Hurricanes Station Lab - MS

This modular, student-led activity will keep your middle schoolers engaged while exploring how hurricanes form and impact weather systems. With everything included, you’ll save a ton of prep time while giving your students the opportunity to guide their own learning.

In this interactive lab, students will develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and Earth’s rotation create atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns that drive hurricanes and influence regional climates. Perfect for in-class or virtual learning, this resource connects real-world science to classroom activities.

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

Differentiated, Modular, and Student-Centered

Each lab features eight core activities plus a bonus challenge station for early finishers and advanced learners. Teachers facilitate while students investigate independently or in small groups, creating a truly student-centered experience.

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

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 checks

• Research It! – Website-based activity with facts, visuals, and guiding questions

• Watch It! – Short video with student response prompts

Output Stations – Show Understanding

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

• Illustrate It! – Student-created sketches or diagrams modeling hurricanes

• Write It! – Open-ended short-answer prompts

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

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Fun enrichment activities such as crosswords, games, and mini-projects to extend learning

Virtual & In-Class Flexibility

This station lab is fully compatible with Google Slides and PowerPoint, making it easy to implement in both physical and digital classrooms.

Why Teachers Love It:

• Differentiated for diverse learners

• Multimodal activities keep students engaged

• Flexible for both print and digital learning

• Minimal prep required

This resource is also included in the Hurricanes 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.