Endocrine System Complete Lesson Plan - MS

This complete unit provides middle school teachers with everything needed to teach the endocrine system, including its overall function, structure, and major organs. Students explore how the endocrine system regulates body processes through hormones with hands-on, digital, and inquiry-based activities. The resource includes editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, a differentiated station lab, and assessments. Designed for multiday instruction with minimal prep, it emphasizes student-led, differentiated learning so teachers can focus on supporting mastery.

Essential Questions for Students

• What is the main function of the endocrine system and how is it structured?

• What are the main organs associated with this system?

Note for Texas teachers: This lesson aligns with the 2017 TEKS and will not be updated for the 2021 standards.

Key Features

• Differentiated supports for students at multiple levels

• Multimodal learning to engage diverse learning styles

• Maximum flexibility—resources available in both printable and digital formats

• Editable PowerPoints for classroom customization

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

Instructional Framework: The 5E Model

This lesson is designed using the 5E instructional model—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate—ensuring a balance of inquiry, guided practice, and assessment.

Engage

• Objectives and Word Wall Cards (English & Spanish)

• Teacher file with prompts for discussions, classroom activities, and notes on misconceptions

Explore

• A nine-station, student-led lab introducing the structure, functions, and key organs of the endocrine system

Input Stations:

• Explore It! – Hands-on demonstration or experiment

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

• Research It! – Guided online activity with structured student tasks

• Watch It! – Short video with reflection prompts

Output Stations:

• Organize It! – Categorization and card sort activities (printable and digital)

• Write It! – Open-ended written responses

• Illustrate It! – Sketching/drawing endocrine system concepts

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

Bonus Station:

• Challenge It! – Puzzles, crosswords, 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 templates

Elaborate

• Student-choice projects on the endocrine system to extend learning

Evaluate

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

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

Flexible Learning Options

This lesson is designed for both in-person and virtual classrooms. The digital station lab and interactive notebook templates are fully compatible with PowerPoint and Google Slides, making them simple to integrate into blended or online learning.

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.