Science Centers with Reading Passages Set 1 ∣ Earth Science with Digital

Do you need science activities for earth science that will engage your students, provide reading comprehension practice, and increase their understanding of the science topics? This science resource includes 11 science centers with passages and comprehension questions.

About the Science Activities:

The questions on the task cards can be answered based on the information from the text. Some may require students to infer or synthesize information from multiple text details.

Each topic has:

• A 1-page text passage written at a 5th/6th grade level
• 12 task cards
• Recording sheet (2 options)
• Answer key

The texts included are rigorous and written at a 5th/6th grade reading level. If you teach 4th grade and wish to use the resource, I recommend reading the passages with students.

These science centers can be used in a variety of ways. For example:

• Enrich your current science curriculum
• Frontload science concepts
• Use as reading centers to integrate science into your ELA curriculum
• Review science topics as test prep
• Around the room review activities
• Science and/or reading homework

Earth Science Topics Included:

1. The Outer Planets
2. Inner Planets vs. Outer Planets
3. The Inner Planets
4. Life Cycle of a Star
5. Types of Stars
6. All About Stars
7. Stars vs. Planets
8. Moon Phases
9. The Moon
10. Day and Night
11. Reason for the Seasons

About the Digital Version:

In addition, I have included a digital version of each center. The digital version is in Google Slides and can easily be assigned through Google Classroom.

For more information on assigning this activity through Google Classroom, go to page 5 of the PDF. Digital access links are on page 6.

See the video preview for the digital version in action!

Tips for Using the Science Activities with Struggling Students:

1. Read the text as a whole class or in small groups before completing the center.
2. Partner students to support one another while answering questions.
3. Remove trickier questions or require students to answer fewer questions.
4. Allow students to choose which questions they would like to answer.

Looking for More Science Centers like this?

I have 5 more sets of these in my store. Check out the topics below:

Science Centers with Reading Passages Set 2: Earth Science (geology and meteorology)

Science Centers with Reading Passages Set 3: Life Science (ecosystems, food chains, food webs, and animal and plant adaptations)

Science Centers with Reading Passages Set 4: Life Science (cells, organisms, and genetics)

Science Centers with Reading Passages Set 5: Physical Science (matter, physical and chemical changes, electricity, and magnets)

Science Centers with Reading Passages Set 6: Physical Science (physics, simple machines, energy, light, and sound)

More Science Activities

Want more science activities (with digital science activities)? Click here to see the bundle of 4th and 5th Grade Science Resources with Digital Activities.