Balancing Chemical Equations Complete Lesson Plan - MS

Make chemistry come alive with this engaging, ready-to-teach unit on balancing chemical equations.
This fully editable, multiday lesson includes presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments—everything you need to teach this key chemistry concept with confidence and minimal prep.

With differentiated, student-led learning experiences, your students will explore, apply, and master the process of balancing equations while you focus on guiding their success.

Essential Questions

• What are the different parts of a chemical equation?

• How can we tell if a chemical equation is balanced or not?

• How does balancing equations relate to the law of conservation of mass?

Why Teachers Love This Kesler Science Complete Lesson

• Differentiated materials to support students who need additional guidance

• Multimodal learning to keep middle schoolers active and engaged

• Maximum flexibility – use it printable, digital, or both!

• Editable PowerPoints so you can customize for your classroom

• Spanish translations for vocabulary, reading passages, and interactive notebook pages

• Aligned with TEKS standards (2017)

This lesson follows the **research-based 5E Instructional Model—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate—**to ensure deep understanding through inquiry, application, and reflection.

What’s Included in Each 5E Stage

Engage

Kick off the lesson with interactive and thought-provoking activities:

• Objectives and Word Wall Cards in English and Spanish

• A teacher guide filled with discussion prompts, classroom activities, and tips to address common misconceptions

Explore

Students dive into balancing equations through a student-led, differentiated station lab designed for all learning styles.
With nine interactive stations, students explore the parts of a chemical equation, identify whether it’s balanced, and connect it to the law of conservation of mass.

Input Stations help students absorb new information through hands-on and digital experiences:

• Explore It! – Hands-on experiment or demo that connects learning to real-world examples

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

• Research It! – Online exploration with structured tasks and data analysis

• Watch It! – Short, focused video with reflection prompts and guided questions

Output Stations give students a chance to demonstrate their understanding in creative ways:

• Organize It! – Sort and categorize examples using printable or digital tools

• Write It! – Respond to open-ended prompts in complete sentences using scientific vocabulary

• Illustrate It! – Draw or diagram chemical equations to visualize concepts

• Assess It! – Apply knowledge through formal questions to reinforce vocabulary and mastery

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Perfect for early finishers and advanced learners, this station includes enrichment activities like games, puzzles, and mini-projects for extended learning.

Explain

Guide students through deeper understanding and structured learning with:

• Editable PowerPoints in both standard and interactive versions

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

• Note-taking guides to help students follow along and organize new concepts

Elaborate

Encourage creativity and higher-order thinking with student-choice projects focused on balancing chemical equations.
Projects can be completed in class or at home and give students freedom to explore chemistry in ways that suit their interests and strengths.

Evaluate

Assess comprehension and reinforce mastery with:

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

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

Perfect for In-Class or Virtual Learning

This lesson is designed for maximum flexibility—perfect for traditional, hybrid, or digital classrooms.
Both the station lab and PowerPoint/interactive notebook materials are fully compatible with PowerPoint and Google Slides, making it easy to assign, present, and review wherever learning happens.

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