Conservation in Reactions Complete Science Lesson - New TEKS 8.6E

Help your students grasp one of chemistry’s most essential concepts with this engaging, ready-to-teach unit on conservation of mass in chemical reactions.
This fully editable, multiday resource includes presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments—everything you need to deliver a complete, differentiated chemistry lesson with low to no prep.

Built around student-led, multimodal learning, this unit keeps middle schoolers actively engaged while you focus on guiding their success and deepening their understanding of the law of conservation of mass.

Essential Questions

• How is mass conserved in chemical reactions?

• How can we relate the conservation of mass to the rearrangement of atoms using chemical equations?

Why Teachers Love This Kesler Science Complete Lesson

• Differentiated materials for all learners

• Multimodal activities that keep students engaged and motivated

• Maximum flexibility – printable, digital, or both!

• Editable PowerPoints so you can adapt lessons to fit your classroom

• Spanish translations for vocabulary, readings, and notebook pages

• Aligned with 2021 TEKS standard 8.6E

This comprehensive lesson follows the **research-based 5E Instructional Model—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate—**to ensure inquiry-driven, hands-on learning that leads to mastery.

What’s Included in Each 5E Stage

Engage

Start your chemistry lesson strong with interactive and accessible introduction materials:

• Objectives and Word Wall Cards in English and Spanish

• Teacher guide with engaging discussion prompts, classroom activity ideas, and notes on common misconceptions

Explore

Students dive into conservation of mass and the rearrangement of atoms through a differentiated, student-led station lab designed for every learning style.
With nine interactive stations, students explore how matter is neither created nor destroyed during chemical reactions—just rearranged.

Input Stations help students build understanding through varied formats:

• Explore It! – Hands-on experiment or demo connecting real-world reactions to abstract concepts

• Read It! – Short reading passage with comprehension questions (English and Spanish versions included)

• Research It! – Guided online investigation with tasks and reflection questions

• Watch It! – Short, engaging video with discussion prompts and guided analysis

Output Stations give students multiple ways to demonstrate understanding:

• Organize It! – Sort or classify information using printable or digital manipulatives

• Write It! – Respond to open-ended prompts using academic vocabulary

• Illustrate It! – Draw or model how atoms rearrange during chemical reactions

• Assess It! – Apply key vocabulary and demonstrate mastery through targeted review questions

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Extension activities for early finishers and advanced learners, including mini-projects, puzzles, and reinforcement games that promote deeper understanding.

Explain

Help students make connections and solidify their understanding of conservation of mass with:

• Editable PowerPoints in both standard and interactive formats

• Interactive Notebook Templates in digital and printable versions (English and Spanish)

• Note-taking templates to support comprehension during presentations

Elaborate

Encourage creativity and critical thinking with student-choice projects focused on conservation of mass in chemical reactions.
Students can extend their learning by demonstrating understanding through written, visual, or hands-on project options.

Evaluate

Reinforce learning and assess mastery with:

• STAAR 2.0–style assessment questions in both standard and modified formats

• Review worksheets for class discussions, test prep, or homework assignments

Perfect for In-Class or Virtual Learning

This lesson is built for maximum flexibility, whether your students are learning in the classroom or online.
Both the station lab and the PowerPoint/interactive notebook materials are fully compatible with PowerPoint and Google Slides, making it simple to deliver engaging instruction in any setting.

This is a finished product; it will be updated with corrections as needed. Future improvements and new features will be sold as a separate product.