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HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY SUBLECTS/THEMES/ACTIVITIES OR LESSON PLANS THAT MAY
BE OF INTEREST TO OTHERS. THANK YOU
EQUINOX
The Path Of The Earth
This is a great movie that actually shows how the earth moves and tilts to create our seasons
and the equinox!
Exceptional Lesson Plan from National Geographic - With Thanks
Overview:
Since the changing seasons are an integral part of students' lives, it's important that students
understand the differences between the seasons in their region. They are probably already aware
of the significant differences, such as temperature variations and seasonal household chores, but
they may not have thought about the more subtle differences, such as changes in foods available
at the market and the length of the days. This lesson will ask them to think about all of these
aspects of the seasons.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, earth science, meteorology
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 7: "The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface"
Time: Three to four hours
Materials Required:
Computer with Internet access
Photos of the four seasons (available online)
Globe
Paper house or person
Flashlight (optional)
Objectives:
Students will
discuss their experiences with and knowledge of the four seasons;
look at pictures of the four seasons and compare those pictures to the seasons in their home
region;
plan and hold a party commemorating the four seasons; and
write stories depicting themselves showing a visitor some of the things they like best about
their favorite season.
Geographic Skills:
Acquiring Geographic Information
Organizing Geographic Information
Analyzing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Ask students to discuss their experiences with and observations about the four seasons. What is
it like during the four seasons where they live? What do they like and dislike most about each
season? What holidays are celebrated in each season, and how do these holidays reflect the
seasons in which they are held (for example, Halloween and Thanksgiving involve pumpkins and
other fall foods, while the Fourth of July is celebrated with summer foods and outdoor activities).
Development:
Have students look at pictures of the four seasons at the Finland's Four Seasons Web site.
What do the pictures show about the four seasons? Does their home region look similar to this
part of Finland during each season? In what ways does it look different?
Discuss as a class the major differences between the four seasons. Pose the following questions,
and see what students say about them. Help them to understand some of the basics behind the
seasons, as addressed in these questions:
In what season is it darkest, and in what season is it lightest? What season allows you to play
outside late into the evening?
What happens to plants during each of the seasons? What about animals?
In which season do you see the most flowers?
Does everyone in the world experience the seasons in the same way? Why or why not? (For older
students, do the demonstration in the Challenge section below. For very young students, just make
sure they understand that the seasons are different in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.)
Have students plan a class party to commemorate the four seasons. Tell the class that during the
party, the classroom will be divided into four sections, each representing one season. Inform
them that they will be responsible for creating decorations and (if you want them to) for bringing
in food that is appropriate for each season.
Assign each student one of the seasons, and have them get together with their season groups.
Give students blank paper and crayons, and ask them to draw pictures that they associate with
their assigned season. These pictures will serve as decorations for their corner of the room
during the party.
Students can draw the pictures individually or collaborate with group members to create larger
posters or murals. They can look at the clip art at the Kids Domain Holidays site to get some
ideas (link to the appropriate season or holiday and then to the Clip Art section).
Help the groups make lists of the foods and activities that they associate with their assigned
seasons. You might also want to help groups select and rehearse seasonal songs. Ask students to
volunteer to bring in items, both edible and inedible, that they think represent the season. For
example, someone in the summer group might bring in a baseball mitt, and someone in the winter
group might bring in a warm scarf or a top hat for a snowman (or a raincoat if they live in a place
where it doesn't snow).
Have students bring in these items over the course of a week or so, and store their belongings in
a special place in the classroom (except for any perishables, or course). If this is not practical,
they can draw pictures of the items rather than actually bringing them into class.
On the day of the party have students gather in their assigned sections of the room and decorate
their areas with the seasonal decorations they have drawn and the items they have brought into
class. Ask a few students from each group to show the rest of the class what the group has
created to represent its season. If students know songs from their seasons, have them sing the
songs as a group or as a class. If there is food at the party, have them share the food after all
groups have described their sections of the classroom.
After all groups have presented their seasons, have students leave their groups and go to the
section of the room that represents their favorite season. Ask a few students in each new group
to explain why they like that season the best.
[Note: If a party is not practical for your classroom, have students decorate the classroom for
each of the four seasons but forgo the food and other festivities.]
Challenge
Tape a paper house or person to a globe at the location of your town. Hold up the globe, and have
a student volunteer pretend to be the sun. Walk around the "sun" with the globe tilted to show
students a basic example of why the seasons occur.
As you walk around the sun, stop several times and ask a student volunteer to say whether their
hometown is positioned close to or far from the sun (relative to locations in the opposite
hemisphere) and to guess which season it might be at that position.
For a more dramatic effect, this demonstration can be done with a flashlight in a dark room—the
"sun" points the flashlight toward the globe as you walk around the sun. A more comprehensive
example of this lesson can be found at The Seasons.
Closing:
After the party, ask students to think about the things they and their fellow students brought
into the classroom and the reasons why students chose various seasons as their favorites. Have
them ask each other questions to clarify anything they don't understand.
Suggested Student Assessment:
Have students write short stories (or have younger students draw pictures) pretending a visitor
has arrived to the classroom from a place that doesn't have very noticeable changes from season
to season (you can tell students that this person might live at the Equator, and point out the
Equator on the globe).
The students' stories should describe themselves showing this new person around during their
favourite season and demonstrating why they think that season is the best one.
Extending the Lesson:
As a class, list on the board the activities, holidays, foods, songs, and other unique aspects of
each season. If any students have lived in other parts of the country or world, have them
contribute items from their previous homes to let the rest of the class know what the seasons
are like in different places.
HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY SUBLECTS/THEMES/ACTIVITIES OR LESSON PLANS THAT MAY
BE OF INTEREST TO OTHERS. THANK YOU
EQUINOX
The Path Of The Earth
This is a great movie that actually shows how the earth moves and tilts to create our seasons
and the equinox!
