After a Gulf Coast Storm: Science Units to Restart Grades 3–5 in Texas
After a Gulf Coast Storm: Science Units to Restart Grades 3–5 in Texas
When a Texas campus reopens after a hurricane closure, the units that restart Grades 3–5 science most naturally are the ones about weather and water, because students come back full of questions. The Elementary Science Curriculum ($109.99) includes Observing & Understanding Weather and Water & the Water Cycle, plus nine more units in life, earth and physical science for the rest of the year.
Open the science curriculumFor Texas Grades 3–5 teachers restarting science after a hurricane closure, the Elementary Science Curriculum ($109.99) is the most complete option in the store. It contains eleven units, including Observing & Understanding Weather, Water & the Water Cycle, a forest ecosystem, forces and motion, simple circuits and three bird units. It is not written for TEKS, so check the units against your grade-level science expectations before slotting them in.
The resources
Elementary Science Curriculum, Grades 3–5
11 resources in one download: $109.99 instead of $228.62 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Elementary Science Curriculum | Life, Earth & Physical Science | 11 Units | Grades 3–5
Elementary Art & Music Units Bundle | Rhythm, Singing, Instruments, Color Mixing & Printing | 5 Units | Grades 3–5
Complete Learning Books Bundle | 10 Units: Grammar, Math, Science, History, ESL, Art & Music | Grades 3–6
Environmental Science Units Bundle | Climate Change, Climate Data, Ecosystems, Resources & Climate Ethics | 5 Units | Grades 8–12
The real problem
Coming back to a lost week, or two
In July 2024, Houston-area districts and colleges extended closures after Hurricane Beryl. Summer timing softened the effect on many K–12 calendars, but a storm in August or September lands right in the first grading period, and the science block is often the first thing to shrink when a campus reopens. Reading and math get protected; science waits. For Grades 3–5 that creates two problems. The first is time: you have fewer days for the same scope and need units that run as written, without an evening of prep. The second is the room itself. Students come back having lived through a storm. Some may have been without power for days, some had water in the house, and some were simply bored and scared. Pretending nothing happened rarely works. A weather unit gives them words for what they saw. A water cycle unit explains where water comes from and where it goes. Taught calmly, that turns a difficult week into something students can study from a safe distance. After that, you need the rest of the year's science ready, so you are not planning from scratch while also catching up.
Why it fits
Where the units fit a Texas restart
Start with weather and water, then move through the remaining units in whatever order your campus plan needs.
- Observing & Understanding Weather gives students words and observation tasks for what they just experienced.
- Water & the Water Cycle explains how water moves, a calm entry point after days of heavy rain.
- Explore a Forest Ecosystem and Meadows, Flowers & Pollination cover life science later in the semester.
- Exploring Forces & Motion and Explore Simple Electric Circuits handle physical science without new prep.
- Three bird units, from traits and beaks to migration and conservation, make an easy spring strand.
- The units are hands-on, but no lab kits or supplies come with the download.
Getting started
A two-week restart plan after reopening
This pacing is a suggestion for a class that lost about a week. Stretch or compress it to match your campus calendar.
- Day 1: talk, then observeGive students a few minutes to share what the storm was like, without pushing anyone to speak. Then open Observing & Understanding Weather and begin with simple observations from the window or the playground.
- Days 2–5: finish the weather unitWork through the weather unit at a steady pace. Keep a short observation record going each morning so students see weather as something they can measure, not just something that happens to them.
- Days 6–9: water and the water cycleMove into Water & the Water Cycle. Students who saw flooded streets often bring strong questions here; let the unit answer them in neutral, scientific terms.
- Day 10: check where the class standsBefore moving on, compare what you covered with your grade-level science TEKS and your campus scope and sequence. Decide which of the remaining nine units comes next.
- Rest of the year: choose units by seasonUse forces and motion or circuits in winter, forests and meadows in spring, and the bird units when migration is visible. Each unit can be taught on its own.
What to buy
Full curriculum or a smaller add-on
The Elementary Science Curriculum at $109.99 is the pick for a Grades 3–5 teacher who wants the weather restart plus a year of science on file; the eleven units cost $228.62 when bought one by one. If your campus also lost time in art or music, the Elementary Art & Music Units Bundle ($74.99) adds five arts units for the same grades. A homeschool or tutoring setup that needs grammar, math and history alongside science may prefer the Complete Learning Books Bundle ($99.90), with ten units for Grades 3–6. Eighth grade and up belongs with the Environmental Science Units Bundle ($69.99).
Honest limits
Limits to know before you buy
These units are not written for Texas and do not reference TEKS student expectations or any district scope and sequence. They also say nothing about Hurricane Beryl or the Gulf Coast; the link to the storm is one you make in discussion. Check each unit against your grade-level science TEKS and your campus plan. Hands-on tasks need everyday materials you gather yourself, since no kits come with the download. The license covers your own classroom, and sharing across a grade-level team needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. Within 7 days, a bundle that does not fit can be exchanged for store credit of equal value, not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is the Elementary Science Curriculum aligned with the science TEKS?
No. It is not aligned with, reviewed against or approved under TEKS, and it carries no TEKS codes. Several topics, such as weather, the water cycle, forces and circuits, are common elementary science content, but check each unit against your grade's student expectations and your district's scope before using it in place of planned lessons.
Is it appropriate for students affected by the storm?
The units teach weather and water as science, not as disaster stories, which keeps the tone calm. You know your students best. Offer a different task to anyone who finds the topic upsetting, and consider starting with a less personal unit, such as forces and motion, if the storm hit your community hard.
Do I need any equipment for the weather unit?
The download includes teaching materials only, with no instruments or kits. If your campus has a thermometer or rain gauge, students can use them alongside the unit. Otherwise plan observation around what you have, such as a window and a notebook, and read the unit's tasks in advance to see what each one asks for.
Can I use only the weather and water units?
Yes. Each unit can be taught on its own, so you can use those two now and leave the others for later in the year. If you will only ever need those two, compare the single-unit prices with the bundle. The bundle is the better buy once you plan to use most of the eleven units.
How quickly can I have it for Monday?
Right away. It is a digital download, available as soon as you complete the purchase, with a link by email and a copy in your account under Orders. If your campus reopens on short notice, you can buy it the night before and print the first weather lesson in the morning.
Can our whole third grade team use one copy?
One purchase covers your own teaching. Use across a team or school is possible, but send Teach Lessons a short message first and say how many teachers would use it. Please do not upload the files to a shared district drive or a public page before you hear back.
Get science back on the schedule
Open the curriculum page, read through the weather and water units first, and plan your first day back.
Open the science curriculum