Texas IPC - Activate Learning

What is Texas Integrated Physics and Chemistry™?

The Texas Integrated Physics and Chemistry™ curriculum provided by Activate Learning includes project-based physics, chemistry, and Earth science chapters to meet the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science Standards (TEKS) for all students. The program includes print and digital curriculum materials, science kits for hands-on investigations, and professional learning for educators.

Project-Based Inquiry Approach

Students conduct laboratory and field investigations and make informed decisions using critical thinking and scientific problem-solving.
Students engage in scientific practices; they are able to ask questions, plan and conduct investigations to answer questions, and explain phenomena using appropriate tools and models.
Students engage in engineering practices; they are able to identify problems and design solutions using appropriate tools and models.
This course integrates the disciplines of physics and chemistry in the following topics: force, motion, energy, matter, and the Earth science topic of Earth’s natural resources.
Each chapter is anchored in an interesting and meaningful Chapter Challenge for students to solve by the end of the chapter.

Students Learn Like Scientists and Engineers

Students ask questions, identify problems, plan and safely conduct classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models.
Students develop important 21st-century skills as they work collaboratively in groups and engage in scientific discourse.
Students engage in the Engineering Design Cycle as they iteratively work towards completing the Chapter Challenge.
The program is based on cognitive science research encapsulated in the 7E Instructional Model.

Total Support for Teachers

Student Edition and a comprehensive Teacher’s Edition are available in print and digital formats.
Our Learning Community provides teachers with resources to prepare lessons as well as share and compare with other teachers in an online community.
Online resources include daily lesson plans, pre-quizzes, student misconceptions, differentiation strategies, as well as support videos.
Professional Learning and implementation support are available from our expert team of educators.

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Research-Based Design

Texas Integrated Physics and Chemistry™ fosters scientifically literate students who will be prepared for the workforce, able to make informed decisions, and contribute as productive citizens in the 21st century.

Integrated Physics and Chemistry is research-based.

Integrated Physics and Chemistry was supported through National Science Foundation funding and consequently produced through rigorous, iterative, research-based development cycles. It is based on the latest research from the cognitive science on how students learn.

Integrated Physics and Chemistry students develop communication and collaboration skills.

In Integrated Physics and Chemistry, students develop a community of practice and a culture of collaboration and communication. The presentations of the Chapter Challenge provide students with opportunities to engage in scientific arguments using evidence and scientific knowledge and promote a deeper understanding through public practice.

Integrated Physics and Chemistry fit your standards.

The program reflects the full scope of integrated physical and chemistry science content standards for high school - those identified as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

Take a Deeper Dive into Texas Integrated Physics and Chemistry™

Select a chapter below to learn more about learning activities and investigations included in the Texas Integrated Physics and Chemistry™ program.

Chapter 1: Thrills and Chills

Students complete the Chapter Challenge by designing a roller coaster to fit a specific group of people. They modify an existing design or create their own. Investigative Phenomena include investigating methods of making mechanical drawings and determining the velocity and acceleration of a ball. Students interpret a top and side view of a roller coaster ride, decide where the thrills are on the ride, and how curves and acceleration play into the ride's fun. Students learn to use force and energy to describe the events on a roller coaster.

For example, in one of the labs students are challenged with designing a device on the outside of a lab cart that will absorb energy during a collision or a sudden stop to help lower the net force on people riding in an automobile or riding in a roller coaster car. Each group will come up with their own unique design and after the “testing of their device” will have the opportunity to share out their findings and results. This lab helps students meet TEKS standard #5 regarding the relationship between force and motion in everyday life.

Chapter 2: Electricity for Everyone

Students complete the Chapter Challenge by designing an appliance package for a family that is powered by a wind-driven generator. Students also construct a training manual explaining the basic principles of electricity for the family, including a wiring diagram with outlets and switches' locations. Investigative Phenomena include investigating and constructing simple electric circuits and using a generator to light bulbs and ignite a steel wool piece. Students investigate energy transformations, construct a simple circuit, and develop a model.

