Gravity & Motion in Space Complete Science Lesson - NEW TEKS 7.9B

Everything you need for an engaging, ready-to-teach unit on gravity and motion in Earth’s solar system is included in this resource! Students will investigate how gravity governs motion, including the influence of mass, inertia, orbit, and distance. With editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments, this multiday lesson is comprehensive yet low-prep.

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

Essential Question

• How does gravity govern motion within Earth’s solar system?

Aligned with 2021 TEKS Standard 7.9B

Why Teachers Love This Lesson

• Differentiated materials to support learners at all levels

• Multimodal activities that keep students engaged

• Maximum flexibility—printable and digital formats included

• Editable PowerPoints so you can customize lessons for your classroom

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

This lesson is based on the 5E Instructional Model (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, Evaluation), giving you a structured and effective way to teach complex concepts.

What’s Included

Engagement

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

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

Exploration – Student-Led Station Lab
Nine differentiated stations help students understand how gravity shapes motion in the solar system:

Input Stations (absorb content)

• Explore It! – Hands-on demo or experiment

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

• Research It! – Website-based activities 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! – Sketches and diagrams to reinforce recall

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

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
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)

• Guided note-taking templates

Elaboration

• Student-choice projects exploring how gravity governs planetary motion

Evaluation

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

• Review worksheet for practice, homework, or discussion

Flexible for Any Classroom

This resource is perfect 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.