Natural Events & Climate Station Lab - New TEKS 8.11A

This modular, student-led activity is fully aligned with TEKS 2021 standard 8.11A and will keep your middle schoolers engaged while exploring how natural events impact climate. With everything included, you’ll save a ton of prep time while giving your students the opportunity to take charge of their learning.

In this interactive lab, students will use scientific evidence to describe how volcanic eruptions, meteor impacts, abrupt changes in ocean currents, and the release or absorption of greenhouse gases influence Earth’s climate. Perfect for in-class or virtual learning, this resource connects real-world science to classroom exploration.

Differentiated, Modular, and Student-Centered

Each lab features nine differentiated activities, offering multiple ways for students to engage with the content. Teachers facilitate while students work independently or in small groups, creating a student-centered learning environment.

All signage, task cards, and resources are included. The Explore It! station may require a few simple classroom supplies you already have on hand.

The Stations

Input Stations – Build Understanding

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

• Watch It! – Short video with comprehension prompts

• Read It! – Differentiated passages (English & Spanish) with vocabulary and comprehension practice

• Research It! – Facts, images, and graphs with guided questions

Output Stations – Show Understanding

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

• Illustrate It! – Sketches or diagrams modeling natural events and their effects on climate

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

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

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

Virtual & In-Class Flexibility

This station lab is fully compatible with Google Slides and PowerPoint, making it simple to use in both digital and traditional classrooms.

Why Teachers Love It:

• Differentiated for a variety of learner needs

• Multimodal design keeps students engaged

• Flexible for print or digital learning

• Minimal prep required

This resource is also part of the Natural Events and Climate 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.