Inner Planets Station Lab - MS

This modular, student-led activity will keep your middle schoolers engaged while exploring the planets of our solar system. With everything included, you’ll save a ton of prep time while giving students the opportunity to guide their own learning.

In this interactive lab, students will understand that gravity is the force that governs the motion of our solar system. Flexible and engaging, this lesson is perfect for both in-class and virtual learning.

Texas Teachers: This resource aligns with the 2017 TEKS (not updated for the 2021 TEKS).

Differentiated, Modular, and Student-Centered

Each station lab includes eight differentiated activities plus a bonus challenge station to extend learning for early finishers. Students work independently or in small groups while teachers facilitate rather than direct.

All signage, resources, and task cards are provided. The Explore It! station may require a few simple classroom materials you likely already have.

The Stations

Input Stations – Learn the Concepts

• Explore It! – Hands-on demo or digital drag-and-drop activity in PowerPoint/Google Slides

• Read It! – Differentiated passages (English & Spanish) with vocabulary and comprehension questions

• Research It! – Website-based activity with guided tasks

• Watch It! – Short video with student response prompts

Output Stations – Show Understanding

• Organize It! – Printable or digital card sorts/manipulatives

• Illustrate It! – Sketches or diagrams of planetary models

• Write It! – Short-answer prompts in complete sentences

• Assess It! – Task cards + a vocabulary-in-context writing activity

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Extension activities for advanced learners and early finishers, such as crosswords, games, and mini-projects

Virtual & In-Class Flexibility

This station lab is fully compatible with Google Slides and PowerPoint, making it easy to use in both classroom and digital learning environments.

Why Teachers Love It:

• Differentiated for a variety of learners

• Multimodal design keeps students engaged

• Flexible for print or digital classrooms

• Minimal prep required

This resource is also included in the Planets 5E Lesson Plan, which expands into editable presentations, interactive notebooks, student-choice projects, assessments, and more.

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.