American Physical Society
Smiling student

Information for Middle School Students

Investigating Physics in Middle School

Middle School Course Work

Take all the mathematics courses your school has to offer. A good, strong background in mathematics will help you master any science course work you take in college! Take all of the science courses that seem interesting, as well. Physics is the basis for understanding many other fields of science.

Investigating Physics Outside of the Classroom

In order to solve the most exciting and challenging scientific and technological problems facing our society today, insight and expertise from many different areas of science are needed. Thus understanding the fundamentals of many fields while mastering one field will make you an invaluable member of a team that is assembled to address these complex problems. The more familiar you are with these different types of science, the more creative you will be in choosing what you want to investigate, understand and innovate in the future!

Outside of class, read books by well-recognized physicists such as:

  • The Elegant Universe, by Brian Greene
  • A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking
  • Flying Circus of Physics, by Jearl Walker

Reading these books and others about the lives of these physicists will spark your interest in the fascinating world of physics.

Of course, the best part of being a physicist is doing physics. You can start by doing physics@home, from Physics Central. But don't stop there! Participate in science festivals and other science activities at your school and in your area. You'll be involved in great projects that will get you thinking about which aspects of physics really excite you and you'll meet other people that like to do physics, too!

The American Physical Society sponsors Physics Quest. Ask your teacher to sign up for this free science mystery challenge and get your classmates involved in solving the puzzle!

Planning for High School and Beyond

Find a mentor that you can talk to about the physics field and answer any other questions or concerns you may have. If there isn't a teacher at your school that can answer questions about physics, submit your questions to Ask-A-Physicist.

Remember, the best part of being a physicist is having fun investigating the world around you as you try to understand how things work! Keep investigating, understanding and innovating!

Physics Feature

Physics Feature Image

Students enjoy Physics activities at Dr. Cherie McCollough's Family Science Night at West Oso Junior High School on November 8th, 2006. Approximately 50 pre-service science teachers from Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi were in attendance and over 60 7th grade students attended, each bringing family members.