MS: NGSS - Atoms & Chemical Reaction Curriculum Bundle: 4 NGSS Units + 14 Additional Labs

Atoms and Chemical Reactions Curriculum Bundle: 4 NGSS Units + 14 Additional Labs | Atoms & States of Matter, Chemical Reactions, Synthetic Materials, Thermal Energy | Grades 6–8

Teach your whole middle school chemistry sequence with one purchase. This bundle includes four complete NextWave Science units and all fourteen companion labs. That's 40 lessons, 14 hands-on labs, 5 performance tasks, and 4 end-of-unit assessments, all aligned to NGSS and ready to teach. Save over 10% compared with buying each resource separately.

What's Included

• Unit 1: Atoms, Molecules, and States of Matter (15 lessons)

Students build atom and molecule models, sort elements, molecules, and compounds, and build extended structures like salt, diamond, and graphite. They use particle models to explain states of matter, state changes, gas pressure, and heating curves. They finish with two performance tasks: a labeled structure model with a CER, and a graphed heating or cooling curve with particle models.

NGSS: MS-PS1-1, MS-PS1-4

• Atoms, Molecules & States of Matter Labs (3 labs)
• Molecular Shape Stability Challenge: how atom arrangement affects stability
• Engineering a Strong Crystal Structure: how a repeating pattern affects strength
• Atomic Packing Efficiency Investigation: how particle arrangement connects to solids, liquids, and gases
• Unit 2: Chemical Reactions & Conservation of Matter (11 lessons)

Students identify mystery substances by their characteristic properties and density, and analyze before-and-after data to decide whether a reaction happened. They count atoms in reaction models and measure mass in sealed and open systems, from fizzing antacid tablets to burning steel wool to elephant toothpaste. They finish by proving that a reaction happened and that matter was conserved in the Reaction Investigator performance task.

NGSS: MS-PS1-2, MS-PS1-5

• Conservation of Mass & Atom Modeling Labs (4 labs)
• Copper Plating a Nail: tracing copper atoms from a penny to a nail
• Making Chalk from Two Clear Liquids: a new solid forms, and the mass stays the same
• Plaster of Paris: Where Did the Water Go?: water atoms that become part of a new substance
• Splitting Water with Electricity: the 2-to-1 gas pattern and conserved atoms
• Unit 3: Properties of Substances & Synthetic Materials (7 lessons)

Students identify mystery powders, trace everyday products back to natural resources, test natural and synthetic fibers, and turn milk into plastic. They judge sources for credibility and bias, weigh the costs and benefits of a real material choice, and finish by building a Synthetic Material Profile.

NGSS: MS-PS1-3

• Synthetic Materials Labs (3 labs)
• Engineering Polymer Slime: how linking polymer chains creates new properties
• Investigating a Super-Absorbent Polymer: synthetic vs. natural materials, and who benefits
• Sorting Plastics for Recycling: using properties to design a recycling sort
• Unit 4: Thermal & Chemical Energy (7 lessons)

Students measure exothermic and endothermic processes, draw energy flow diagrams, and run fair tests on substance type, amount, and insulation. They finish by planning, building, testing, and improving a hot or cold pack that meets a customer's criteria.

NGSS: MS-PS1-6, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4

• Thermal Energy & Chemical Design Labs (4 labs)
• Choosing the Best Cold Pack Chemical: a decision matrix for temperature, cost, and safety
• Epoxy Heat: Why Thick Pours Get Hot: how amount and shape control heat buildup
• Food Fuel: Burning Snacks to Heat Water: designing a heater that captures more energy
• Magnesium in Vinegar: Does Concentration Matter?: how concentration controls the energy released

Every Unit Includes

• A Read Me First guide with pacing and a full materials list
• A Teacher Guide: each lesson has a timed flow, "Listen for" and "Watch for" notes, a differentiation menu, and an exit ticket
• Student Notes for every lesson
• Exit tickets, printed 3 per page
• An end-of-unit assessment
• Answer keys for the notes, exit tickets, and assessment
• Printable station cards
• Performance tasks with 32-point rubrics

Every Lab Includes

• A 4-page Teacher Guide with NGSS alignment
• A Student Lab Sheet with a prediction, procedure, data tables, analysis, a CER, an exit ticket, and an Honors Extension
• An Answer Key with sample data and CER examples at three levels

Differentiation Built In, Everywhere

Every lesson and lab includes options for:

• ELL / multilingual learners
• Neurodivergent learners
• Advanced / gifted & honors students

Each teacher guide also explains how to differentiate while keeping every student on the same standards.

NGSS Coverage

• MS-PS1-1 through MS-PS1-6: the complete middle school Matter and Its Interactions set
• MS-ETS1-2 to 4: engineering design in the Thermal & Chemical Energy unit and the design labs

Pacing

• 65-minute periods: about 44 class days for the four units, including assessment days. Add up to 14 lab days.
• 45-minute periods: about 84 class days for the four units, plus the labs.
• Each unit also works as a stand-alone, so you can teach them in any order.

Why Buy the Bundle?

• Save over 10% over buying the units and labs separately
• One consistent format across every unit and lab, so students learn the routines once
• A complete story of matter: from atoms and molecules, to substances that react and regroup, to the materials we make and the energy that reactions release or absorb

Terms of Use: This purchase is a single-user license for use in your own classroom. Please purchase additional licenses for colleagues.