Enrolling Now for 2026-27 School Year.
Enrolling Now for 2026-27 School Year.
Physics Learning Coach Guide Contents Part A:Welcome to Physics Welcome Letter Dear Learning Coach, Thank you for partnering with CCA and investing in your learner’s education. This Learning Coach Guide is intended to help you support your learners in their Physics course. Within this guide, you will find the goals, components, and features of the online course. Please take time to read and review this information so you understand how to help your learner interact with all the course’s elements. The Learning Coach Guide also includes information about each of the units in this course. On each page of unit information, you will discover the following: The Unit Overview will tell you what the focus, content, and skills of the unit will be. The Unit Assessment section is a place for you and your learner to preview the graded work in the course. At the start of each unit, work with your learner to look at the unit in Edio and find out which types of graded work are in this unit. Write them in the box and use it as a checklist. You can check off each one as your learner completes it. The Unit Materials section tells you the materials your learner will need to complete the activities in this unit. You will also find the materials list repeated within each lesson, so that your learner has exactly what they need at the right time. The Unit Discussion Questions are optional questions that you may want to ask your learner during the unit to increase home and school connections about what your learner is studying. In the Unit Notables section, you may find optional activities, ideas to help your learners if they get stuck, or safety tips. CCA wishes you and your learners a terrific school year! Supporting Your Learner Your role as a Learning Coach is very important. Here are a few ways you can help your learner do their very best in the course. Help your learner know what time guided or live class instruction is scheduled for, and prompt them to attend sessions or watch recordings. Remember, it is okay for your learner to get stuck. Learning new material takes time. Encourage them to take breaks, keep trying, and even ask the teacher for help. Help your learner navigate technology. That may mean helping them type information or upload work into Edio. Always encourage your learner to do their very best. Review the course syllabus for your learner’s course. Maintain communication with your learner’s teacher. Physics may feel like it requires more from the learners than other courses. Learners need proficiency in both reading comprehension and mathematical comprehension. You may find that your learner needs more practice, review, and support to succeed in all aspects of the course. Learners should strive for mastery when possible. Think of athletes and musicians. They practice until they are excellent. Learners should follow that kind of work ethic whenever possible. Part B:Course Information Course Goals Your learners will be introduced to various physics concepts that will help them better understand the physical world. They will find that their literacy, artistic, and mathematical skills are used in new ways as they progress through the course. Your learner will develop their understanding of physics principles through some inquiry-based investigations. Your learner will be introduced to the physics topics of motion, constant acceleration, forces and Newton’s laws, circular motion, work and energy, momentum and impulse, rotational motion, simple harmonic motion, waves, sound, light, and electricity. By the end of the course, your learner will be able to: understand the principles of classical physics; communicate scientifically using models; solve word-style problems using the proper formulas; extend thinking or guide investigations with scientific questioning; plan and implement data collection strategies in relation to a scientific question; analyze data and evaluate evidence; relate concepts from across multiple units to analyze a physical system; and create explanations rooted in physics concepts. Course Format Lesson Components: Each day, your learner will spend approximately 50–60 minutes completing a physics lesson. Some days may take less time, while other days may take a little more time. It is common for learners to spend time outside of the scheduled class time completing course reading or studying. This section will help you to understand how your learner’s course is structured in Edio. Lesson Bundling: A lesson bundle is a collection of lessons that stack up to equal one full class period. On some days, learners will see bundles, such as a Knowledge Check and the daily lesson or a combination of a Quiz Review and Quiz. See the example below. Within the lesson bundles, your learner will interact with different components, some of which will not be used every day. Getting Started Lesson: There is one Getting Started lesson in this course. It can be found on Day 1 of Unit 1. This lesson includes important information about the course and contact information for your teacher. Unit Overview: Each unit will include a unit overview. This describes what your learner will learn in the unit and how many assessments the unit will have. Prep for Success: At the beginning of each unit, your learner will find a Prep for Success. This component offers learners tips to be successful in the course, such as study tips, important software information, safety reminders, and more. Knowledge Check: There will be one Knowledge Check in each unit. The Knowledge Check is designed to check prior learning and understanding about key skills and concepts that will be taught in the unit. The Knowledge Check is not a graded assessment. Vocabulary: This section includes the lesson objectives and any new and prerequisite vocabulary. Lesson: Following the vocabulary instruction, learners will move into their regular science lesson, which will follow the pattern of Engage – Discover – Show. Lesson Components: Each lesson has its own components to