While each school and district is unique, K-12 educational teams are faced with universal challenges. Teacher recruitment and retention – especially teachers trained in math and science – is a nationwide concern. Additionally, there’s pressure to achieve measured student success. Schools must continue to strive for high graduation rates and educate students so they’re prepared and confident about their futures.
Our Physics in a Box program provides hands-on experiments and ongoing teacher development to introduce and nurture a real-world knowledge of math and science in an engaging way. The program is already used in schools in Florida, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. In each state, it’s been met with positive, measurable results. Every school has seen an immense change in the performance of students. Suddenly, students who have traditionally struggled with math and science are engaged and excited to learn all through the power of professional tools and incredible refined physics experiments.
Four Boxes, Four Unique Programs
Each program is available in three levels – elementary school, middle school, and high school. Equipped with tools, curriculum, and year-long teacher training and support, the programs are easy to implement, and are guaranteed to improve your students’ math and science results!
Our high-quality labs provide a strong connection between math and science using strategically designed hands-on experiments.
Mechanics
Physics in a Box TM – Mechanics
The Mechanics version will teach students everything they need to know about objects in motion. Experiments illustrate motion-related concepts such as speed, acceleration, force, momentum, the law of conservation of energy, Newton’s laws, simple machines, sound and wave phenomena, and more. Mechanics is a perfect hands-on application to showcase each mathematics concept students learn in school.
Typically, students begin studying Physics by learning Mechanics. They then proceed to Optics, Electricity & Magnetism, Thermal Physics, and end with our Elements of Nuclear and Atomic Physics package (which includes the Structure of Matter). Our Mechanics box should be introduced first. Students easily grasp the concept as they’re able to see real-life examples of the phenomena each day. They’re able to see how using friction force to hold objects with their fingers and being able to walk are examples of Physics in everyday life. They’ll observe how buildings are constructed, how machines move, and move on to learn about the motion of rockets and planets. Each structure and movement occurring around us daily can be explained using the laws of Mechanics.
Mechanics is a perfect hands-on application to incorporate mathematics concepts students learn in school. In elementary school, the program reinforces elementary operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and reducing fractions. Mechanics for middle school is connected to topics students learn in Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Geometry – such as the system of coordinates, linear and quadratic functions, elements of geometry, and more. Mechanics for 9-10 grades is based on the more advanced math topics students learn in Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. In grades 11 and 12, it’s based on Pre-Calculus and Calculus.
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Optics
Physics in a Box TM – Optics
Optics was created to teach students everything they need to know about light. It illustrates how light is created and propagates, and how it’s seen and manipulated. This is a colorful and enjoyable area of Physics. Students will learn about mirrors and lenses, prisms and filters, laws of reflection and refraction, absorption and polarization phenomena. They’ll advance to study interference and diffraction and to how to construct various optical instruments including a microscope and a telescope. The package includes year-round teacher training support.
Typically, Optics course is following the Mechanics curriculum and then, in turn, is followed by Electricity & Magnetism, Thermal Physics, and Elements of Nuclear and Atomic Physics (part of which is also the Structure of Matter). All phenomena around us connected to light and what and how we see are the examples of what Optics studies – from answering the question of why the sky is blue, why the color of Sun which we see changes from radish yellow in the morning to more white at noon, and back to yellow and then red at the sunset, to the light coming to us from the farthest galaxies, or from the understanding of how a simple lens works to actually being able to build a microscope and a telescope. Students are fascinated by Optics and their curiosity and the desire to learn more is unstoppable.
Optics continues to reinforce ALL mathematics concepts which student learn in school. Elements of Optics in elementary school reinforce elementary operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and reducing fractions. Optics for middle school is connected to the topics which students learn in Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1 and Geometry – such as system of coordinates, linear and quadratic functions, elements of geometry, and others. Optics of 9-10 grades is based on more advanced math topics which students learn in Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2.
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Thermal
Physics in a Box TM – Thermal Physics
This package was created to teach students everything they need to know about heat phenomena occurring in nature and life around us every day. Students learn concepts related to warming up, cooling down, evaporation, condensation, ideal gas and gas laws, motion of molecules, and more.
The Thermal Physics curriculum provides an excellent connection between Math and Science through the application of electrical and magnetic phenomena. Each version is grade-level appropriate and provides teachers with tools, curriculum, and year-long teacher training support.
Thermal Physics is perfect to be introduced after students are familiar with Mechanics, Optics, and Electricity. It’s an important aspect of Physics which shouldn’t be skipped.
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Electricity & Magnetism
Physics in a Box TM – Electricity & Magnetism
This breath-taking package was created to teach students everything they need to know about electrical and magnetic phenomena occurring naturally in life around us every day. This package exposes students to concepts such as electrical charges, electrical current, electrical circuits and diagrams, the connection between electrical and magnetic phenomena, and more.
Electricity and Magnetism follows the Mechanics and Optics programs. Like mechanical and optical phenomenas, electrical and magnetic phenomena are all around us, beginning with the simple concept of lighting a room with a switch and advancing to how computers and cell phones work.
The Electricity and Magnetism package reinforces mathematics concepts learned in school. In elementary school, it reinforces the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and reducing fractions. Electricity and Magnetism for middle school is connected to what students learn in Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Geometry – such as the system of coordinates, linear and quadratic functions, elements of geometry, and more. For 9-10 grades, it’s based on more advanced math topics students learn in Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. Grades 11 and 12 is based on Pre-Calculus and Calculus.
Schedule your demo today!
“For superintendents looking at this, here’s what I would say: I would challenge you to find another mechanism to deliver this many labs or experiments for the dollars you’re going to spend. In fact, I’m going to say it doesn’t exist. And being a former math teacher, I’ve searched for it.”
Travis L. Dempsey, NMSSA Superintendent of the Year 2020-2021
Why Make the Investment?
When you invest with Physical Science Research Associates, you invest in a top quality program and equipment, excellent teacher development, and everything you hope to expect from an expert in the field. When looking for an advantage for your children, your teachers, and your community, the bigger win is creating a fertile field of possibilities for them with our program.
Hands On Learning
Evolving Curriculum
All-In-One Science Lab
Professional Quality
“We want to open Physics for ALL students. The Physics in a Box program gives something very unique to our students, because it is real!”
Dr. Anna-Marie Cote, Deputy Superintendent for Instructional Excellence and Equity
Let's Connect
If you’re interested in bringing your education to the next level while giving your students and teachers a competitive edge, please fill out the form to the right.
We have helped school districts all over the U.S. uplift their math and science education through physics while reducing cost and energy.
We believe in a world with a physics hands-on lab in every classroom. Help us achieve that goal.
