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Activity: With these Vocabulary Cards, students practice reading and writing skills while learning science vocabulary.
Activity: If you live somewhere that doesn't have the classic four seasons, we strongly recommend extending the lesson.
Read-Aloud:These books will get your students thinking & talking about the seasons.
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### Extension
If you live somewhere that doesn't have the classic four seasons, we strongly recommend extending this lesson by discussing with your student(s) what seasonal changes you do observe where you live.
For this purpose, we've created a blank "Circle of Seasons" template you can fill out together. You'll want markers or colored pencils for drawing on the blank template as you lead the discussion.
Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit provides an engaging kindergarten-level introduction to the changing seasons and how animals adapt to them. Consider pairing your reading with a timelapse video of the four seasons. Ask your students what changes they see in the weather and the plants.
Ready for Pumpkins tells of a classroom guinea pig who goes to the country for a summer vacation — and learns that you have to be patient as you wait for pumpkins to grow.
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Exploration
kid running in field by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Zurijeta
kid jumping into pool by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Pavel L Photo and Video
kids playing in pool by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: MJTH
classroom calendar by
Joe Robinson
boy drawing in notebook by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Neirfy
open notebook by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Annop Itsarayoungyuen
girl sitting with pencil by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: S. M. Beagle
boy sitting in grass by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Milles Studio
notebook and pencil on the ground by
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: dearmusic2009
Activity
horses in the field by
Ben Salter
, used under CC BY
“The obvious picture clues for sequencing the season pictures. I LOVE how the kids birthdays are linked into the lesson. This makes is personal and more meaningful!”
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Jennifer
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Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“The hands-on activity was great, and allowed for problem solving and teamwork.”
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Susan
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Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“The hand out printable pages allowed my students with special needs to organize the photos in order and then think about what the weather is like during their birthday month. Very cute!”
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·
Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“I love how simple the teaching point is and how clear the explanations are. I also really liked the follow up activity where kids had to explain WHY they knew what season it was- the kids had no problem naming the clues or evidence to match the seasons.”
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Danielle
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Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“Partner work with putting the seasons in order was fantastic. I love these lessons! ”
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Brooke
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“Prep was easy, and the kids loved the coloring part, and putting the seasons in order. We had a good discussion talking about the clues found in the pictures too.”
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Marjorie
·
Teacher
· about 7 years ago
“Students enjoyed ordering the seasons and trying to find clues to complete the task”
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Seton
·
Teacher
· about 7 years ago
“They loved being Science Detectives, and working together! The video was great, with very clear directions! We loved it! Thank you!”
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Jen
·
Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“Great discussion on seasons and how to determine order. ”
In this lesson, students use observations of the four classic seasons to spot patterns and thereby determine the seasons’ order. In the activity, Circle of Seasons, students make observations of the four classic seasons of the temperate zone: snowy winter, warm spring, hot summer, and cool autumn with colorful leaves. Students spot patterns and determine the order of the seasons.
We suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students can work on their own.
If You Live Somewhere Without Four Seasons (Optional)
If you live somewhere that doesn't experience four seasons, we strongly recommend extending this lesson and discussing the seasonal changes where you live. You can print out a blank “Circle of Seasons” chart and fill this out with your students so that it matches the seasonal weather patterns where you live.
Keep a Weather Journal (Optional)
To make students aware of seasonal changes, we suggest they keep a weather journal for a few days in fall, winter, spring, and summer. (The Weather Watchers activity in Lesson 2 of this unit is a simple way to do this.) When students have completed all the seasons, compare the results in a class discussion. Look for patterns or trends in the weather where you live.