Catastrophic Events & Natural Disasters Station Lab - MS

This modular, student-led activity will keep your middle schoolers engaged while exploring the science of catastrophic events. With everything included, you’ll save a ton of prep time while empowering students to direct their own learning.

In this interactive lab, students will analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events. Designed for flexibility, it’s perfect for both in-class and virtual learning.

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 differentiated stations plus a bonus challenge station for early finishers and advanced learners. Teachers act as facilitators while students work independently or in small groups to investigate real-world science connections.

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

The Stations

Input Stations – Build Understanding

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

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

• Research It! – Website-based tasks with facts, images, and graphs

• Watch It! – Short video with reflection prompts

Output Stations – Show Understanding

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

• Illustrate It! – Sketches or diagrams modeling catastrophic events

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

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

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Enrichment activities such as crosswords, games, and mini-projects to extend learning for early finishers

Virtual & In-Class Flexibility

This station lab is fully compatible with Google Slides and PowerPoint, making it simple to implement in both traditional classrooms and online environments.

Why Teachers Love It:

• Differentiated for a variety of learners

• Multimodal activities that keep students engaged

• Flexible for print or digital use

• Minimal prep required

This resource is also part of the Catastrophic Events 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.