Sustainability of an Ecosystem Activities for Middle School Science

Engage your middle school students with this student-led station lab aligned with the 2021 TEKS 8.12C. Designed for in-class or virtual learning, this lab helps students explore how biodiversity supports the stability and sustainability of ecosystems and the health of organisms through nine interactive stations featuring videos, readings, research, and hands-on tasks.

Students apply their knowledge by organizing information, illustrating models, writing responses, and completing assessments. A bonus challenge station extends learning with engaging activities, and English and Spanish reading passages support differentiated instruction.

This low-prep, high-engagement resource fosters active learning and critical thinking. Also available in the Ecosystems Station Lab Bundle, which includes 16 labs.

The Sustainability of an Ecosystem Student Choice Projects align with the 2021 TEKS 8.12C standard, allowing middle school students to select a project that suits their learning style. A project page outlines six student-led options plus a “design your own” project, with an editable rubric for teacher, peer, or self-assessment. This resource is also included in the Sustainability of an Ecosystem Complete Lesson for TEKS 8.12C.

These engaging, multimodal projects give students creative ways to demonstrate their understanding, while teachers can modify the rubric to fit their grading needs. The flexible structure supports differentiation, ensuring all students can succeed.

Projects use common classroom supplies such as paper, markers, and scissors, with many options for digital project completion. Also available in the Ecosystems Bundle (16 topics for grades 6-8) and the MEGA Student Choice Project Bundle (84 topics) for grades 6-8.

Students will assess biodiversity in their local environment using a line transect method in this Inquiry Lab. They will record the variety of plant and animal species, analyze the distribution of organisms, and discuss the role of biodiversity in ecosystem sustainability.

This resource includes three differentiated labs to meet diverse learning needs. The Dependent Lab provides guided inquiry, the Modified Lab offers additional scaffolding with structured questions and sentence stems, and the Independent Lab allows students to take full control of their exploration. Each lab comes with editable teacher resources, answer keys, and CER conclusion questions to deepen understanding.

Students will need marked string or rope, anchoring pins, notebooks, and optional cameras to document their findings. This lesson aligns with TEKS standards, emphasizing biodiversity’s role in sustaining ecosystems.

Bundle and save! This lab is also included in the Complete Inquiry Labs Bundle, providing hands-on, student-centered science investigations across multiple topics.

In this interactive lesson, students investigate ecological succession by reading a nonfiction article about how ecosystems rebuild after a disturbance. They answer comprehension questions and research a real-world example, documenting how succession unfolds over time. Designed for grades 6-8 (and advanced 5th graders), the resource includes two Lexile-leveled passages (1100-1300) to support science literacy and differentiation.

The lesson features 5-7 comprehension questions, an engaging research project, and a Cornell notes template. Vibrant, printable graphics enhance engagement, and the resource is fully compatible with Google Classroom, MS Teams, Schoology, and Canvas, making it ideal for both in-person and virtual learning. Students can work directly within the digital document for seamless integration.

Ideal for absent students, sub plans, extra credit, or whole-class instruction, this flexible resource strengthens science literacy, critical thinking, and discussion skills. The Science Reading Comprehension Passages Vol. 1 bundle includes 40 additional passages, providing even more opportunities for reading comprehension and analysis.

The Biodiversity Science Writing Prompt Activity engages middle school students in exploring life science through a call-to-action letter. This activity strengthens science reasoning and writing skills while reinforcing key biodiversity concepts. Designed for in-person and virtual learning, it keeps students actively engaged inside and outside the classroom.

Aligned with TEKS, this low-prep resource is perfect for elaboration, review, or integration with other Kesler Science products. It includes teacher directions, project ideas, rubrics (full and half-sheet), projection-ready prompts, full-sized handouts, and a digital interactive version compatible with Google Slides or PowerPoint.

These 6th-8th grade formative assessments provide engaging, flexible ways to check student understanding. The Ecosystems Set features 20 WIKI Tickets© assessments in five formats: projection, three printable handouts, and a digital version for Google Slides or PowerPoint. Designed for interactive learning, these assessments fit any classroom setting.

Aligned with NGSS and TEKS standards, WIKI Tickets© cover key ecosystem topics like biodiversity, energy flow, ecological succession, natural selection, and food webs. A table of contents ensures easy standard alignment, helping teachers track progress across multiple concepts.

WIKI Tickets© (“What I Know Is”) serve as exit tickets, bellringers, or quick progress checks. Teachers can project, print, or assign digitally for in-person or virtual learning. These ready-to-use assessments make monitoring student learning simple and effective.

Lesson Extensions provide student choice activities that engage fast finishers with critical thinking and creative challenges. These extensions offer rigorous yet fun learning opportunities, helping reinforce key concepts, fill downtime during testing, and prevent distractions. Designed to deepen students’ understanding of ecosystems, the activities align with NGSS and TEKS standards.

Each extension includes four engaging activities: Puzzler enhances problem-solving skills, Maker Space promotes hands-on STEAM exploration, Tech Connection integrates digital media projects, and Word Master incorporates creative writing. These flexible formats ensure students can engage with content in ways that best suit their learning styles.

This resource includes teacher directions, answer keys, projection slides for easy class display, and printable full- and half-sheet versions for versatile classroom use. Covering topics like biodiversity, food webs, ecological succession, and human impact, these high-level lesson extensions support independent learners while reinforcing science literacy and critical thinking.

This Amazing Anchors lesson provides an engaging, no-prep way to introduce invasive species in an ecosystem. The two-part resource begins with a real-world case study on rats in Reiono Island, prompting students to explore key concepts through comprehension and extension questions. The second reading simplifies the science behind invasive species, reinforcing learning with additional follow-up questions.

This resource includes teacher directions, answer keys, projection slides, a digital version for LMS platforms, and printable handouts. Aligned with TEKS, it connects ecological disruptions to real-world examples, making the topic more relevant and impactful.

Designed for both in-person and virtual learning, this lesson is print- and digital-friendly. A modified version with sentence starters and simplified language supports differentiation, ensuring accessibility for all students. Whether used as an introduction or review, this interactive, standards-aligned lesson fosters science literacy and critical thinking.