Predicting Tides Complete Science Lesson - New TEKS 6.9B

Everything you need for an engaging, ready-to-teach unit on tides is included in this resource! Students will explore how the positions of the Earth, Sun, and Moon cause daily tides as well as spring and neap tide cycles due to gravitational forces. With editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments, this multiday lesson is both comprehensive and low-prep.

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

Essential Questions

• How do we predict Earth’s daily tides by describing the positions of the Earth, Sun, and Moon?

• What causes spring and neap tide cycles?

Aligned with 2021 TEKS Standard 6.9B

Why Teachers Love This Lesson

• Differentiated materials for learners at all levels

• Multimodal activities to engage a variety of learning styles

• Flexible formatting—use printable or digital versions

• Editable PowerPoints so you can adapt for your classroom

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

This resource follows the 5E Instructional Model (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, Evaluation), providing a research-based structure for effective science instruction.

What’s Included

Engagement

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

• Teacher file with engaging discussion prompts, activities, and common misconceptions

Exploration – Student-Led Station Lab
Nine differentiated stations introduce tides in multiple ways:

Input Stations

• Explore It! – Hands-on demo or experiment

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

• Research It! – Website-based task with guided responses

• Watch It! – Short video with student discussion prompts

Output Stations

• Organize It! – Printable or digital card sorts

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

• Illustrate It! – Student-created sketches or diagrams of tide cycles

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

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Fun extension activities for early finishers such as crosswords, games, and mini-projects

Explanation

• Editable PowerPoints (standard & interactive versions)

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

• Note-taking templates to help guide learning

Elaboration

• Student-choice projects on how Earth, the Moon, and the Sun interact to produce tides

Evaluation

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

• Review worksheet for homework, practice, or class discussion

Flexible for Any Classroom

This lesson works seamlessly for both in-person and virtual learning. Station labs, interactive notebooks, and presentations are fully compatible with Google Slides and PowerPoint.

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.