Life on Earth Station Lab - New TEKS 7.9C

This modular, student-led activity is fully aligned with TEKS 2021 standard 7.9C and will keep your middle schoolers engaged while exploring the unique conditions that make Earth habitable. With everything included, you’ll save a ton of prep time while giving your students the opportunity to guide their own learning.

In this interactive lab, students will analyze the characteristics of Earth that allow life to exist, such as the planet’s proximity to the Sun, the presence of water, and the composition of the atmosphere. This flexible resource is perfect for both in-class and virtual learning.

Differentiated, Modular, and Student-Centered

Each lab includes nine stations that provide a personalized learning experience for all students. Teachers serve as facilitators while learners work independently or in small groups.

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

The Stations

Input Stations – Learn the Concepts

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

• Watch It! – Short video with comprehension questions

• Read It! – Differentiated passages (English & Spanish) with vocabulary and reading checks

• Research It! – Website-based activity with facts, graphs, and guided tasks

Output Stations – Show Understanding

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

• Illustrate It! – Student-created sketches or diagrams of Earth’s life-supporting features

• Write It! – Open-ended short-answer prompts in complete sentences

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

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Extension activities such as crosswords, games, and mini-projects to push early finishers and advanced students further

Virtual & In-Class Flexibility

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

Why Teachers Love It:

• Differentiated for diverse learning needs

• Multimodal to keep students engaged

• Flexible for print or digital instruction

• Minimal prep required

This resource is also part of the Life on Earth 5E Lesson Plan, which expands into editable presentations, interactive notebooks, student-choice projects, assessments, and more.

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.