Plant & Animal Cells Station Lab - MS

This modular, student-led activity is a powerful way to keep your middle school students engaged while learning about the structure and function of plant and animal cells. With ready-to-use materials, you’ll save a ton of prep time while giving students ownership of their learning.

In this interactive station lab, students will identify and compare the characteristics of plant and animal cells through hands-on, visual, written, and digital activities.

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

Differentiated, Modular, and Student-Centered

Each lab includes eight core stations plus one bonus challenge station, giving every learner a personalized experience. Students work independently or in small groups while the teacher acts as facilitator rather than lecturer.

All signage, passages, resources, and task cards are included. The Explore It! station may require a few simple lab supplies you likely already have.

These materials are ready for both in-class and virtual learning, fully compatible with PowerPoint and Google Slides.

The Stations

Input Stations – Learn the Concepts

• Explore It! – Hands-on demo or digital drag-and-drop activity

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

• Research It! – Guided online investigation

• Watch It! – Short video with reflection questions

Output Stations – Show Understanding

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

• Illustrate It! – Student sketches and models for visual recall

• Write It! – Open-ended written responses in complete sentences

• Assess It! – Task cards + vocabulary-in-context paragraph

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

Why Teachers Love It:

• Differentiated for all learners

• Flexible for print or digital classrooms

• Easy to run with minimal prep

• Keeps students engaged with multimodal learning

This station lab is also included in the Plant and Animal Cells 5E Lesson Plan, which expands into presentations, interactive notebooks, projects, assessments, and more for a complete unit.

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.