Physical science learning for middle school students focuses on four core ideas. A Framework for K-12 Science Education which served as the research base for the Next Generation Science Standards identifies the four core ideas in the physical sciences as PS1: Matter and Its Interactions, PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions, PS3: Energy, and PS4: Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer. The first three core ideas are aimed at developing students' understanding around what everything is made of and why things happen. The fourth core idea focuses on developing students' understanding of how light and sound transfer energy and signals transmit information. A foundational goal for middle school students in learning physical science is to continue to develop understanding of the interactions of matter and energy.