Physical Science STEM Academy Syllabus
Instructors: Christine Bell and Kristin Covaleskie
Organizer/Content Lead: Katya Denisova, PhD
Location: JHU School of Education, 2800 N. Charles St., Room 216
Email: CMBell@bcps.k12.md.us, KCovaleskie@bcps.k12.md.us, EDDenisova@bcps.k12.md.us
Description: This course is designed as an introduction to basic physics and chemistry concepts
addressed in the Next Generation Science Standards. Topics will include: Properties of Matter,
Motion, Energy, Electricity, Magnetism, and Waves. Emphasis will be placed on the Science and
Engineering Processes and Inquiry learning. This course is designed to deepen your
understanding of basic physics and chemistry to increase your confidence in teaching these
subjects in inquiry-based ways.
Objectives:
 Learn basic concepts of various physical science topics and hands-on learning methods
 Practice hands-on, inquiry-based learning and learn implementation approaches for
particular classroom settings
 Learn and implement effective strategies for STEM curriculum
 Develop an understanding of science content, pedagogy, and science and engineering
practices necessary for the successful implementation of the STEM curriculum
 Learn best teaching practices relevant to the teaching of STEM
 Develop an understanding of assessment methods and tools used to measure students
progress
 Understand the value and importance of working collaboratively with other teachers
Materials:
Edmodo account
Laptop or other personal computer device (required for every session)
Attendance Policy: Participants are expected to arrive on time and to participate in all classes as
scheduled. If a participant is absent from a class session, she/he is still responsible for
completing the class work and homework assigned for every session.
SABES is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-1237992.
During each class, each participant will be issued a “participation grade” based on his/her
engagement in the work. This means that participants should be on task at all times, and all side
conversations and use of technology (i.e. cell phones/tablets) should be at a minimum, or not
occur at all.
A pre/post assessment is used for data purposes only. The assessment contains information
covered both in class and in the podcast videos that will be used during sessions. There will be
no graded quizzes, exams or projects.
Three AUs will be awarded for the successful completion of the course; ‘successful completion’
will be evaluated based on session attendance, assignment grades, and participation grades.
Statement of Academic Continuity: Please note that in the event of weather and/or in other
extraordinary circumstances, the School of
Education may change the normal academic schedule and/or make appropriate changes to course
structure, format, and delivery. In the event such changes become necessary, information will be
posted on the Edmodo site.
SABES is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-1237992.
Tentative Schedule of Topics:
Session #
Date
Objectives
Phenomena to
Explain
Science Concepts
NGSS
1
Properties of
Matter
June 15
 Just how small are
atoms?
 What determines
physical and chemical
properties of matter?
 What makes a solid a
solid? A liquid a
liquid? A gas a gas?
 Atomic structure
 Properties of
matter: physical
and chemical
 States of matter
 Particulate
characteristics of
matter
5-PS1-1
2-PS1-1
5-PS1-3
Grade 3:
What’s the Matter
2
Physical and
Chemical
Changes/
Conservation of
Matter
June 16
 Why are mixtures and
solutions physical
changes?
 Why are emulsions
physical changes?
 How is butter made?
 What happens when
wood burns?
 What happens when
rust forms?
 Physical changes
of matter
 Chemical changes
of matter
 Law of
Conservation of
Mass/Matter
 Particulate
characteristics of
changes in matter
MS-PS1-4
2-PS1-4
5-PS1-4
MS-PS1-5
5-PS1-2
Grade 5:
Matter Mania
3
Properties of
Water
June 17
 Identify the charge of
protons, neutrons, and
electrons.
 Build a simple atomic
model.
 Identify and distinguish
between physical and
chemical properties of
matter.
 Describe the common
states of matter and their
particulate
characteristics.
 Identify and distinguish
between physical and
chemical changes at the
particulate level.
 Use models to represent
both physical and
chemical changes.
 Use experimental design
to prove the Law of
Conservation of
Mass/Matter.
 Explore the solubility of
assorted solids and
liquids in water.
 Describe the polarity of
water and its role in
water’s uniqueness.
 Define density of
matter, in relation to
mass and volume.
 How are some insects
able to walk on water?
 How does water travel
up plant/tree stems?
 Why does ice float?
 What causes a
meniscus?
 How do boats float?
 Properties of
water: cohesion,
adhesion, surface
tension, capillary
action, density
 Density (in
relation to mass
and volume)
 Buoyancy
5-PS1-3
HS-ESS2-5
Grade 4:
Float Your Boat
SABES is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-1237992.
Correlation to
SABES Units
4
Heat
June 18
5
Properties of
Waves and
Sound
June 22
 Identify the difference
between heat and
temperature.
