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Hello, I recently conducted a 1st grade lesson over a book called We Are Grateful by Traci Storell, the book went over the seasons and the different celebrations in each. I decided to do a class mural to teach students about the different seasons and the weather associated with each one. What other science activity would also be able to teach the same concept?
Thank you,
Gretta Uribe
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Hi Gretta.
I love this idea! It is so important to teach students about the different celebrations and seasons that come and pass. Some different ideas that could help teach students about seasons and weather could be doing four seasons trees craft. Each student would get four trees, or make four trees, and then they would have to decorate the trees according to what season it is. For example in the fall the student has red leaves on the tree and some leaves falling.
Some other great books about seasons are The Reasons for Seasons by Gail Gibbons and Sunshine Makes the Seasons by Franklyn M. Branlet.
I hope this helps!
Elizabeth
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I have also looked into reading that book for an assignment I had not too long ago, I loved it! What a great way to introduce the seasons to the students!
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Hi Gretta!
While I don't actually have specific activity ideas for how to teach this, I do feel inclined to encourage you to teach about the why behind seasonal changes, even at the 1st grade level! Changes in seasons, temperatures, and daylight-hours have common misconceptions connected deeply to them, even in adults, with such ideas as Earth moving closer and farther away from Sun as it rotates in orbit. Of course, 1st graders have a developing view of how the universe works, so ideally, nuggets of deeper truth (in this case, Earth revolving on a 'tilted' axis and the angle at which Sun's light hits it) can be taught while instructing on more grasp-able concepts (seasonal changes on earth).
Keep seeking great activities - way to integrate art!!
Joy
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Joy,
I absolutely agree that it is important to teach the why behind the seasons. This is a big misconception even in adults that can easily be explained. I can imagine students in a circle around a lamp in the middle of the room representing the Earth's orbit around the sun. You could put tape on the floor for them to stand on. Then proceed with guided questions that incorporate tilting (perhaps through having students reach towards/ away from the lamp).
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I completely agree with both of you. Students need to be allowed to engage and explore the science behind the seasons by creating models. A powerful lesson that encourages my students to look for patterns is using a styrofoam ball to model the Earth, a skewer that goes through the middle of the styrofoam ball to represent Earth's axis flashlight to model the Sun. My students can then make observations and notice a pattern that during the Spring and Fall seasons, there is indirect light, and during the summer season, our location receives more direct sunlight due to the axis of the Earth. Personally, I feel that my students can gain a stronger understanding when they use materials to explore and look for patterns to explain or make sense of the scientific concepts being studied.
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Hi Gretta!
I feel that doing the activity of finding leaves throughput the seasons, (maybe even branches in th winter) and putting them under a peice of paper to color over to see the patterns of leaves is always fun for the kids. Bringing some crazy colors into the project is cool too!
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