Balanced & Unbalanced Forces Complete Lesson Plan - MS

Everything you need for an engaging, ready-to-teach unit on balanced and unbalanced forces is included in this resource! With editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments, this multiday lesson is low-prep and high-impact.

Through differentiated, student-led activities, your middle schoolers will stay engaged and curious while you focus on their success.

Essential Questions

• What are balanced and unbalanced forces?

• How do unbalanced forces cause changes in the position, direction, and speed of an object?

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

Why Teachers Love This Lesson

• Differentiated materials for students who need more support

• Multimodal learning to keep students interested

• Flexible formatting—use printable or digital resources

• Editable PowerPoints for easy classroom customization

• Spanish translations for vocabulary, reading passages, and interactive notebook pages

This lesson is structured around the proven 5E Instructional Model (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, Evaluation), ensuring both clarity and depth.

What’s Included

Engagement

• Lesson objectives and Word Wall Cards (English & Spanish)

• Teacher guide with discussion prompts, classroom activities, and common misconceptions

Exploration – Student-Led Station Lab
Nine differentiated stations help students explore forces through multiple learning styles:

Input Stations (learn concepts)

• Explore It! – Hands-on demo or experiment

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

• Research It! – Online tasks with guided questions

• Watch It! – Short video with discussion prompts

Output Stations (demonstrate understanding)

• Organize It! – Printable or digital card sorts

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

• Illustrate It! – Sketching/drawing to reinforce recall

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

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Fun enrichment activities (games, crosswords, mini-projects) for early finishers

Explanation

• Editable PowerPoints (standard & interactive versions)

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

• Note-taking templates for guided learning

Elaboration

• Student-choice projects on balanced and unbalanced forces to extend learning in class or at home

Evaluation

• STAAR 2.0–style assessments (standard & modified versions)

• Review worksheet for practice, homework, or class discussion

Flexible for Any Classroom

This lesson is designed for both in-person and virtual learning. Station labs, interactive notebooks, and PowerPoints are fully compatible with Google Slides and PowerPoint.

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.