help guide your learner through the lesson. Lesson Overview: At the beginning of every lesson, your learner will see the lesson overview. This section contains lesson objectives, lesson vocabulary, materials your learner will need for the lesson, and the suggested lesson length. Engage: The first section of the lesson is Engage. In this section, learners will be introduced to the lesson by making a connection to past and present knowledge and will get ready for the lesson’s instruction. Discover: New content and instruction is presented in the Discover section. Your learner will interact with the lesson content through defined vocabulary terms, videos, audio, and Pause and Think activities. Your learner will be able to practice and answer questions as they work through the lesson. Show: Learners will demonstrate what they have learned in the lesson through a series of practice questions. Optional More to Explore: At the end of some lessons, an Optional More to Explore Activity will appear. The activity will introduce your learner to an extension that includes more information about the day’s lesson topic. Your learner may skip the activity and move directly to the lesson summary. Summary: This section recaps the day’s objectives and prepares learners for a future lesson or assessment. Assignments and Projects Components: The course includes assignments and lab projects. These graded assessments allow your learner to show what they have learned and apply their new skills. All CCA assignments and projects include these components. 1. Assessment Overview: At the beginning of each assessment, your learner will see the assessment overview. This section contains the goals of the assessment, materials your learner will need, the length of the assessment, and directions for completion. 2. Plan: In the Plan section, your learner will be introduced to the assignment or project. Learners may be provided with a review of content from the previous lessons, strategies for completing the activity, graphic organizers, and grading rubrics. 3. Do: Your learner will put their plan into action and work to complete the assignment or project successfully. This section also provides the grading expectations and/or rubric the teacher will use to grade the work. 4. Reflect: In Reflect, your learner will think back to the work they have completed. They will reflect upon the experience and analyze how well they completed the task. These moments of reflection are important and allow learners to think about their learning and their work habits. Quiz and Test Components: In addition to assignments and projects, this course also includes quizzes and tests. Be aware that not every unit has a test or a quiz. Quiz Review: Before a quiz, your learner will have the opportunity to review the content they will be assessed on in a quiz. Quiz: A quiz may be given at the end of a topic or the end of a unit. Test Review: Before a test, your learner will have the opportunity to review the content they will be assessed on in the test. Test: A test will assess learning across topics or at the end of a unit. Course Features This course includes and uses unique features such as: Science Mini-Labs: The mini-labs can be found in the Engage or Discover sections of some lessons. These short hands-on activities will help your learner engage and connect with the physics content in the course. The mini-labs allow your learner to step away from the computer briefly and experience the phenomenon of physics directly. Lab Lessons: Your learner will complete ungraded labs during some lessons. These allow your learner to get hands-on experience with a newly learned physics concept. Lab Projects: Throughout the course, your learner will apply their new knowledge during their Lab Projects. They will have the opportunity to design and implement experiments to achieve a goal related to the new physics content they learned in the unit. As they work through the lab, the learner should take descriptive notes. The Lab Projects will include guidance regarding what to record during the project. Curriculum Kit: Your learner will receive a box of science supplies, including materials for science labs and hands-on activities throughout the course. Physics Notebook: Your learner will receive a Physics Notebook in which they can take notes and reflect on their learning to support the online lesson. Physics Notebooks will be used to collect data during science labs. Prerequisite Vocabulary: Prerequisite vocabulary is science vocabulary terms that learners should recall from previous science lessons or science courses. They are included in the notebook glossary to review and reinforce important scientific terms. Part C:Unit Information Introduction to Physics Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will focus on what physics is and how it applies to your future education, jobs, and careers. Modern scientific inquiry will be reviewed so that your learner can apply this to the future units of the course. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions Which branches of physics are you curious about? Which careers using physics interest you the most? Unit Notables Your learner will explore many branches of physics and connect them with potential future careers. They will practice the math skills required for solving physics problems, including using metric units and scientific notation. If your learner expresses an interest in physics, encourage them to research more careers on their own. Kit Materials calculator, digital balance, masking tape, Physics Notebook, ruler, yo-yo, reference sheet Household Materials paper, pencil, any small household item to measure on the digital scale, vertical wall or large object such as a table or a refrigerator Representing Motion Unit Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will begin their physics journey with an exploration of motion starting with speed and velocity. They will be introduced to gathering data, creating meaningful graphs, and interpreting motion graphs. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions What was your favorite part of learning about describing motion? What kinds of careers do you think focus on studying displacement and velocity? Think about driving a car to a place you have never been before. Why do you need information about both the distance and the displacement to reach this new destination safely? Unit Notables The Graphing Motion Application lesson is an ungraded lab. Your learner will move their finger as shown by motion graphs. Encourage your learner to walk in the way shown in the graphs, too. Remind your learner that the horizontal axis in a motion graph is time and not distance. Kit Materials Physics Notebook, ruler Household Materials none Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will study motions that have constant acceleration. They will compare constant velocity motion with constant acceleration motion. Two special cases of constant acceleration will be investigated. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions Which sports do you think can be modeled using freefall and projectile motions? Suppose you had to explain the difference between velocity and acceleration to someone younger than you. How could you describe these different terms in a way that they could understand? Unit Notables This unit has the first graded lab. Remind your learner to jot down the questions they have as they move through the lab. Most of their questions will get answered as they progress through the lab. Encourage your learner to ask their teacher any remaining questions. Kit Materials baseball, calculator, masking tape, meterstick, Physics Notebook, tennis ball, baseball, reference sheet, sheet of paper Household Materials notebook, pencil, books, flat sheet of paper, table, timer Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will investigate force as the cause of accelerated motion. They will begin by learning about some common forces. Newton’s Laws of Motion, explaining why things accelerate, will be introduced. Your learner will explore a method for representing forces with drawings. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions Which of the forces in the unit do you want to know more about? Which of the systems you studied do you feel you understand the best? Unit Notables Your learner will build an Atwood’s machine in this unit. If they express interest in this test instrument, encourage them to research the history of George Atwood and his machine. Kit Materials box, calculator, cart, clear cup, digital scale one dynamic mini-cart, folding meter stick, micro utility cord, Physics Notebook, pulley rod, large spring, mass set, modeling clay, ring magnets, right-angle clamp, string, support stand (rod and base separate), slotted weight set with hanger scissors, masking tape Household Materials books, coin, index card or stiff paper, pencil, sturdy marker or pen Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will apply their knowledge of forces to things that travel in circular pathways instead of straight lines. This requires skills from the previous unit, such as force art and force statements, for this specific type of motion. The learner will also be introduced to the force of gravity that causes orbital motion. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions What new questions do you have about satellites in orbit around Earth? What kinds of rides from the playground, carnival, or amusement park can be modeled using circular motion? Unit Notables Remind your learner that there are no new forces introduced in this unit. They will learn new ways of using the forces from the previous unit. In the Swing-a-Thing Application lesson, if your learner struggles to keep the mass from moving, remind them to swing the loofah slower or faster. Kit Materials bouncy ball, calculator, clear cup, loofah, mass set, Physics Notebook, ruler, scissors, sturdy straw, string, tape Household Materials timer Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will transition from a focus on evaluating motion with Newton’s Laws to using conservation of energy principles. They will explore work, power, gravitational potential energy, elastic potential energy, and kinetic energy. Bar graphs will allow the learner to show that they understand conservation of energy principles. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions What questions do you still have about conservation of energy? What parts of energy conservation make the most sense to you? Unit Notables Your learner may confuse the conservation of energy with the idea of being responsible consumers of energy. For the Frictionless Skate Park Application lesson, remind your learner that total mechanical energy stays the same only because there is no friction in the simulation. Kit Materials calculator, Physics Notebook, ruler, spring toy Household Materials pencil Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will apply the conservation of momentum instead of energy. They will learn about the important similarities and differences between energy and momentum. Momentum exchanges, called collisions, will be modeled. Your learner will also investigate how impulse affects the momentum of an object. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions What similarities do you notice between energy and momentum? What are the real-life situations where you think you notice conservation of momentum? Unit Notables The word “collision” appears frequently in this unit. It does not always mean a destructive crash like outside physics. In the Collision Application lesson, your learner should understand the settings in the simulation. If they do not, have them ask their teacher the purpose of each simulation setting. Kit Materials aluminum ball, calculator, plastic cup, digital scale, dynamics cart, golf ball, masking tape, mass set, meterstick, notebook, Physics Notebook, tennis ball, mass set, modeling clay, ruler, scissors, steel ball, wooden ball Household Materials hard floor surface, pillow, books or other objects to elevate the ramp Unit Overview Your learner will apply their previous physics skills to systems that rotate. Rotational motion will be compared with linear motion and circular motion. The learner will investigate a quantity similar to a force called torque. They will also study a quantity similar to mass called rotational inertia. