Biotic & Abiotic Competition Complete Science Lesson - New TEKS 6.12A

Everything you need for an engaging, ready-to-teach ecosystems unit is included in this resource! Students will explore how organisms and populations depend on and compete for biotic and abiotic factors—such as food, light, water, temperature, and soil composition—and how these relationships shape 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 guiding student success.

Essential Questions

• What distinguishes a biotic factor, such as food, from an abiotic factor, such as light, water, temperature, or soil composition, in an ecosystem?

• How can we investigate how organisms and populations depend on and compete for biotic and abiotic factors?

Texas Teachers: This lesson aligns with 2021 TEKS standard 6.12A.

Why Teachers Love This Lesson

• Differentiated materials for students who need extra support

• Multimodal learning to keep students interested and engaged

• Maximum flexibility—printable and digital formats included

• Editable PowerPoints for classroom customization

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

This resource follows the 5E Instructional Model (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, Evaluation), giving you a research-based framework for meaningful instruction.

What’s Included

Engagement

• Objectives and Word Wall Cards (English & Spanish)

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

Exploration – Student-Led Station Lab
Nine differentiated stations help students explore how biotic and abiotic factors influence competition and survival:

Input Stations

• Explore It! – Hands-on demo or experiment

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

• Research It! – Website-based tasks with visuals and 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 sketches or diagrams showing interactions between factors

• 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 versions)

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

• Guided note-taking templates

Elaboration

• Student-choice projects on how populations depend on and compete for resources

Evaluation

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

• Review worksheet for test 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.

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.