High School GPS Physical Science
Forsyth County Schools Pacing Guide, 2011-2012
First 18 Weeks (Semester)
Focus:
 Lab Safety
 Significant figures
-Precision
-Accuracy
 Scientific notation
 SI and Metric units
 Conversions
 Scientific Method
-Habits of Mind
-Theories vs. Laws
-Variables
-Inference vs.
Observation
 Graphing Skills
-Line graphs
-Pie (circle) graphs
-Bar graphs
-When to use which
one
>>These topics should
not be taught as one
separate unit, but rather
incorporated inside of
other units as they are
needed.<<
~1 Week
Unit 1: Force and
Motion
Focus:
 Speed & Velocity (8a)
 Energy**(NS)
-Kinetic
-Potential
 Acceleration (8a)
 Graphing velocity &
acceleration (8a)
 Momentum – conservation of
momentum (8a)
 Force (SPS 8)
-Balanced and unbalanced
-Net force
 Friction (NS)
-Surface/surface
-Air resistance
 Gravity (10 m/s/s) (NS)
 Newton’s Laws (8b)
-Inertia
-F=ma
-Free-fall & weight
-Third law
Unit 2: Work & Power;
Transformation of
Energy
Focus:
 Work & Power
-Simple machines(8e)
-Mechanical advantage (8e)
-Efficiency
-Calculate

Power

Mechanical
advantage

Efficiency

Work
Focus:
Energy
 Transformations (7a)
-gPE, ME, KE
 Conservation
>>Be alert for opportunities to
connect transformations to
electricity/magnetism <<
Unit 3: Waves
12 Week, Fall Benchmark
Characteristics of
Science
Focus:
Unit 4: Electricity
Focus:
Unit 5:
Magnetism
Focus:
 Types &
 Static Electricity (10a)  Domains
Characteristics
-Friction
 Induced magnetic
-Mechanical
-Induction
(NS) fields
-Electromagnetic
-Conduction
-Energy
-Longitudinal
 Electron flow
transformati
-Transverse
-AC vs. DC
on
 Wavelength
-Tesla vs. Edison(NS)

Motors
-Current
(10c)
 Wave speed

Resistance

Generat
-Different media

Voltage
ors
 Doppler effect (NS)
-Circuits (10b)
 Permanent
 Waves interactions(9d)

Simple
magnets
-Reflection

Parallel
Electromagnets
-Refraction
 Difference of potential
-Interference
energy
-Diffraction
-Current (resistance
 Light (NS) &
and voltage)
Sound(9e)
-Conductor (force
→friction)
-Induction (10a)
-Chemical cell
-Conductivity through
solutions
**Energy is taught throughout
the course.
SPS 8
SPS 7
SPS 9
SPS 10
SPS 10
~5 Weeks
~4 Weeks
~3 Weeks
~3 Weeks
~2 Weeks
Second 18 Weeks (Semester)
 Molecular Motion
 Properties of Matter(NS)
-Density(SPS 2a)
-Conductivity(SPS 6a)
-Physical/Chemical
(NS) Properties &
Changes
 Gas Laws (SPS5a&b)
-Boyles Law
-Charles Law
-Relationship between
temperature,
pressure, and
volume of gases to
molecular motion
& behavior of
gases
 Solutions (SPS 6a&b)
-Solute
-Solvent
-Conductivity
-Concentration
-Factors affecting rate
of dissolution in
different solvents
-Read solubility curve to
interpret effects of
temperature on
solubility(SPS 6c)
Focus:
 Heat (SPS 7 c&d)
-Capacity
-Specific heat
 Temperature
-Definition
-Scales (°F; °C↔K)
 Heat transfer (SPS 7b)
-Conduction
-Convection
-Radiation
 Conductors
 Insulators
 Phase changes(SPS 7d)
-Phases of Matter (all
4)
-Diagrams(NS)

Triple-point

Temperature
vs. heat
Unit 8: Atomic
Structure & The
Periodic Table;
Radioactivity
Focus:
 Atomic Structure (SPS 1a)
 Models (NS)
 Bohr
 Lewis dot
 Periodic Table(SPS 4b)
-Common names and
labels (first 20)
-Isotopes (SPS 1a)
-Locations of metals,
non-metals,
metalloids
-Room temp. phases
 Periodic trends (SPS 4a)
-# of Valence electrons
-Ions formed
-Average weighted
atomic mass
-Average atomic
diameter
 Predict properties based on
location on periodic table
Unit 9: Bonding,
Nomenclature, Chemical
Rxns
Unit 10: Acids &
Bases
Focus:
Focus:
 Covalent and Ionic(SPS 2c)
compounds
 Electron movement→bonding
-Covalent
-Ionic
-Predict formulas for stable
binary ionic (SPS 1d)
compounds
 Use IUPAC nomenclature for
-Binary ionic
-Binary covalent
 Chemical reactions and reaction
types(SPS 1e)
-Synthesis
-Decomposition
-Single replacement
-Double replacement
 Rate of reactions
 Conservations of Matter(SPS 2d)
-Balancing equations(SPS 2e)
 Acids and Bases(SPS
6d&e)
 pH scale
- strong/weak acids
- strong/weak bases
 neutralization reaction
 household chemicals
EOCT
Review
EOCT
Focus:
Unit 7: Heat,
Temperature, &
Phases of Matter
24 Week, Winter Benchmark
Unit 6: Matter &
Solutions
Focus:
Radioactivity (SPS 3)
 Nucleus
-Fusion vs. Fission
(Element b)
-Alpha, Beta, & Gamma
radiation (Element
a)
-Half-life ( Element c)

Definition

Calculations
 Practical application of
nuclear energy and related
problems ( Element d)
SPS 5 & 6
SPS 7
SPS 1 & 4
SPS 2
SPS 6
~3 Weeks
~2 Weeks
~4 Weeks
~3 Weeks
~1 Weeks
~2 Weeks