and distance-time graphs. These two weeks connect naturally because force is what changes motion, and the math reinforces the concept.

Then energy takes over. Week 6 introduces kinetic and potential energy with actual calculations (KE = ½mv², gravitational PE = mgh). Week 7 shifts to how energy moves — conduction, convection, radiation — and traces transformation chains from a power plant to a lightbulb. Week 8 covers waves, from basic amplitude and wavelength to understanding how sound and light carry energy differently.

Week 9 pulls it all together. The capstone problems deliberately cross topics — a question might start with a chemical reaction, connect to energy conservation, and end with a wave calculation.

What You Get

Each week includes five worksheets with full answer keys and two nonfiction reading passages on topics like roller coaster physics, the history of atomic models, and how earthquake waves reveal Earth’s interior. The questions mix computation, multiple choice, diagrams, data tables, and open-ended explanations.

Everything aligns to Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS1 through MS-PS3. Works as a supplement to any middle school science curriculum or as standalone practice for homeschool families who want rigorous, structured physical science materials.