Taxonomy Complete Science Lesson - New TEKS 7.14A

Everything you need for an engaging, hands-on middle school unit on taxonomy — the scientific system that categorizes living organisms based on their shared characteristics and differences.
This complete, editable, and low-prep unit includes presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments that make classification come alive for your students.

Built with differentiated, student-led learning, this lesson gives your students ownership of their progress and frees you to focus on student success.

Essential Questions

• How does the taxonomic system organize living organisms based on similarities and differences?

• What are the key criteria used to categorize organisms into different taxonomic levels?

Why Teachers Love This Kesler Science Complete Lesson

• Differentiated materials for students who need additional support

• Multimodal learning that keeps middle schoolers interested and active

• Maximum flexibility — printable, digital, or hybrid options for any classroom

• Editable PowerPoints you can easily adapt to your teaching style

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

• Aligned with 2021 TEKS standard 7.14A

This unit follows the research-based 5E Instructional Model — Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate — guiding students through a complete cycle of inquiry and understanding.

What’s Included in Each 5E Stage

Engage

Start your taxonomy unit with:

• Objectives and Word Wall Cards in English and Spanish

• A teacher guide with engaging class discussion ideas, activities, and notes on common misconceptions

Explore

Your students will dive into classification through a student-led, differentiated station lab designed to reach all learning styles.
With nine interactive stations, students discover how and why scientists around the world use the same classification system to organize and name organisms.

Input Stations help students explore new information in multiple ways:

• Explore It! – Hands-on demo or experiment that connects learning through direct engagement

• Read It! – Short reading passage with comprehension questions (English and Spanish versions included)

• Research It! – Guided website exploration with tasks and questions

• Watch It! – Short, focused video with discussion prompts

Output Stations give students opportunities to demonstrate understanding of how organisms are classified:

• Organize It! – Categorize examples using printable or digital card sorts

• Write It! – Respond to open-ended questions using complete sentences

• Illustrate It! – Draw or diagram classification concepts for better visual understanding

• Assess It! – Apply vocabulary and demonstrate mastery through structured questions

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Extension activities designed for early finishers or enrichment learning—keep all students engaged and thinking deeper!

Explain

Help students connect and solidify their learning with:

• Editable PowerPoints (standard and interactive versions) with built-in differentiation

• Interactive Notebook Templates in digital and printable formats (English and Spanish)

• Note-taking templates to guide comprehension during instruction

Elaborate

Encourage creative, independent thinking with student-choice projects that explore how the taxonomic system is used to name, group, and organize living organisms based on shared traits.
Perfect for classwork, homework, or enrichment activities.

Evaluate

Wrap up your unit with:

• STAAR 2.0–style assessment questions in both standard and modified versions

• Review worksheets for discussion, test prep, or homework practice

Ideal for Classroom or Virtual Learning

This resource is designed for maximum flexibility — use it seamlessly in-person or online.
The station lab and presentation materials work perfectly in Google Slides or PowerPoint, allowing students to explore, interact, and learn wherever they are.

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.