Below is a basic outline of some of the possible topics to be included in the curriculum. It is by no means all inclusive and will need to be checked against local and NGSS standards.
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for physics are designed to give students a deep understanding of the fundamental concepts and practices of physics. The following is a sample curriculum for a high school physics course that aligns with the NGSS:
Unit 1: Kinematics
- Students will learn about the motion of objects, including position, velocity, and acceleration.
- Students will learn about vectors and scalars, and how to use them to describe motion.
- Students will learn about the relationships between distance, velocity, and acceleration.
Unit 2: Dynamics
- Students will learn about the forces acting on objects and how they affect motion.
- Students will learn about Newton's laws of motion, including the law of inertia, the law of acceleration, and the law of action and reaction.
- Students will learn about weight, mass, and gravity, and how they affect motion.
Unit 3: Energy
- Students will learn about the different forms of energy, including kinetic energy, potential energy, and thermal energy.
- Students will learn about the law of conservation of energy, and how it applies to different systems.
- Students will learn about the relationships between energy, work, and power.
Unit 4: Waves and Sound
- Students will learn about the properties of waves, including amplitude, frequency, and wavelength.
- Students will learn about the different types of waves, including transverse waves, longitudinal waves, and electromagnetic waves.
- Students will learn about the properties of sound waves, including pitch and volume.
Unit 5: Light and Optics
- Students will learn about the properties of light, including reflection, refraction, and color.
- Students will learn about the electromagnetic spectrum, including visible light, infrared, ultraviolet, and X-rays.
- Students will learn about the properties of lenses and how they are used in optical instruments.
Unit 6: Electric and Magnetic Fields
- Students will learn about electric charges and the forces between them.
- Students will learn about electric circuits and how they are used to transfer energy.
- Students will learn about the properties of magnetic fields and how they are related to electric fields.
Throughout the course, students will engage in hands-on laboratory activities and investigations to help them develop scientific inquiry and data analysis skills. They will also be encouraged to make connections between the physics concepts they are learning and real-world applications. The curriculum should also include opportunities for students to engage in crosscutting concepts, such as patterns, cause and effect, and systems and system models, and Science and Engineering practices, such as planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, developing and using models, and engaging in argument from evidence.
As always, it's important to note that the curriculum should be flexible and tailored to the specific school and students, it's not a one-size-fits-all.