Catastrophic Events Complete Lesson Plan - MS

Everything you need for an engaging, ready-to-teach unit on catastrophic events is included in this resource! Students will explore how natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, wildfires, and volcanic eruptions impact ecosystems. 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 will stay engaged while you focus on their success.

Essential Question

• Can you predict and describe how different types of catastrophic events impact ecosystems?

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

Why Teachers Love This Lesson

• Differentiated materials for students who need additional support

• Multimodal activities to engage all learners

• Maximum flexibility—works digitally or in print

• Editable PowerPoints to adapt to your classroom

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

This lesson is built around the 5E Instructional Model (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, Evaluation), providing both structure and flexibility.

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 investigate catastrophic events in multiple ways:

Input Stations

• Explore It! – Hands-on demo or experiment

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

• Research It! – Website-based activities with guided questions

• Watch It! – Short video with student reflection prompts

Output Stations

• Organize It! – Printable or digital card sorts

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

• Illustrate It! – Student-created diagrams or sketches

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

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

Explanation

• Editable PowerPoints (standard & interactive)

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

• Guided note-taking templates

Elaboration

• Student-choice projects on catastrophic events and their impacts

Evaluation

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

• Review worksheet for homework, class practice, or discussion

Flexible for Any Classroom

This resource is designed 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.