Biodiversity Complete Lesson Plan - MS

Everything you need for an engaging ecosystems unit on biodiversity is included in this resource! Students will explore how biodiversity contributes to the sustainability of ecosystems, building an understanding of why diversity is vital to long-term survival and balance. 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 biodiversity contribute to the sustainability of an ecosystem?

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

Why Teachers Love This Lesson

• Differentiated materials for learners who need extra support

• Multimodal activities to engage students in multiple ways

• Maximum flexibility—printable and digital formats included

• Editable PowerPoints to customize instruction

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

Built on the 5E Instructional Model (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, Evaluation), this resource offers a research-based framework for meaningful instruction.

What’s Included

Engagement

• 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 give students multiple ways to investigate biodiversity:

Input Stations

• 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

• Organize It! – Printable or digital card sorts

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

• Illustrate It! – Student sketches or diagrams representing biodiversity

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

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Extension activities like 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 biodiversity to extend learning at school or home

Evaluation

• STAAR 2.0–style assessments (standard & modified)

• Review worksheet for practice, homework, or group 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.

Low prep. Differentiated. Student-centered.
This complete lesson has everything you need to confidently teach biodiversity and its role in sustaining ecosystems in your middle school science classroom.

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.