 Identify direction of heat
flow
 Explain Specific Heat
Capacity
 Explain the three
mechanisms of heat
transfer
 Explain how heat
conductors and
insulators are different
 Differentiate between
mechanical and
electromagnetic waves
 Differentiate between
transverse and
longitudinal waves
 Differentiate between
pulses and continuous
waves
 Describe waves and
vibrations in terms of
their characteristics
(frequency, period,
wave speed, amplitude)
 Define mathematical
relationships between
period, frequency, and
wave speed.
 Students will explore
various sounds and
begin to make
inferences about nature
and properties of sound.
 Students will learn that
sounds can make things
vibrate and can travel
 Why is ocean water
warmer than air at
night?
 Why is the sand so
much hotter than water
at the beach?
 Why do some things
seem cooler to the
touch?
 Why is pie crust cooler
than stuffing?
 When does heat stop
flowing?
 How are light and
sound waves different?
 What happens to light
and sound when their
frequencies change?
 What happens to light
and sound when their
amplitudes change?
 Can you hear an
explosion in space?
 Why do we hear better
under water?
 Can sound REALLY
shutter glass?
 What is the Doppler
effect?
 Temperature and
Heat
 Thermal
conductors and
insulators
 Mechanisms of
Heat Transfer:
conduction,
convection,
radiation
 Specific Heat
Capacity
4-PS3-2
Grade 4:
Hot, Hot, Hot
 Vibrations and
Waves
 Wave Motion
 Transverse and
Longitudinal
waves
 Wavelength,
amplitude, and
frequency
 Speed of sound in
different media
 Sound as a
vibration
 Relationship
between pitch and
frequency
 Relationship
between volume
and amplitude
1-PS4-1
4-PS4-1
4-PS3-2
MS-PS4-1
MS-PS4-2
Grade 3:
Music to my Ears
SABES is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-1237992.
through gas, liquid, or
solid.
 Students will
experiment with various
sounds produced by
their bodies to learn that
humans can feel the
vibrations of the sounds
that they make.
6
Light (Color,
Refraction and
Lenses,
Reflection and
Mirrors)
June 22
 Explain refraction of
light as it travels from
one medium to another.
 Examine how the higher
the optical density
(Index of Refraction) of
a material the smaller
the Angle of Refraction
is (in other words, when
a ray of light travels
from a low optical
density material to a
higher optical density
material, the beam
bends towards the
normal)
 Examine how the lower
the optical density
(Index of Refraction) of
a material the larger the
Angle of Refraction is
(in other words, when a
ray of light travels from
a high optical density
 Where do rainbows
come from?
 Why do we see an
imaginary patch of
water on the road on a
hot day?
 How do lenses work?
 Why do we see a false
location of an object in
a bath tub?
 What’s a mirage?
 Can light change its
speed?
 What is invisible light?
 Why is the sky blue
and sunset red?
 Why do all color
printers use colors
Magenta, Yellow, and
Cyan ?
 Why in science are
Primary Colors Red,
Green, and Blue (and
 Electromagnetic
spectrum
 Refraction of light
 Index of refraction
(optical density)
 Color science
 Primary and
secondary colors
 Color addition
(filters) and color
subtraction
(pigments)
 Reflection of light
 Image formation
by mirrors
 Diffraction
1-PS4-3
MS-PS4-2
SABES is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-1237992.
Grade 5:
There’s More to
Light Than Meets
the Eye





material to a lower
optical density material,
the beam bends away
from the normal)
Understand the speed of
light is inversely
proportional to the Index
of Refraction of the
material it travels
through (the higher the
optical density[Index of
Refraction] of material,
the slower the speed of
light is. In other words,
optically dense materials
slow light down.)
Students will explain
reflection of light as it
relates to mirrors.
Students will explore
how light interacts with
everyday objects to
explain the basic
properties of light.
Students will
approximate the
distance of an object
from a mirror based on
the reflection.
Students will explore the
electromagnetic
spectrum by using
filters.
NOT Blue, Red, and
Yellow)?
 How does a mirror
form an image?
 Can you see more of
yourself in a mirror if
you move away from
it?
 Can anything travel
faster than light?
SABES is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-1237992.
7
Static Electricity
June 23
8
Current
Electricity
June 23
 Students will understand
that atoms are made up
of protons, neutrons, and
electrons.
 Students will understand
that electron build-up
and movement account
for static electricity and
current electricity.
 Students will understand
the relationship between
charge and
attraction/repulsion.
 Students will understand
that electron movement
is electrical current.
 Understand that electron
movement is electrical
current.
 Observe and identify
differences between
open and closed circuits.
 Understand how the
molecular make up of
materials dictates their
conductivity (conductors
vs insulators).
 Compare how electricity
flows in a simple, series
and parallel circuit.
 What causes static
electricity in your hair?
 Why do balloons with
static charges stick to
walls?
 How do objects get
charged?
