Middle School Life Science Curriculum When Your School Gives You None
Biology Complete – Middle School is for the grades 6–8 science teacher who has to teach life science with no curriculum from the school. It gives you 70+ resources that start with scientific thinking and cells, structure and function, and continue through further life science units, with slides, diagrams, data tasks, differentiated worksheets and answer keys.
See the life science units →Biology Complete – Middle School is a no-prep life science curriculum for grades 6–8 with 70+ resources, starting at $149.90. For a teacher with no school-provided curriculum, it covers scientific thinking practices described as NGSS-style, such as asking questions, forming hypotheses, interpreting simple investigations and analyzing data, plus characteristics of living things, cell theory, plant vs animal cells, levels of organization and further life science units.
The curriculum
Biology Complete – Middle School, Grades 6–8
Start with the full curriculum. The other resources below are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
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The real problem
Starting life science with nothing but a room
Life science is the science course many middle schoolers are most curious about, and also the one that is easiest to teach as vocabulary. Without a curriculum, the first unit on cells turns into labeling diagrams: nucleus, cell membrane, cytoplasm, chloroplast. Students fill in the blanks, pass the quiz and never ask why a plant cell needs a cell wall or how cells build tissues and organs. The scientific thinking part tends to get lost entirely. A teacher building from scratch rarely has time to design investigations, so students never practice forming a hypothesis, reading a data table or explaining cause and effect with evidence. That matters, because those practices carry across every science course they will take later. Then there is sequence. Characteristics of living things should come before cell theory, cell theory before levels of organization, and levels of organization before anything about body systems or ecosystems. Get the order wrong and each unit has to reteach the last one. And every lesson needs diagrams, models and data sets at a middle school reading level, with answer keys, which takes far longer to find than to teach.
Why it fits
How the curriculum fills the gap
It pairs life science content with the thinking skills science courses expect, in a sensible order.
- Characteristics of living things open the course, giving every later unit a shared definition of life.
- Cell theory and plant vs animal cells move beyond labeling to comparing structure and function.
- Levels of organization connect cells to tissues, organs and organisms in a logical sequence.
- Questions and hypotheses tasks give students practice with real scientific reasoning from the start.
- Data analysis, diagrams and models let students practice inquiry even when lab time is limited.
- Cause-and-effect and evidence tasks build reasoning that carries into physical and earth science courses.
Getting started
Your first two weeks with it
A suggested starting sequence. The curriculum offers units in order but no calendar, so set dates yourself.
- Begin with what makes something aliveOpen with the characteristics of living things. Asking whether a seed, a crystal or a fire is alive starts an argument students care about and introduces evidence-based reasoning.
- Teach one inquiry cycle earlyUse the scientific thinking materials to run one full cycle: question, hypothesis, simple investigation and data interpretation. Students then know the routine before the content gets dense.
- Compare plant and animal cellsMove to cell theory and plant vs animal cells using the diagrams and models. Ask students to explain why each difference exists, not just where each part is located.
- Build up the levels of organizationFollow with levels of organization so students see how cells form tissues, organs and organisms. It sets up whatever life science units come next in your year.
- Check what equipment you haveList any microscopes, slides or materials in your room. Use them where possible, and lean on the diagram, model and data tasks for lessons where hands-on equipment is missing.
Which version
Choosing a version
The base version at $149.90 includes all 70+ resources and is what you need to run life science. The $189.90 version adds Teach-Life-Balance, a digital course with a planner, guides and templates to manage teacher workload; it does not add science content. If you teach more than one science course, for example life science and physical science, two Complete Curriculum packages with code TEACHMORE15 get 15% off and follow the same structure, which makes juggling two preps easier. The STEM Complete Curriculum Bundle on this page is a separate option.
Honest limits
Limits to know about
No lab kits, microscopes, specimens or other equipment are included. Investigations are written as simple activities, and some may need materials you supply. The product page lists exactly which units are included beyond cells, so check it against your course before buying. The curriculum describes its practices as NGSS-style, which is not the same as being endorsed or adopted, so compare it with your state or district science requirements. Message Teach Lessons first if colleagues want to share it. Within 7 days you can exchange it for store credit of equal value, not cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this curriculum meet NGSS or my state's science standards?
No such claim is made. The curriculum describes its scientific thinking practices as NGSS-style, meaning it uses practices like asking questions, analyzing data and using models. It is not endorsed or adopted by NGSS, any state or any district. If your school expects alignment documentation, compare the units with your own state science standards yourself.
Can I teach it without a lab?
Much of it, yes. The scientific thinking strand uses data analysis, diagrams and models, and investigations are described as simple. Students can practice hypotheses, data interpretation and evidence-based explanations at their desks. Where a hands-on activity needs materials you do not have, substitute a data or model task from the same unit.
Which topics does it cover besides cells?
Cells, structure and function are the clearest documented starting point, including characteristics of living things, cell theory, plant vs animal cells and levels of organization. Further life science units follow. The product page lists the full contents, so check it if your course must include specific topics such as ecosystems or heredity.
How do I use it for grades 6, 7 and 8?
Units are carefully sequenced and can be taught as a full sequence or individually. If life science is taught in one grade at your school, use the full sequence. If it is spread across grades, assign foundational units like characteristics of life and cells to the earlier grade and later units to the next.
Will students with weaker reading skills manage?
The worksheets come in differentiated versions, and the product is described as suited to mixed-ability classes. Diagrams and models also help students who struggle with dense text, because they can show understanding visually before writing a full explanation. Labeling and comparing a plant and an animal cell, for example, works well as a first step before a written answer.
How soon can I use it?
Immediately. The download link comes by email once you buy, and a copy remains in your account under Orders. Materials work for print and digital classrooms, so you can start with the characteristics of living things this week and plan the cell lessons as you go.
Teach life science as science, not vocabulary
Open the product page, review the full list of units, and decide whether it fits the course you were given.
See the life science units →