NGSS-Aligned Physical Science for ALL
The Active Integrated Physics and Chemistry™ (Active IPC) curriculum provided by Activate Learning includes project-based physics and chemistry content fully aligned with Next Generation Science Standards for physical science.
The Active IPC program includes print and digital curriculum materials, science kits for hands-on investigations, and professional learning for educators.
Available as a package or for individual purchase
Active Integrated Physics & Chemistry® Print Teacher Edition & Student Materials
Digital
Interactive Teacher and Student digital editions on the Activate Learning Digital Platform
Kits
High Quality Materials & Science Supplies
Professional Learning
Personalized Services to Support Implementation
Three-Dimensional
Project-Based Approach
Students conduct investigations and engage in the Engineering Design Cycle as they iteratively work towards completing the Chapter Challenge.
Students Learn Like Scientists and Engineers
Students ask questions, plan and conduct investigations, and explain phenomena using appropriate tools and models.
Total Support
for Teachers
Professional Learning is provided by our team of education specialists.
Need more info to decide if this the right curriculum for your district or school?
Active Integrated Physics and Chemistry Curriculum Details
The Active Integrated Physics and Chemistry™ high school science curriculum integrates the disciplines of physics and chemistry in the following topics: force, motion, energy, matter, sound production, storage, and transmission. Anchoring, Investigative, and Everyday Phenomena are highlighted throughout each chapter.
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STEM Chapter Challenges
Interesting and meaningful Chapter Challenges motivate students to learn and remember the physics and chemistry content. Research shows that this project-based approach promotes excitement and meaningful learning for ALL students.
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Student Centered
Active IPC engages students in investigations and puts students at the center of the learning, equipping students with essential 21st century skills that prepare them for their post-high school careers.
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Language Supports for Multilingual Learners
Embedded language supports are built into our digital platform, including translation for over 130 languages and text-to-speech with read-along highlighting.
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NGSS Alignment
The Active IPC program reflects the full scope of Physical Science content standards for high school, aligned to NGSS.
Active Integrated Physics and Chemistry Research-Based Design
Active 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.
Active Integrated Physics and Chemistry™ is research-based.
Active Integrated Physics and Chemistry content was supported through National Science Foundation funding and consequently produced through rigorous, iterative, research-based development cycles. The content is based on cognitive science research encapsulated in the 7E Instructional Model.
Students develop communication and collaboration skills.
In Active Integrated Physics and Chemistry™, students develop a community of practice and a culture of collaboration and communication. The Chapter Challenge presentations provide students with opportunities to engage in scientific arguments using evidence and scientific knowledge and promote a deeper understanding through public practice.
Students learn like scientists.
The science and engineering practices, as described in A Framework for K-12 Science Education, are integrated throughout the curriculum. Students engage with complex situations and collaborate on what they need to learn in order to manage the situation effectively.
Chapter Challenge: Students modify the design of a roller coaster to meet the needs of a specific group of riders.
Students use gravitational and potential energy to explain their observations of a ball rolling down an incline and a swinging pendulum. They investigate spring potential energy and explore the law of conservation of energy. They determine the relationship between gravitational force and distance. Students learn about the difference between mass and weight, and determine Hooke’s law and calculate spring potential energy. Newton’s second law for net forces is used to analyze a free-body diagram for objects undergoing acceleration. Students investigate centripetal force and apply it to a roller coaster. They pull a mass up different routes to a fixed height and develop a definition of work and its relationship to power.
Students develop concept maps on force and energy and explore examples of each on a roller coaster.
Chapter Challenge: Students design an appliance package for a family home that is powered by a wind-driven generator.
Students explore current, voltage, and resistance in parallel and series circuits. They create a simple fuse and calculate load limits of a household circuit. Students investigate heat transfer and learn about the laws of thermodynamics and entropy. They calculate the efficiency of various water heaters and apply this to designing their appliance package.
