Grade 8 Physics Lessons for Spring 2026
Assessments: to be arranged
Test date: 21.4
| Week number | Date | Lesson content | Lesson resources and links | Homework |
| 2 | 6.1 | |||
| 3 | 13.1 | Forces are interactions between objects Forces are measured in newtons, N We write units in a precise way e.g. N, not n for newtons Units must be written like this or they will mean something else | Read the Terms and Conditions from the blog and then complete this form | |
| 4 | 20.1 | Measuring devices must be calibrated in order to measure accurately and correctly
What are forces? - discussion. How big is a newton? Using newtonmeters - calibration Examples of forces -eg gravity, friction, air resistance
Can a rubber band be useful to measure forces? Scales and measurements discussion History of measurement: TED talk NASA and their unit error Types of friction Using Lego models pulled along friction blocks in order to measure static and dynamic friction, and to investigate if increasing surface area increases friction. | 8.2 ppt Lesson notes | In your notebooks, explain in 50 -75 words what causes friction between two surfaces including the word 'particles'. |
| 5 | 27.1 | Resultant forces. Newton's Law. Unchanging motion and steady speed or velocity. | Newton's law Forces on a falling parachutist video Lesson notes | Watch this video as preparation for next lesson. There is no written task with this homework. |
| 6 | 3.2 | TET week | ||
| 7 | 10.2 | Speed calculations Distance-time graphs Velocity time graphs Converting units of velocity: m/s to km/h and vice versa | PPT The tortoise and the hare - 'speed' a real video! Usain Bolt 100m world record Kinematics of Usain Bolt's runs - detailed analysis Also, this video on changing units might help you Lesson notes | Complete this sheet. Beware the mathematical trickery! Question 2 is hard to follow mathematically. Homework sheet answers |
| 8 | 17.2 | Do tall people jump further? Using spreadsheets for graphing | Average speed cameras (single units) Spreadsheet link for data processing Help sheet for data recording and graphs PPT Averaging using spreadsheets How to add lines of best fit to graphs | This link - watch this video about lines of best fit with real data. |
| 9 | 24.2 | Using spreadsheets for graphing ctd Falling and terminal velocity | Spreadsheet link for data processing Help sheet for data recording and graphs Falling and terminal velocity PPT Galileo's ball dropping experiment On the Moon On Earth in a vacuum Sky diver and forces from freefall Felix Baumgartner jump Diving gannets Paper airplanes and lift | No homework |
| 11 | 10.3 | Helicopter investigation | Investigation report document template Spreadsheet for the data Picture of the helicopter template Diagram you can use for the report Help sheet for graphs using googlesheets | Finish planning your investigation - complete the sections up to and including 'variables' |
| 12 | 17.3 | Carrying out the investigation | No homework | |
| 13 | 24.3 | Data processing from the investigation | Complete the graph of the data from your experiment (including a line or curve of best fit) | |
| 14 | 31.1 | Completing the investigation | The deadline for the investigation is the end of the lesson - send it through email. If you have finished the investigation then do this task: this task on wing shape and flying | |
| 15 | 7.4 | Mass and weight | What is weight? Formula for weight W = m. g g on Earth Weightlessness. Very old video clip on weightlessness in space start 9 minutes in - Fat Gustaf! ISS - the astronauts still experience gravity Artemis II mission - right now (7.4.2026) the astronauts are in near weightlessness. Live feed from spacecraft window RSI video on weightlessness what if we grew up in space ? Vsauce video | Study for the test. Before you start, watch this video |
| 16 | 14.4 | Force, mass and acceleration | What is acceleration ? Acceleration due to gravity, g. Calculating accelerations. Calculating accelerations video ISS video on F=ma Lesson notes | Study for the test |
| 17 | 21.4 | TEST | ||
| 18 | 28.4 | Conservation of energy | Conservation of energy video - the wrecking ball Videos which were shown in the lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcZfRSlaw7s (first 9 minutes before the maths gets too hard!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUpiV2I_IRI on physics and car crashes. | |
| 19 | 5.5 | |||
| 20 | 12.5 | |||
| 21 | 19.5 |
