Everything you need for an engaging middle school unit on plate tectonics. Includes presentations, worksheets, choice projects, and assessment. Fully editable, multiday content needs minimum prep. Differentiated, student-led learning leaves time for you to focus on student success!

Your junior high students will answer these essential questions:

• What is plate tectonics?
• What are the three types of plate boundaries?
• What crustal features are formed at plate boundaries?

Texas teachers: This lesson aligns with the 2017 TEKS. It will not be updated for the new 2021 TEKS. The lessons for the new 2021 TEKS can be found here: Tectonics & Geological Events and Evidence of Changes over Time.

What makes this Kesler Science Complete Lesson stand out?

• Differentiated materials for students who need more support
• Multimodal learning to keep middle school students interested
• Maximum flexibility in formats - Printable? Digital? YES!
• Editable PowerPoints so you can tailor the materials for your classroom
• Spanish translations of vocabulary, a station lab reading passage, and interactive notebook pages

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Save when purchasing the 6th, 7th, 8th Grade Mega Complete Curriculum Bundle for junior high and middle school (99 individual topics)!

The lesson is based on the well-researched 5E Model, which covers Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation. 

Look at what is included to cover each stage of learning!

Engagement

• Objectives and Word Wall Cards with English and Spanish vocabulary
• Teacher file with engaging ideas for class discussion and a class activity - many lessons include a student activity and/or common topic misconceptions

Exploration

The student-led station lab is differentiated for all learners and learning styles. With nine stations, you can introduce plate tectonics to your middle school students in a variety of ways! 

Input Stations offer students multimodal ways to absorb lesson learning.

• Explore It! - Hands-on demo or experiment connects students with information through engagement.
• Read It! - Students read a short passage and answer comprehension questions. Choose from differentiated reading passages in English and Spanish.
• Research It! - Students visit a website, perform tasks, and answer related questions.
• Watch It! - Students learn through a short video and discussion on their lab sheets.

Output Stations provide ways for your junior high students to show what they know about plate tectonics.

• Organize It! - Students use printable hands-on card sorts or manipulate digital images to foster categorization skills.
• Write It! - Students respond to open-ended questions and communicate in complete sentences.
• Illustrate It! - Students sketch or draw concepts; visual activity can increase recall and retention of new information.
• Assess It! - Students answer more formal questions to demonstrate mastery and vocabulary in context.

Bonus Station!

• Challenge It! This station offers fun extension activities for your early finishers to push their learning even further. This also provides the class with another reinforcement option. 

Explanation

• Editable PowerPoints in standard and interactive versions with differentiation
• Interactive notebook templates in multiple formats, including digital INB files and print files in Spanish and English
• Note-taking templates to help students follow along with presentations

Elaboration

• Student-choice projects on plate tectonics to extend the learning in class or at home

Evaluation

• Assessment questions updated for STAAR 2.0 (Texas end-of-year testing) and available in dependent and modified versions
• Review questions and a worksheet for class discussion, test practice, or homework

Can This Resource Be Used for Virtual Learning?

Absolutely! The station lab from the Exploration section and the PPT/INBs from the Explanation section have been created so that students can use them on campus or in a virtual learning environment. 

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.

Terms of Use

Copyright © Kesler Science, LLC. All rights reserved by the author. This product is to be used by the original downloader only. Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited. Permission is never granted to enter Kesler Science materials into any form of AI for any purpose. This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view. Failure to comply is copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Clipart and elements found in this PDF are copyrighted and cannot be extracted and used outside of this file without permission or license. Intended for classroom and personal use ONLY. Multiple licenses are available for purchase by departments, schools, or school districts. Contact chris@keslerscience.com for more information.