Evidence of Changes Over Time Complete Science Lesson - New TEKS 7.10A

This comprehensive resource provides everything you need to teach a middle school Earth science unit on evidence of changes over time. Students explore how fossils, plate tectonics, and superposition support the idea that Earth has changed throughout its history. The unit includes editable presentations, worksheets, a station lab, student-choice projects, and assessments. With a student-centered structure and minimal prep required, the lesson encourages independence while giving teachers time to focus on facilitating learning.

Essential Questions for Students

• How has Earth changed over time?

• How do fossils, superposition, and plate tectonics provide evidence that Earth has changed?

Standards Alignment: Meets 2021 TEKS standard 7.10A.

Key Features

• Differentiated materials for students needing extra support

• Multimodal activities to sustain engagement across learning styles

• Flexible use in both printable and digital formats

• Editable PowerPoints for easy classroom customization

• Spanish translations of vocabulary, a station lab passage, and interactive notebook pages

Instructional Framework: The 5E Model

This lesson is built on the 5E instructional model—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate—providing a structured balance of inquiry, exploration, and assessment.

Engage

• Objectives and Word Wall cards (English & Spanish)

• Teacher guide with discussion ideas, activities, and common misconceptions

Explore

• A nine-station student-led lab introducing fossil evidence, superposition, and plate tectonics through multimodal learning

Input Stations:

• Explore It! – Hands-on demonstration or experiment

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

• Research It! – Structured online activity with related tasks

• Watch It! – Short video with reflection prompts

Output Stations:

• Organize It! – Categorization tasks (print and digital)

• Write It! – Open-ended responses requiring complete sentences

• Illustrate It! – Drawing/sketching activities to reinforce retention

• Assess It! – Vocabulary-in-context and mastery-based questions

Bonus Station:

• Challenge It! – Extension activities (crosswords, games, and mini-projects) for enrichment or early finishers

Explain

• Editable PowerPoints in standard and interactive formats

• Interactive Notebook templates (digital & print, English & Spanish)

• Guided note-taking organizers

Elaborate

• Student-choice projects exploring evidence of Earth’s changes to extend or apply learning in class or at home

Evaluate

• Assessments updated for STAAR 2.0, with both standard and modified versions

• Review worksheets and discussion questions for classwork, test prep, or homework

Flexibility for Learning Environments

This lesson is designed for both in-person and virtual instruction. The digital station lab and interactive notebook templates are fully compatible with PowerPoint and Google Slides, making them simple to implement in multiple settings.

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