Exceptional Lesson Plan from National Geographic - With Thanks
Overview:
Since the changing seasons are an integral part of students' lives, it's important that students
understand the differences between the seasons in their region. They are probably already aware
of the significant differences, such as temperature variations and seasonal household chores, but
they may not have thought about the more subtle differences, such as changes in foods available
at the market and the length of the days. This lesson will ask them to think about all of these
aspects of the seasons.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, earth science, meteorology
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 7: "The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface"
Time: Three to four hours
Materials Required:
Computer with Internet access
Photos of the four seasons (available online)
Globe
Paper house or person
Flashlight (optional)
Objectives:
Students will
discuss their experiences with and knowledge of the four seasons;
look at pictures of the four seasons and compare those pictures to the seasons in their home
region;
plan and hold a party commemorating the four seasons; and
write stories depicting themselves showing a visitor some of the things they like best about
their favorite season.
Geographic Skills:
Acquiring Geographic Information
Organizing Geographic Information
Analyzing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Ask students to discuss their experiences with and observations about the four seasons. What is
it like during the four seasons where they live? What do they like and dislike most about each
season? What holidays are celebrated in each season, and how do these holidays reflect the
seasons in which they are held (for example, Halloween and Thanksgiving involve pumpkins and
other fall foods, while the Fourth of July is celebrated with summer foods and outdoor activities).
Development:
Have students look at pictures of the four seasons at the Finland's Four Seasons Web site.
What do the pictures show about the four seasons? Does their home region look similar to this
part of Finland during each season? In what ways does it look different?
Discuss as a class the major differences between the four seasons. Pose the following questions,
and see what students say about them. Help them to understand some of the basics behind the
seasons, as addressed in these questions:
In what season is it darkest, and in what season is it lightest? What season allows you to play
outside late into the evening?
What happens to plants during each of the seasons? What about animals?
In which season do you see the most flowers?
Does everyone in the world experience the seasons in the same way? Why or why not? (For older
students, do the demonstration in the Challenge section below. For very young students, just make
sure they understand that the seasons are different in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.)
Have students plan a class party to commemorate the four seasons. Tell the class that during the
party, the classroom will be divided into four sections, each representing one season. Inform
them that they will be responsible for creating decorations and (if you want them to) for bringing
in food that is appropriate for each season.
Assign each student one of the seasons, and have them get together with their season groups.
Give students blank paper and crayons, and ask them to draw pictures that they associate with
their assigned season. These pictures will serve as decorations for their corner of the room
during the party.
Students can draw the pictures individually or collaborate with group members to create larger
posters or murals. They can look at the clip art at the Kids Domain Holidays site to get some
ideas (link to the appropriate season or holiday and then to the Clip Art section).
Help the groups make lists of the foods and activities that they associate with their assigned
seasons. You might also want to help groups select and rehearse seasonal songs. Ask students to
volunteer to bring in items, both edible and inedible, that they think represent the season. For
example, someone in the summer group might bring in a baseball mitt, and someone in the winter
group might bring in a warm scarf or a top hat for a snowman (or a raincoat if they live in a place
where it doesn't snow).
Have students bring in these items over the course of a week or so, and store their belongings in
a special place in the classroom (except for any perishables, or course). If this is not practical,
they can draw pictures of the items rather than actually bringing them into class.
On the day of the party have students gather in their assigned sections of the room and decorate
their areas with the seasonal decorations they have drawn and the items they have brought into
class. Ask a few students from each group to show the rest of the class what the group has
created to represent its season. If students know songs from their seasons, have them sing the
songs as a group or as a class. If there is food at the party, have them share the food after all
groups have described their sections of the classroom.
After all groups have presented their seasons, have students leave their groups and go to the
section of the room that represents their favorite season. Ask a few students in each new group
to explain why they like that season the best.
[Note: If a party is not practical for your classroom, have students decorate the classroom for
each of the four seasons but forgo the food and other festivities.]
Challenge
Tape a paper house or person to a globe at the location of your town. Hold up the globe, and have
a student volunteer pretend to be the sun. Walk around the "sun" with the globe tilted to show
students a basic example of why the seasons occur.
As you walk around the sun, stop several times and ask a student volunteer to say whether their
hometown is positioned close to or far from the sun (relative to locations in the opposite
hemisphere) and to guess which season it might be at that position.
For a more dramatic effect, this demonstration can be done with a flashlight in a dark room—the
"sun" points the flashlight toward the globe as you walk around the sun. A more comprehensive
example of this lesson can be found at The Seasons.
Closing:
After the party, ask students to think about the things they and their fellow students brought
into the classroom and the reasons why students chose various seasons as their favorites. Have
them ask each other questions to clarify anything they don't understand.
Suggested Student Assessment:
Have students write short stories (or have younger students draw pictures) pretending a visitor
has arrived to the classroom from a place that doesn't have very noticeable changes from season
to season (you can tell students that this person might live at the Equator, and point out the
Equator on the globe).
The students' stories should describe themselves showing this new person around during their
favourite season and demonstrating why they think that season is the best one.
Extending the Lesson:
As a class, list on the board the activities, holidays, foods, songs, and other unique aspects of
each season. If any students have lived in other parts of the country or world, have them
contribute items from their previous homes to let the rest of the class know what the seasons
are like in different places.
| ST AIDEN'S THE EQUINOX |
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| Equinox what? Do you know what equinox really means? Want some lesson plans on how it changes our weather? Try the FREE National Geographic lesson plans! (4 Age groups available K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) |
| Equinox what? Do you know what equinox really means? Want some lesson plans on how it changes our weather? Try the FREE National Geographic lesson plans! (4 Age groups available K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) |