Chapter Scopes

Including Phenomena and Activities

Why can reentering your car lead to an explosion at the gas pump? (Part 1 Static Electricity)
Why does the breaker keep tripping? (Part 2 Current Electricity)

Activity 1: Initial Model of Static Electricity

Students build and apply evidence-based models for static
electricity and current electricity throughout the activities, Activity 2: Revised Model of Static Electricity
then revise and modify their models so that they are consistent
with a broad set of observations. This is a model-building Activity 3: Model of Charges in Conductors
chapter. The big concepts students develop throughout this
chapter include mechanistic models for charging insulators, Activity 4: Initial Model of Current Electricity
charging conductors, and current electricity.
Activity 5: Revised Model of Current Electricity

Why did the magnet stop working?

Students develop and revise a domain-like model for Activity 1: Introduction to Magnetism
magnetism that can explain many different observations
involving magnets, thus providing an example of how models
are proposed, tested, and modified based on evidence. This
Activity 2: Initial Model of Magnetism
experience provides a context for discussions about scientific
models and invites students to engage in the scientific practice
of developing and using models and engaging in argument
Activity 3: Better Model of Magnetism
from evidence.

Which car should Olivia buy?

Students first get a sense of the basics of graphing velocity- Activity 1: Exploring Velocity
time, which they will use as evidence to support claims about
energy transfers and conversions. They are asked to consider Activity 2: Motion and Energy
differences between observations and inferences and apply
these ideas in multiple experiments. Students ultimately
Activity 3: Slowing and Stopping
develop the Law of Conservation of Energy by considering how
energy changes within a system and analyzing when energy is
transferred out of the system to the surroundings. Activity 4: Energy and Elastic Objects + Math

Should seatbelts be required on school buses?

Students build force explanations for motion, ultimately
Activity 1: Forces and Motion + Math
establishing and formalizing Newton’s Laws of motion.
Students build Newton’s Second Law on the basis of
observations of force and mass on acceleration. Students Activity 2: Force, Mass, and Acceleration + Math
evaluate the effect of multiple forces and formalize ideas about
net force, specifically concluding that zero net force will result
in zero acceleration. Ultimately, students collect evidence Activity 3: Combinations of Forces + Math
about force pairs and evaluate the strength of forces during
collisions involving objects of different masses and use this Activity 4: Force Pairs
evidence to establish Newton’s Third Law of motion.

© 2020 PEER Physics Chapter Scopes

 What does it take to land on Mars?

Activity 1: Gravitational Force and Acceleration + Math

Chapter G incorporates concepts of gravitational force and Activity 2: Falling Objects and Energy + Math
acceleration, gravitational potential energy, and applications of
these ideas. Applications include orbits, projectiles, the Activity 3: Circular Motion
Universal Law of Gravitation, normal force, and coefficient of
Activity 4: Projectiles
friction. Mathematical extensions include calculating the value
of gravitational acceleration on Earth, mathematically Activity 5: Gravitational Force, Distance, and Mass +
exploring the difference between mass and weight, evaluating Math
data related to gravitational potential energy and height, and
Activity 6: The Normal Force
applying the Universal Law of Gravitation.
Activity 7: Strength of the Friction Force

How do waves help us communicate?

Students build and revise a wave model to account for sound
traveling from a source to a listener. Models account for pitch Activity 1: Model of Sound
and volume, thus incorporating ideas of frequency,
wavelength, and amplitude. Students will only use wave
diagrams once they mechanistically account for how sound
Activity 2: Revised Model of Sound
propagates through a medium. They then compare properties
of sound and light to begin to develop a wave model of light
and to compare and contrast models for light and sound. In
W.3 math, students develop and apply the idea that the speed Activity 3: Sound and Light + Math
of light is constant and the speed of sound is constant in a
given medium. To further develop and apply the wave model of
light, students evaluate wave interference and use their model Activity 4: Adding Waves
to describe observations of light interference. Students use the
particle model to describe emission spectra and discuss the
particle-wave duality of light. In W.5 math, students expand
their ideas about the particle model of light by developing the Activity 5: Another Model of Light + Math
relationship between frequency and photon energy.

© 2020 PEER Physics Chapter Scopes