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Texas Science Teacher Resource Hub

Free scope and sequences, TEKS breakdowns, phenomenon ideas, and engagement activities for the 2024 Texas science standards.

I'm Chris Kesler, a former award-winning Texas middle school science teacher. This is the site I wish I'd had in the classroom. One hub with TEKS breakdowns, scope and sequences, phenomenon starters, engagement ideas, and resources, all aligned to the standards you actually teach.

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Pick your grade level and go straight to your TEKS standards, aligned resources, and teaching tools.

4th

4th Grade Science

14 standards • Earth, Energy, Organisms & more

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5th

5th Grade Science

16 standards • Matter, Ecosystems, Space & more

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6th

6th Grade Science

18 standards • Forces, Energy, Matter & more

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7th

7th Grade Science

17 standards • Cells, Chemistry, Earth & more

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8th

8th Grade Science

19 standards • Newton's Laws, Space, Genetics & more

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All standards updated for the 2024 TEKS revision

TEKS Details | Texas Hub Module

6th Grade TEKS Standards

Click any standard to see what it means, how to teach it, where students get stuck, and aligned resources.

Matter & Properties (6.6)

6.6A Solids, Liquids & Gases 5

6.6B Pure Substances & Mixtures 4

6.6C Elements, Compounds & Periodic Table 5

Force, Motion & Energy (6.7)

6.7A Types of Forces 6

6.7B Net Force & Balanced/Unbalanced 5

6.7C Newton's Third Law 5

Energy (6.8)

6.8A Potential & Kinetic Energy 5

6.8B Energy Conservation & Transfer 4

6.8C Transverse & Longitudinal Waves 4

Earth & Space (6.9)

6.9A Earth's Tilt, Rotation & Seasons 4

6.9B Day, Night & Revolution 3

Earth's Structure (6.10)

6.10A Earth's Systems (Spheres) 4

6.10B Layers of the Earth 4

Resources (6.11)

6.11A Resource Management 3

6.11B Conservation & Technology 3

Ecosystems (6.12)

6.12A Biotic & Abiotic Factors 5

6.12B Organisms & Competition 4

Organisms (6.13)

6.13A Levels of Organization 4

6.13B Cell Organelles 5

TEKS S.6.7.C • Force, Motion & Energy

Newton's Third Law of Motion

"Identify simultaneous force pairs that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction that result from the interactions between objects using Newton's Third Law of Motion."

💡 What This Standard Actually Means

The Key Verb

"Identify". Students must be able to pick out the force pairs. They're not explaining or calculating. They're identifying. That could show up through diagrams, lists, tables, models, or any other format.

This standard is about Newton's Third Law: forces always come in pairs. When Object A pushes on Object B, Object B pushes back with the same amount of force in the opposite direction, and it happens at the exact same time. That's it.

"Identify" is the verb, and that sets the expectation. However they're asked, students need to be able to recognize the Third Law pairs. The forces act on two different objects, are equal in magnitude, opposite in direction, and simultaneous.

💬 From Chris's Classroom

I used to start this lesson by having two students on skateboards push off each other. The lighter student always rolls farther, which immediately sparks the conversation: "Wait, if the forces are equal, why does one person move more?" That's your hook into the difference between Third Law pairs and what happens AFTER the forces act (which is Second Law territory, but your 6th graders don't need to go there yet). Keep it focused: equal forces, opposite directions, two objects, same instant.

⚠️ Misconceptions Your Students May Have

These are some of the most common misconceptions. Knowing what to look for can help you get ahead of them.

"The bigger object pushes harder"

✓

When a truck hits a car, students think the truck exerts more force. The forces are always equal. The car just accelerates more because it has less mass. The truck and car push on each other with identical force.

"The action force causes the reaction force"

✓

There is no "action" that happens first and "reaction" that follows. Both forces appear at the exact same instant. The old phrasing "for every action there is a reaction" is misleading. Avoid it. Use "simultaneous force pairs" instead.

"If forces are equal and opposite, nothing should move"

✓

Third Law force pairs act on two different objects. They don't cancel out because they're not acting on the same thing. Balanced forces (which DO cancel) act on the SAME object. This is a common confusion point.

"Gravity and the floor pushing up are a Third Law pair"

✓

Weight (Earth pulling a book down) and the normal force (table pushing book up) are NOT a Third Law pair because they both act on the same object (the book). The actual Third Law pair for gravity is: Earth pulls book down, and book pulls Earth up.

"Forces are unequal while something is speeding up"

✓

Students think Newton's Third Law is "paused" during acceleration, that one object must push harder to get things moving. The Third Law forces are ALWAYS equal, regardless of whether objects are at rest, moving, or accelerating.

📓 Teaching Resources for 6.7C

These resources are aligned to this standard.

FREE

Phenomenon Cards for 6.7C

3 real-world phenomenon starters with discussion prompts for Newton's Third Law. Print-ready PDF.

🌎 Best for: Lesson openers • 10-15 min

Complete 5E Lesson

Newton's Third Law of Motion Complete Science Lesson

The full unit: differentiated station labs, editable presentations, interactive notebooks (English + Spanish), student-choice projects, and assessments. Built on the 5E model.

