Characteristics of Kingdoms Station Lab -New TEKS 7.14B

This modular, student-led activity is fully aligned with TEKS 2021 standard 8.11C and is designed to keep your middle schoolers engaged while exploring Earth’s systems. With everything included, you’ll save a ton of prep time while giving students the opportunity to direct their own learning.

In this interactive lab, students will describe the carbon cycle through a series of multimodal activities that blend hands-on practice, reading, research, and creative expression. This resource works equally well for both in-class and virtual learning.

Differentiated, Modular, and Student-Centered

Each lab includes nine differentiated activities, ensuring that every learner has a personalized experience. Students work independently or in small groups while the teacher facilitates learning rather than directing it.

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

The Stations

Input Stations – Learn the Concepts

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

• Watch It! – Short video with guiding questions

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

• Research It! – Facts, images, and graphs with guided lab sheet questions

Output Stations – Show Understanding

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

• Illustrate It! – Student-created sketches or models of the carbon cycle

• Write It! – Short-answer responses in complete sentences

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

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Extension tasks for early finishers, including crosswords, games, and mini-projects

Flexible for Any Classroom

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

Why Teachers Love It:

• Differentiated to meet diverse learner needs

• Multimodal to keep students engaged

• Flexible for print or digital use

• Minimal prep required

This resource is also part of the Carbon Cycle 5E Lesson Plan, which expands into editable presentations, interactive notebooks, assessments, projects, and more.