Internal & External Structures Activities for 4th Grade Science

The Kesler Science Internal and External Structures 5E Lesson is a comprehensive life science unit designed for elementary students. This engaging, student-led lesson includes editable presentations, worksheets, choice projects, and assessments, requiring little to no prep. It aligns with NGSS 4-LS1-1 and the 2021 TEKS standard for Texas teachers.

Students explore how internal and external structures help plants and animals survive through a differentiated, multimodal approach. The lesson follows the 5E Model, beginning with engaging discussion activities and vocabulary support in English and Spanish. In the Exploration phase, a student-led station lab offers nine interactive stations, including hands-on experiments, reading comprehension, research, video discussions, card sorts, writing prompts, and drawing activities. A bonus station provides extension opportunities for early finishers.

Explanation materials include editable PowerPoints, interactive notebooks, and note-taking templates in digital and print formats. Elaboration involves student-choice projects, while Evaluation features STAAR 2.0-aligned assessments and review materials. This resource is flexible for both in-person and virtual learning, ensuring accessibility for all students.

Engage your 4th-grade students in an interactive exploration of Internal and External Structures with this student-led station lab. Designed to promote active learning, this lesson guides students as they construct arguments about how plants and animals have structures that support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. With a modular approach, students take charge of their learning while teachers facilitate rather than direct instruction. 

This station lab includes nine differentiated stations that allow students to explore concepts through a variety of engaging activities. Input stations introduce new information through experiments, research, readings, and videos, while output stations help students demonstrate their understanding through organizing, illustrating, writing, and assessments. A bonus challenge station offers extension activities for early finishers, providing opportunities for deeper learning through creative projects. 

Students can work independently or in small groups, making this resource ideal for both in-class and virtual learning environments. With ready-to-use materials, including all necessary signage, literature, task cards, and differentiated passages in English and Spanish, this station lab ensures a seamless, engaging experience that enhances comprehension and critical thinking skills.

The Internal and External Structures Student Choice Projects allow 4th-grade students to demonstrate their understanding in a way that suits their preferred output style. A project page presents six student-led options plus a “design your own” project, with an editable rubric for teacher, peer, or self-assessment.

These flexible, multimodal projects support diverse learning needs. Two versions of the project page provide differentiation, with modified options for students needing remediation and challenge opportunities for advanced learners. Teachers can adjust the rubric to fit grading needs.

The projects require standard classroom supplies like paper, markers, and scissors, with many options available for digital completion. Some crafting materials may be helpful for model-building.