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Four Fabulous Seasons!

published on: 1/26/2009

Contributing Teacher(s): Jolene Vereecke

Subject Area: Science/Earth

Grade Range: Lower Elementary (K-3)

Materials Needed:

  • Demonstration thermometers (One per season)
  • Rain Gauges (One per season)
  • A read-aloud book for each season (examples included in the lesson instruction guide)
  • Props for each season (examples included in the lesson instruction guide)
  • Paper
  • Pencils
  • Crayons
  • Folder for each child

Objective:

  1. Students will compare and contrast characteristics of the four seasons. This includes average (mean) temperatures, precipitation results, and clothing options for winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Essential Question:

  1. Can students identify characterstics of the four seasons?

Instructional Strategy: Identify similarities and differences

Process Standards:

  • Goal 1.6 discover and evaluate patterns and relationships in information, ideas and structures
  • Goal 1.8 organize data, information and ideas into useful forms (including charts, graphs, outlines)

Content Standards:

  • Science 5. Processes (such as plate movement, water cycle, air flow) and interactions of earth’s biosphere, atmos...

    Time Allowance: 4 teaching opportunities of approx. 30-45 minutes each and 2 15-20 minute sessions for pre-and post-tests

    Technological Resources:

    1. NOAA National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office Website (This site provides mean temperatures and precipation results per area and season.)

    Extensions:

    1. Demonstration Thermometers and Rain Gauges can be displayed in the hall or other area of the school for all to compare and contrast.
    2. Venn Diagrams can be created to compare two of the seasons.
    3. Students could be notified, in advance, to wear clothing appropriate for their daily season of study.
    4. Students could create a diorama for each season.

    Integration:
    This activity includes Math measuring skiills as well as vocabulary development.

    Differentiation:
    Students of all levels should be able to complete this activity with minimal assistance. However, magazine pictures could be offered as an option to drawing the pictures. Also, pre-made thermometer and rain gauge illustrations would simplify this activity.

    Description: For four sessions students will learn about the "Four Fabulous Seaons!" by traveling to different rooms. Each of the rooms will feature one season. The teacher in each room will facilitate a study of that seaons characteristics, including the average (mean) temperatures, precipation results and clothing options for those seasons.

    Classroom Component:

    Students will complete the Pre-Test for each season. Then students will rotate from room-to-room to explore characteristics from each season.

    FALL ROOM:

    Students will enter the "Fall Room" that will be set up with fall-like props. There might be a rake, some back-to-school items, and some fake leaves on the floor. The teacher can wear a jacket and a hat. After the teacher facilitates a discussion about fall, the book Silly Sidney by Morgan Matthews (or another book about fall) can be read. The demonstration calendar with Fall's mean temperature is shown and discussed. Students create their own thermometer on paper and color it in to match the demonstration temperature. Then the rain gauge with the average precipitation for fall is shown. Students create their own rain gauge to match it. Clothing choices for this season are discussed and students draw a picture of themselves as they might be dressed on a typical fall day. Students label both papers with the word Fall. When finished the students save their papers in a folder and keep them in their homeroom.

    WINTER ROOM:

    Students enter the "Winter Room" that will be set up with winter-like props. The teacher may wear a coat and a hat and a snow shovel and artificial snowflakes may be used as props. If possible the A/C may be turned on to suggest the cool weather associated with winter. The teacher facilitates a discussion about winter and then the book Reasons for Seasons by Gail Gibbons (or another book about winter) is read. The thermometer and rain gauge activity as well as clothing choices are repeated as described in the FALL ROOM, but with the winter information.

    SPRING ROOM:

    The "Spring Room" can include props such as a kite, a blooming plant, and an umbrella. The teacher wears a light jacket and may have a fan blowing for a spring effect. After discussing characteristics of spring, the book It's Spring! by Linda Glaser (or another book about spring) can be read. The thermometer, rain gauge, and clothing activities are repeated as described in the FALL ROOM, but with spring information.

    SUMMER ROOM:

    The teacher for the "Summer Room" wears lightweight clothing to simulate the warm weather associated with summer. Props could include beach items, sunscreen, a "School is Closed" sign, and the heat in the room might be turned up slightly. The book Weather Words and What They Mean by Gail Gibbons (or another book about summer) can be read. The thermometer, rain gauge, and clothing activities are repeated as described in the FALL room, but with summer information.

    Students compare and contrast their information about the four seasons when all four rooms have been visited. Then they complete the post-test.

    Assessment #1 Pre- and Post-test

    Draw a picture of a scene to go with each season.

    Fall

     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Winter

     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Spring

     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Summer

     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Scoring Guide

    0 points:
    		Student does not accurately complete activity
    1 point:
    		Student accurately creates a recognizable picture of one season
    2 points:
    		 Student accurately creates recognizable pictures of two seasons
    3 points:
    		Student accurately creates recognizable pictures of three seasons
    4 points:
    		Student accurately creates recognizable pictures of four seasons


    Assessment #2 Pre- and Post-test

    List 4 or more characteristics of each season. Use information you have learned about temperature, precipitation, and clothing choices. Spelling will not count, so sound out words that you may not know. You can write a word, phrase or complete sentences.

    Scoring Guide

    0 points:
    		Student did not accurately list one characteristic of each season
    1 point:
    		 Student accurately listed one characteristic of each season
    2 points:
    		Student accurately listed two characteristics of each season
    3 points:
    		 Student accurately listed three characteristics of each season
    4 points:
    		 Student accurately listed four characteristics of each season

       Pre- and Post-Test #2
    Name __________________________________ 

    List 4 or more characteristics of each season.  Use information you have learned about temperature, precipitation, and clothing choices.  Spelling will not count, so sound out words that you may not know.  You can write a word, phrase, or complete sentences.

    Fall

    1.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    2.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    3.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    4.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    Winter

    1.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    2.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    3.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    4.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    Spring

    1.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    2.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    3.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    4.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    Summer

    1.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    2.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    3.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    4.___________________________________________________________________________________________

    Assessment #3 Pre- and Post-test

    Individually show students a copy of the demonstration thermometer and rain gauge for each season and ask them to match them to the correct one: fall, winter, spring, or summer.

    0 points:
    		 Student was unable to match any correctly
    1 point:
    		Student was able to match one season correctly
    2 points:
    		 Student was able to match two seasons correctly
    3 points:
    		Student was able to match three seasons correctly
    4 points:
    		Student was able to match four seasons correctly

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    For additional information contact :
    Jolene Vereecke
    Grandview Elem.
    Lafayette Co. C-1
    (660) 584-7127
    EMAIL:     vereeckj@huskers.k12.mo.us

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