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions What did you like studying better, things that moved in straight lines or things that rotate? Why? Why is it important for people involved in medical disciplines to understand systems that rotate? Unit Notables Your learner may get stuck on the symbols used in the unit. Help them pay more attention to the similarities than to the differences. In the Yo-Yo Application lesson, ensure your learner proceeds in order. They should understand the free-body diagram of the yo-yo prior to beginning the activity. Kit Materials baseball, block, calculator, digital balance, incline, meterstick, modeling clay, Physics Notebook, sticky notes, tennis ball, ruler, reference sheet, spinning top, yo-yo Household Materials timer Unit Overview Your learner will analyze simple harmonic motion. The systems in this unit will provide your learner with the opportunity to use information from across the course. A pendulum is an example of an item that goes through simple harmonic motion and so is a mass-spring system. Your learner will study the critical timing features of simple harmonic motion and two time-related words. Simple harmonic motions can be represented by a wide variety of graphs. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions What real-world systems are similar to the pendulum with a string? Which of the two pendulum systems, strings or springs, did you like the best? Why? Unit Notables Your learner will be building mass-string pendulums and mass-spring pendulums. The setup of these systems can sometimes be frustrating. Encourage them to take a break if needed. Kit Materials calculator, mass set, masking tape, Physics Notebook, right-angle clamp, ring magnet, spring, string, support stand Household Materials timer Unit Overview Your learner will explore the common features of all kinds of waves. They will explore the anatomy of a wave and apply some critical concepts from harmonic motion to wave systems. Your learner will investigate six-wave interactions. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions Which of the wave interactions makes the most sense to you? Which one is the most confusing for you? Which wave interaction do you think you experience the most? The least? Unit Notables In the Waves project lab, your learner will be using a large spring. These can be tangled very easily. Encourage your learner to complete the lab on the floor away from small children or pets if possible. Kit Materials calculator, diffraction grating, large spring, masking tape, Physics Notebook, prism, right-angle clamp, support stand, tuning fork mallet, 480 Hz tuning fork Household Materials none Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will use information from the last unit to study sound waves specifically. They will prove that all pitches travel at the same speed when they are in the same medium. The learner will compare the wake in a lake with a sonic boom. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions Now that you know more about sound, what new questions do you have about music, concerts, or sound effects? Which wave interactions are very easy to notice with sound waves? Unit Notables The lab in this unit with the tuning forks can be challenging for learners. The tuning forks need to be the right distance into the water. This takes some trial and error. Remind your learner to hold the tuning forks by the stem and not the curved parts. Kit Materials calculator, Physics Notebook, tuning fork mallet, 320 Hz tuning fork, 480 Hz tuning fork, clear cup or bowl, ruler Household Materials Pencil, water Unit Overview Your learner will investigate light by focusing on the wave interactions. They will investigate light with lenses, mirrors, and flat slabs of glass. Your learner will focus on the speed of light and what is needed to change that speed. Finally, they will describe the light spectrum and how to create digital colors. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions What was the most interesting light behavior that surprised you? There is a new physics career called photonics. What kinds of careers do you think people can have if they specialize in the physics of light? Unit Notables Safety Note: When using lenses, never use them to magnify sunlight, as this could cause a fire. Kit Materials box, calculator, candle, clear cup or glass, concave lens, convex lens, flashlight, lens holder, light bulb, meterstick, meterstick optical bench, mirror, modeling clay, paper, Physics Notebook, prism, screen, screen holder, sturdy straw, tennis ball Household Materials none Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will investigate the behavior of static electricity and electric circuits. They will compare static with another field force, gravity. The learner will build and study series circuits, parallel circuits, and circuits that combine elements of both series and parallel. Finally, they will model how electricity and magnetism are related to one another. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions Now that you have studied waves and electricity, what new questions do you have about how a cellphone works? How is household electricity similar to the circuits that you have been building? Unit Notables Building circuits can be both exciting and frustrating for learners. Watch for frustration. Encourage your learner to try again after they take a break. Kit Materials blank paper, calculator, AA battery, battery holder, bulbs, bulb holders, confetti, electric motor kit, empty cannister, equal mass set equation sheet, hand crank generator, ring magnets, microfiber cloth, paper clips, Physics Notebook, PVC rod, three D batteries switch, wires Household Materials plate, paper, pencil
Enrolling Now for 2026-27 School Year.