⏱ Best for: Full unit coverage • Multiple class periods

Station Lab

Newton's Third Law of Motion Station Lab

9-station hands-on lab with input stations (Explore It!, Watch It!, Read It!, Research It!) and output stations (Organize It!, Illustrate It!, Write It!, Assess It!). Print and digital. English and Spanish.

🔬 Best for: Core instruction • 1-2 class periods

FREE

Engagement Ideas for 6.7C

4 classroom-tested activities for Newton's Third Law with materials lists. Print-ready PDF.

💡 Best for: Hands-on engagement • 15-30 min each

Student Choice Projects

Newton's Third Law of Motion Student Choice Projects

Choice board with nine project options plus a "design your own" pathway. Students demonstrate understanding through writing, building, illustrating, presenting, or digital formats.

🎓 Best for: Project-based assessment • 2-3 class periods

Reading Comprehension

Science Reading Comprehension: Newton's Third Law

Nonfiction article with on-level and modified passages (Lexile 1100-1300), comprehension questions, Cornell notes, and a hands-on mini-project. Great for subs or independent work.

📚 Best for: Independent practice or sub plans • 1 class period

FREE

6th Grade Year-at-a-Glance Scope and Sequence

Week-by-week scope and sequence for 6th grade science. See where 6.7C fits in the full year. PDF.

📅 Best for: Year planning • See the big picture

Amazing Anchors

Amazing Anchors: Newton's Laws (Reusable Rockets)

Two-part reading anchored in SpaceX with comprehension questions and an explanatory reading that breaks down the physics. Bookends any Newton's Laws lesson. Differentiated versions included.

🎨 Best for: Lesson opener or closer • 30-45 min

FREE

Force Pair Scenario Cards

10 real-world scenarios for students to identify Third Law force pairs. Great for practice or assessment.

📄 Best for: Practice • 20-30 min

🌎 Phenomenon Ideas for 6.7C

Use these real-world phenomena to anchor your lesson. Show students the phenomenon first, let them wonder, then build toward Newton's Third Law as the explanation.

🔎

Phenomenon 1

Jumping Off a Small Boat

When someone jumps from a small boat to a dock, the boat shoots backward in the opposite direction. The harder they jump, the farther the boat moves away. Why does the boat move when nobody pushed it?

💬 Discussion Prompt

"If the person only pushed forward with their legs to jump toward the dock, why did the boat move backward? What was pushing the boat?"

🔎

Phenomenon 2

How a Squid Moves Through Water

A squid has no fins, no flippers, and no tail, yet it's one of the fastest animals in the ocean. It moves by sucking water into its body and then squeezing it out in a powerful jet behind it. How does pushing water backward make the squid go forward?

💬 Discussion Prompt

"The squid pushes water in one direction, and it moves the other direction. What other things move this same way? How is a squid similar to a rocket?"

🔎

Phenomenon 3

A Firefighter Getting Pushed Back by a Hose

When firefighters open a high-pressure hose, the force is so strong that it can push them backward or even knock them off their feet. The water is shooting forward out of the nozzle, so what's pushing the firefighter backward?

💬 Discussion Prompt

"Why does it take multiple firefighters to hold a single hose? If the water is going forward, what force is acting on the firefighter? Are those two forces equal?"

💡 Free Engagement Ideas for 6.7C

Skateboard Push-Off Demo

Have two students of different sizes stand on skateboards and push off each other. The lighter student rolls farther, opening the conversation about equal forces vs. different accelerations. Instant engagement.

Materials: 2 skateboards or rolling chairs

Balloon Rocket Races

String a straw on fishing line across the room, tape a balloon to the straw, release. Air pushes out one way, balloon goes the other. Classic Third Law demo that students can modify and test.

Materials: Balloons, straws, fishing line, tape

Force Pair Identification Cards

Give students 10 scenarios (bat hitting ball, swimmer pushing pool wall, rocket launching, etc.) and have them identify BOTH forces in the pair. Then sort which ones students get wrong most often and discuss as a class.

Materials: Printed scenario cards

"Same Object or Different?" Sorting Activity

Give students force diagrams and have them sort: "Are these two forces acting on the SAME object (balanced/unbalanced) or DIFFERENT objects (Third Law pair)?" This directly addresses a common misconception.

Materials: Force diagram cards (print or digital)

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Free Planning Tools

Year-at-a-Glance Pacing Guides

Practical, week-by-week scope and sequences for grades 4-8. These tell you what to teach and when to teach it. Updated for the 2024 TEKS.

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Texas Science Teacher Resource Hub

🚀 Jump to Your Grade

6th Grade TEKS Standards

Newton's Third Law of Motion

💡 What This Standard Actually Means

⚠️ Misconceptions Your Students May Have

📓 Teaching Resources for 6.7C

🌎 Phenomenon Ideas for 6.7C

Jumping Off a Small Boat

How a Squid Moves Through Water

A Firefighter Getting Pushed Back by a Hose

💡 Free Engagement Ideas for 6.7C

Skateboard Push-Off Demo

Balloon Rocket Races

Force Pair Identification Cards

"Same Object or Different?" Sorting Activity

Year-at-a-Glance Pacing Guides

Trusted Across Texas

Texas Schools and DistrictsLove Kesler Science

What Teachers Are Saying

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Give Your Science Teachers Everything They Need

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