Energy from The Sun Complete Science Lesson - New TEKS 8.10A

Everything you need for an engaging, ready-to-teach weather unit is included in this resource! Students will explore how energy from the Sun, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact and how those interactions drive Earth’s weather and climate. With editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments, this multiday lesson is both comprehensive and low-prep.

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

Essential Questions

• How do energy from the Sun, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact with one another?

• How do energy from the Sun, hydrosphere, and atmosphere influence weather and climate?

Aligned with 2021 TEKS Standard 8.10A

Why Teachers Love This Lesson

• Differentiated materials to meet diverse learner needs

• Multimodal activities to keep students engaged

• Maximum flexibility—works digitally or in print

• Editable PowerPoints for easy customization

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

This lesson is built on the 5E Instructional Model (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, Evaluation), giving you both structure and flexibility for meaningful instruction.

What’s Included

Engagement

• Objectives and Word Wall Cards (English & Spanish)

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

Exploration – Student-Led Station Lab
Nine differentiated stations let students explore how solar energy drives Earth’s climate and weather systems:

Input Stations (absorb content)

• Explore It! – Hands-on demo or experiment

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

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

• Watch It! – Short video with student discussion prompts

Output Stations (show understanding)

• Organize It! – Printable or digital card sorts

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

• Illustrate It! – Sketches or diagrams of solar energy transfer, water cycle, and atmospheric interactions

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

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Fun enrichment 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 on how energy from the Sun, hydrosphere, and atmosphere influence weather and climate

Evaluation

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

• Review worksheet for practice, homework, 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.

Low prep. Differentiated. Student-centered.
This complete lesson has everything you need to confidently teach how energy from the Sun, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact to influence weather and climate in your middle school classroom.

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.