The physics strand of IQWST consists of three units, each emphasizing important ideas in physical science. In the 6th grade, students will learn about light, the way it propagates and interacts with matter, the dependency of vision on light, color, the visible and invisible spectrum, and waves. In addition students learn about models and the importance of modelling and the use of instrumentation in science. In the 7th grade, students will learn about the various types of energy, energy transformation & conservation, energy sources and their associated socio-economic impacts. In the 8th grade, students will learn about the relation between forces and motion, different categories of forces, and how to analyze and describe different kinds of motion.

The approach of the physics strand is to: a) emphasize the interconnectedness of ideas both within and across units, and b) introduce and elaborate on fundamental ideas and practices that will serve as central building blocks for units in other strands . For example, in the 6th grade unit students learn how light can make things happen when it is absorbed by matter; the examples used are revisited in the 7th grade unit when learning in depth about light energy and how it gets transformed into other types of energy when light gets absorbed. Another example is the practice of modelling which is introduced in the 6th grade unit and is then elaborated upon in several of the units that follow. Energy transformation and conservation are learned in the 7th grade unit, revisiting and rethinking about phenomena used in earlier units and setting the stage for contexts to be used in later units. Energy is a theme that is woven into many of IQWST's units, serving as one of the curriculum's unifying themes.

In addition to emphasizing scientific ideas, the physics units give students experience with important scientific practices. These include working with models, constructing scientific explanations, engaging in argumentation and debate, collecting and analyzing data, critiquing the use of evidence, and designing investigations. Our approach is to have students learn scientific ideas by engaging in these practices - in other words, to learn complex scientific ideas within authentic activities which will lead to deeper understanding of those ideas.

Technology will also be an important part of each of the units. For example, students will work with digital light probes to investigate light's propagation and its interaction with matter. They will use computer simulations to investigate how temperature is related to random particle motion. They will use force and motion probes to investigate the relation between force and motion. They will use computer programs to analyze these variables. Therefore, students will be involved in both hands-on investigations in which they manipulate variables, test their hypotheses, and use computers to gather and analyze data, and vicarious computer-based investigations into microscopic phenomena that may be difficult to visualize without the use of computers.