Chapter Challenge: Students will design a two-to-four-minute sound show to entertain other students their age and record it on their phones. Then, post on YouTube, TikTok, or another social media platform, explaining the physics behind how this could be done.
Students explore the properties of sound waves and how they travel, focusing on the effects of tension and mass on a string's pitch. They investigate the relationships between wavelength, frequency, and wave speed and understand how waves carry energy. The curriculum covers both sound, produced by longitudinal waves, and light, including wave-particle duality, diffraction, and the photoelectric effect.
Students also learn about electromagnetic waves and the spectrum, how to calculate distances traveled by these waves, and how to communicate information through sound transmission to social media platforms.
Chapter Challenge: Students create a storyline and produce special effects based on the chemistry they have learned in their Active Integrated Physics and Chemistry class.
Students will demonstrate the special effects they created. The special effects will be evaluated on their quality, entertainment, and the chemistry the students exhibited in putting them together.
Chapter Challenge: Students develop a game to learn about and use the periodic table.
Students study the physical and chemical properties of elements and use the information to categorize elements as metals and nonmetals. They then learn about atoms, atomic mass, the law of definite proportions, and they discover how the model of an atom has changed over time. Students observe the spectra of several elements and learn about ionization potentials.
Next, the students learn about the noble gases and discover the octet rule. Finally, students examine how the average atomic mass of an element is determined, the factors that affect nuclear stability, and the difference between fission and fusion.
Chapter Challenge: Students develop a demonstration of chemistry concepts for a grade-school audience.
Students observe the characteristics of a chemical reaction and use indicators to identify acids and bases. They examine single- and double-replacement reactions and practice writing chemical equations. Students observe endothermic and exothermic reactions and factors that affect reaction rates. They explore the properties of acids and bases and the activity of metals.
Digital Platform
The Activate Learning Digital Platform (ALDP) hosts the interactive digital edition of the Active Integrated Physics and Chemistry™ teacher and student curriculum materials.
The platform is designed for student accessibility and inclusion and offers embedded translation for over 130 languages, text-to-speech with read-along highlighting in 35 languages, and sentence starter prompts.
Featuring an intuitive user experience, teachers have everything they need to Plan, Teach, Assign, and Assess lessons in a platform that is integrated with leading SIS rostering and Learning Management Systems such as Google Classroom, Schoology, and Canvas.
About The Authors
Select an author to learn more about their contributions to the fields of physical science, chemistry, physics, and science education.
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. Arthur Eisenkraft is the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Leadership in Science Education (OLISE) Award, announced at the 2025 NSELA Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PA.
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 renowned for creating curricula that engage students and support teachers. His groundbreaking Active Physics and Active Chemistry programs were among the first to bring project-based learning to high school classrooms, reaching thousands of teachers and students nationwide.
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.
Dr. Eisenkraft has been featured in articles in The New York Times, Education week, Physics Today, Scientific American, Science, the American Journal of Physics, and The Physics Teacher. He has testified before the United States Congress, appeared on NBC's The Today Show, National Public Radio, and many other radio and television broadcasts, including serving as the science consultant to ESPN’s Sports Figures.
Jim Ryan, former STEM Executive Director at San Francisco Unified School District, led the development of the district’s science curriculum, including Active Physics, focusing on equitable, engaging, and student-driven learning environments. He championed project-based learning and teacher adaptability to better meet the needs of diverse classrooms.
Sarah Delaney, as Science Supervisor of San Francisco Unified School District, emphasized professional development that deepened teachers' understanding of student learning and promoted equity in science instruction.
The STEM High School Science Content Specialists from San Francisco Unified School District—Dawn Rege, Katrina Rotter, Jeffrey Dowling, Katie Tobin, and Shahram Mostarshed—collaborated to align curriculum content with NGSS Standards, ensuring comprehensive coverage of key science concepts.
Additional Reading
Cultivating a Community of Learners in Science Education
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