Life on Earth Complete Science Lesson - New TEKS 7.9C

Everything you need for an engaging, ready-to-teach unit on the characteristics that allow life to exist on Earth is included in this resource! Students will analyze how Earth’s proximity to the Sun, the presence of water, and the composition of the atmosphere create the unique conditions needed for living things to survive. With editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments, this multiday lesson is comprehensive while requiring minimal prep.

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

Essential Questions

• What characteristics of Earth support living things?

• How does Earth’s proximity to the Sun, the presence of water, and the atmosphere’s composition allow life to exist?

Aligned with 2021 TEKS Standard 7.9C

Why Teachers Love This Lesson

• Differentiated materials to meet a wide range of student needs

• Multimodal learning to engage all learners

• Maximum flexibility—printable and digital formats included

• Editable PowerPoints for easy customization

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

This lesson is built on the 5E Instructional Model (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, Evaluation), ensuring a structured, research-based approach to science instruction.

What’s Included

Engagement

• Objectives and Word Wall Cards (English & Spanish)

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

Exploration – Student-Led Station Lab
Nine differentiated stations introduce Earth’s unique habitability factors in multiple ways:

Input Stations (learn content)

• Explore It! – Hands-on demo or experiment

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

• Research It! – Website-based activity with guiding questions

• Watch It! – Short video with reflection prompts

Output Stations (show understanding)

• Organize It! – Printable or digital card sorts

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

• Illustrate It! – Student-created diagrams or sketches

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

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

Explanation

• Editable PowerPoints (standard & interactive versions)

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

• Guided note-taking templates

Elaboration

• Student-choice projects on Earth’s habitability factors for in-class or at-home learning

Evaluation

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

• Review worksheet for class practice, homework, or discussion

Flexible for Any Classroom

This lesson works perfectly in both in-person and virtual learning environments. 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.