Ecological Relationships Station Lab - New TEKS 6.12B

This modular, student-led activity aligns with TEKS 2021 standard 6.12B and keeps your middle schoolers engaged while exploring predatory, competitive, and symbiotic relationships between organisms—including mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism. With all materials included, you’ll save hours of prep time while empowering students to take ownership of their learning.

In this interactive, differentiated lab, students will describe, compare, and give examples of the relationships that shape ecosystems. Perfect for in-class or virtual learning, this resource helps students make real-world connections between organism interactions and environmental balance.

Differentiated, Modular, and Student-Led

Each lab includes nine differentiated activities that create a personalized, student-centered learning experience. Teachers act as facilitators while students explore independently or collaboratively to deepen understanding of key life science concepts.

All signage, task cards, and resources are provided. The Explore It! station may require a few simple materials you already have on hand.

The Stations

Input Stations – Build Understanding

• Explore It! – Hands-on demo or digital drag-and-drop activity in PowerPoint or Google Slides

• Watch It! – Short video with reflection and comprehension questions

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

• Research It! – Real-world data, images, and graphs that connect concepts to real ecosystems

Output Stations – Show Understanding

• Organize It! – Printable or digital card sorts/manipulatives for classifying relationships

• Illustrate It! – Sketch or diagram models showing ecological interactions

• Write It! – Open-ended short-answer prompts to explain and apply understanding

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

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Extension activities for early finishers and advanced learners—such as crosswords, games, and mini-projects—to extend and reinforce learning

Virtual & In-Class Flexibility

This lab is fully compatible with Google Slides and PowerPoint, making it easy to use in both physical and digital classrooms. Students can collaborate in small groups, work independently, or complete activities virtually from home.

Why Teachers Love It

• Differentiated for multiple learning levels

• Multimodal to keep students engaged and curious

• Flexible for print or digital use

• Low prep, high engagement!

This resource is also part of the Ecological Relationships 5E Lesson Plan, which includes editable presentations, interactive notebooks, student-choice projects, assessments, and more.

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.