 Electric Charge
 Charge
Polarization
 Attraction and
Repulsion of
charges
4-PS3-1
Grade 4:
It’s Electric
 How should Christmas
light be wired?
 Where do electrons in
wires come from?
 Why is a battery often
compared to a water
pump?
 Electric Circuits
 Series and Parallel
circuits
 Voltage, Current,
and Resistance
4-PS3-2
4-PS3-4
3-PS2-3
Grade 4:
It’s Electric
SABES is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-1237992.
9
Magnetism
June 24
10
Velocity/
Acceleration
June 24
11
Newton’s Laws
June 25
 Students will identify
the relationship between
various types of
magnets.
 Students will identify
the poles of a magnet.
 Students will identify a
magnet's field.
 Students will apply
knowledge of magnetic
fields to the Earth.
 Students will observe an
electromagnet.
 Students will identify
how metals are
polarized by magnets
and electrical current.
 Explain the difference
between distance and
displacement
 Describe motion at
constant speed
mathematically (d vs t
graphs)
 Explain the difference
between average speed
and average velocity
 Describe relationships
between time, position,
distance traveled, and
speed (by using d vs t
graphs)
 How do objects
become magnetic?
 Why is it a bad idea to
bring a credit card next
to a magnet?
 Where does the Earth’s
magnetism come
from?
 How do we know there
are magnetic fields?
 Are magnetism and
electricity really ONE
single phenomenon,
called
‘electromagnetism”?
 Magnetic poles
 Magnetic domains
 Permanent and
temporary
magnets
 Magnetic Field
 Magnetic
Repulsion and
attraction
 Connection
between
magnetism and
electricity
3-PS2-3
Grade 4:
May the Force Be
With You
 Why are the terms
“velocity” and
“acceleration” so often
confused?
 How can you predict
what will happen to an
object’s motion by
using graph d vs t?
 What is speed?
 What is velocity?
 What is
acceleration?
 How to draw and
interpret d vs t
graphs
3-PS2-1
3-PS2-2
Grade 3:
Sheep in a Jeep
 Define contact and noncontact forces.
 Reason through
Newton’s first law by:
 Explaining what
happens when
single force is
 How are forces of
gravity, magnetism
and electrostatics the
same?
 Why is gravity such an
odd force?
 Inertia
 Action- reaction
 Relationship
between mass and
Force
 What is Force?
 Force of Friction
MS-PS2-2
MS-PS2-1
3-PS2-1
3-PS2-2
K-PS2-1
K-PS2-2
Grade 3:
Sheep in a Jeep
SABES is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-1237992.


12
Gravity/
Free Fall/
Weightlessness
June 25




13
Energy and
Energy
Conservation
June 26
acting on an
object initially at
rest.
 Explain what
happens when a
single force
pushes
continuously on
an already
moving object.
Explore the direct
relationship between
acceleration and force
and the inverse
relationship between
acceleration and mass
(F=m*a)
Explain how when one
object applies a force to
another object, the
second object also
applies a force to the
first
How does gravity act
upon objects?
How can air resistance
be used to slow a falling
object?
What is “free fall”?
Terminal velocity?
How do graphs of d vs t
look like for free fall and
fall at terminal velocity
 Define energy and
identify types of energy
 Explore the law of
conservation of energy
by explaining the
relationship between
 Can things interact
without touching?
 How can objects move
without any forces
acting on them?
 Why doesn’t the Moon
fall onto the Earth?
 Why does a bug die
when hitting a
windshield of a
moving car?
 How do rockets fly?
 Why are orbits round
(elliptical)?
 Why do astronauts
float in space?
 Do light and heavy
objects REALLY fall
together at the same
rate?
 How do parachutes
work?
 How come all the
planets are round?
 Acceleration due
to gravity
 Gravity
 Free Fall
 Weightlessness
 Terminal Velocity
 Air Resistance/Sir
drag
MS-PS2-4
K-PS2-2
3-PS2-1.
MS-PS2-2
Grade 3:
Sheep in a Jeep
 How come scientists
say energy cannot be
created or destroyed
(and yet some energy
sources are nonrenewable)?
 What is Energy?
 Where does
energy come
from?
MS-PS3-1
MS-PS3-2
MS-PS3-4
MS-PS3-5
4-PS3-4
Grade 4:
Rollercoaster
SABES is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-1237992.
Grade 5:
Windmill
kinetic, potential, and
total energy
 Practice drawing energy
transfer diagrams for
windup toys and
motors/generators
 Explain how the internal
components of motors
and generators operate
in terms of energy
 Why is a motor a
‘generator in reverse”?
 Why is energy NOT a
force?
 Mechanical
energy: Kinetic
and Potential
 Other types of
energy
 Conservation of
Energy
 Energy transfer
SABES is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-1237992.