Convection Currents Complete Lesson Plan - MS

Everything you need for an engaging, ready-to-teach unit on how the Sun’s energy drives convection currents is included in this resource! Students will investigate how solar energy creates convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing winds and ocean currents. With editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments, this multiday lesson is both comprehensive and low-prep.

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

Essential Question

• How does the Sun’s energy drive convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing winds and ocean currents?

Texas Teachers: This lesson aligns with the 2017 TEKS (not updated for the 2021 TEKS).

Why Teachers Love This Lesson

• Differentiated materials to support all learners

• Multimodal activities that keep students engaged

• Maximum flexibility—printable and digital resources included

• Editable PowerPoints so you can customize for your classroom

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

Built on the 5E Instructional Model (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, Evaluation), this lesson provides a proven structure for meaningful instruction.

What’s Included

Engagement

• Objectives and Word Wall Cards (English & Spanish)

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

Exploration – Student-Led Station Lab
Nine differentiated stations give students multiple ways to explore convection currents:

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 responses

• Illustrate It! – Sketches or diagrams of convection currents

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

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 convection currents to extend learning in class or at home

Evaluation

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

• Review worksheet for practice, homework, or 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.

This is a finished product; it will be updated with formatting or corrections as needed. Future improvements and new features will be sold as a separate product.