Through investigations, students learn about the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance and Ohm’s Law. Students construct fuses using steel wool, a balloon, and a hand generator to observe what happens when the load limit is exceeded on a power strip loaded with appliances. Students also study the unique relationship between electricity and magnetism by building an electric motor and constructing their galvanometer by inducing a current with a magnet and a solenoid.

For example, in one of the labs students use their newly acquired knowledge of electricity and magnetism to build and operate a DC motor. Using simple pieces of equipment, groups can easily and quickly build their motors. They will then be able to explain and demonstrate how a force is made on a current-carrying wire. This lab helps students meet TEKS Standard # 6 about designing a device that generates electrical energy through the interaction of electric charges and magnetic fields.

Chapter 3: Fun with the Periodic Table

Students learn about the properties, trends, and patterns of the Periodic Table to complete the Chapter Challenge of designing, inventing, or copying a game format using the Engineering Design Cycle to complete the chapter. Subsequent activities include Investigative Phenomena such as designing, analyzing, and communicating trends or solutions for the arrangement of items for sale in supermarkets and carrying out an investigation to test the properties of elements to provide evidence for how elements are classified on the periodic table. Students also use mathematics to calculate the average atomic mass of an element. Students study the 4 Fundamental forces of nature, including fission, fusion and mass-energy equivalency.

For example, in one of the labs students will observe electrified gasses through a diffraction grating or a spectroscope. They will then look at different energy levels and ascertain how light is created at the atomic level. Through analyzing these emission spectra, they will gain a beginning understanding of wave-particle duality. This lab helps students meet TEKS standard #7 regarding the relationship between the structure and properties of matter.

Chapter 4: Cool Chemistry Show

Students complete the Chapter Challenge by using chemistry learned to create an entertaining and informative chemistry science show to present to fourth and fifth-grade students. Activities in each section include Investigative Phenomena using evidence to differentiate between chemical and physical change, mathematics and computational thinking, and the knowledge that atoms are conserved to balance chemical equations and name chemical formulas and compounds.

Students conduct investigations to determine conditions that make a reaction proceed faster or slower and understand why this happens at the molecular level. Students also identify and distinguish between acids and bases characteristic properties and determine what materials can react with metals, causing the metal to corrode or rust.

For example, in one of the labs students are introduced to endothermic and exothermic reactions by making hot and cold packs that can be used in everyday life to help soothe injuries. With each group making their own packs, they learn about activation energies, conservation of energy, heat energy, and temperature as they study chemical thermodynamics. The lab helps students meet TEKS standard #6 on the impact of energy transfer and energy transformations in everyday life.

Chapter 5: Earth’s Natural Resources

Students complete the chapter challenge by evaluating and analyzing the consumption and use of energy, mineral, and water resources in their community and writing a report explaining the current uses and consumption rates of natural resources and their impact if there is a 20% population growth in the next decade. Investigative Phenomena include investigating how oil and gas are extracted from reservoirs and exploring the porosity and permeability of rock bodies and how these factors affect the volume and rate of production in oil and gas fields.

Students analyze data that shows the acidity of rain across the United States and correlate the pattern of rain pH to the distribution of coal-producing regions. They investigate how different types of rocks can neutralize the acidity of rain and relate to the environmental impacts of acid rain. Students investigate renewable energy sources, focusing on constructing a solar water heater and determining its maximum energy output. They consider wind energy use by constructing an anemometer to measure wind speeds and calculate how much power can be generated by wind.

For example, in one of the labs students will design and carry out their own procedure (with teacher approval) to measure the porosity of several non-lithified sediments to get a better understanding of how geologists in Texas estimate the amount of oil that can be brought up in a newly discovered reservoir. Students examine the permeability of their material to determine how much oil is considered retrievable and look at trends in oil production in Texas and the USA. This lab helps students meet TEKS standard #6, which includes the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources and their impact on society and the environment.

Activate Learning Digital Platform

The Texas Integrated Physics and Chemistry™ curriculum is available in print and digital format. The digital edition of the curriculum is provided on the Activate Learning Digital Platform for teachers and students.

Teachers can...

Plan standards-based instruction
Prepare for every lesson with teacher tools and resources
Teach lessons that effectively differentiate for ALL students
Assign and monitor student work
Easily and efficiently review and provide feedback on student work
Create and share assessments
Assess student progress

Students can...

Apply their learning authentically
Engage like scientists by recording their learning
Receive and respond to teacher feedback in real-time
Represent their ideas as models
Annotate and highlight text
Respond to questions using sentence starters and read-aloud feature
Demonstrate their understanding through assessment

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Science Kits and Equipment

All the materials needed for investigations are provided in our science kits and organized for teacher convenience.

Materials are an essential element to investigation-centered learning and we have science kits to support every unit in our K-12 program lineup.

For information and options to procure additional materials and equipment, please contact your Activate Learning Regional Sales Manager or Request Product Information.

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About the Authors

Select an author below to learn more about their contributions to the fields of physics, chemistry, Earth sciences, and science education.

Dr. Arthur Eisenkraft

Dr. Arthur Eisenkraft
University of Massachusetts

Physics & Chemistry, Chapters 1-4

Dr. Arthur Eisenkraft has taught high school physics for over 28 years. He is currently the Distinguished Professor of Science Education, Professor of Physics, and Founding Director of the Center of Science and Math in Context (COSMIC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Dr. Eisenkraft is the author of numerous science and educational publications and holds a patent for a Laser Vision testing system, which tests visual acuity for spatial frequency.

Dr. Eisenkraft has been recognized with numerous awards for his teaching, scholarship, and service, including the National Science Board Public Service Award, 2017; the NSTA’s most prestigious award, the Robert H. Carleton Award for “making outstanding contributions to and providing leadership in science education at the national level,” 2010; the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) Robert A. Millikan Medal for “notable and creative contributions in physics education,” 2009; Honorary Doctorate of Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1993; Disney American Teacher Award for Science Teacher of the Year, 1991; the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching from President Ronald Reagan, 1986.

In 1999, Dr, Eisenkraft was elected to a three-year cycle as the President-Elect, President, and Retiring President of the NSTA, the world’s largest organization of science teachers. He has served on numerous committees of the National Academy of Science, including the content committee that has helped author the National Science Education Standards and the Framework for K-2 Science Education, and in 2003 he was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Eisenkraft has been involved with several projects and chaired many notable competitions, including the Toshiba/ NSTA ExploraVisions Awards (1991 to present), which he co-created; the Toyota TAPESTRY Grants (1990 to 2005); and the Duracell/NSTA Scholarship Competition (1984 to 2000). In 1993, he served as Executive Director for the XXIV International Physics Olympiad after being Academic Director for the United States team for six years.

Dr. Eisenkraft’s presently leads the Wipro Science Education Fellowship program, which is bringing sustainable change to over 35 school districts across seven states. He has recently been supporting novel educational initiatives in Thailand and India. His current research projects include a study of professional development choices that teachers make when facing a large-scale curriculum change, assessing the technological literacy of K-12 students, and investigating how teachers can become leaders without leaving the classroom. Dr. Eisenkraft is a frequent presenter and keynote speaker. He has published over 100 articles and presented over 200 papers and workshops. Quantoons, written with L. Kirkpatrick and featuring illustrations by Tomas Bunk, led to an art exhibition at the New York Hall of Science.

John Southard received his undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1960 and his doctorate in geology from Harvard University in 1966. After a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship at the California Institute of Technology, he joined the faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he is currently a Professor of Geology Emeritus. He was awarded the MIT School of Science teaching prize in 1989 and was one of the first cohorts of first MacVicar Fellows at MIT, in recognition of excellence in undergraduate teaching. He has taught numerous undergraduate courses in introductory geology, sedimentary geology, field geology, and environmental Earth Science both at MIT and in Harvard’s adult education program. He was editor of the Journal of Sedimentary Petrology from 1992 to 1996, and he continues to do technical editing of scientific books and papers for SEPM, a professional society for sedimentary geology. Dr. Southard received the 2001 Neil Miner Award from the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.