Teacher Version: The Four Seasons of the Year

Lesson Plan:  The Four Seasons of the Year

Today as a class we will be learning about the Four Seasons of the Year.  I will explain to the students that we have the four seasons because of the tilt of the Earth as it rotates on its axis.  I will then show a picture of the Earth and it is rotating and also bring in a globe to give them a physical representation of what is happening when the Earth rotates.  

  

Tell the students that we will be reading and learning about the four seasons.  Than we will talk about the things that define our four seasons.  By the end of the lesson we will want to find characteristics of each season and what makes each different and unique.  Our academic language focus will be on What is means to describe? What is means to compare and contrast?  Find similarities and differences? and also to be able to recognize characteristics of things.

We will start of with our reading of the book "The Reasons for Seasons." I will read this to them as a class and than we will have a group discussion about the book.  I will ask questions such as, After reading the book,

1.)  "Why do you think it is so important that we have all different types of seasons?" 

2.)  "Do you think it would be good for all of our plants and animals if it were only summer or winter all the time?"

3.)  "What would happen to our earth?

Next, watch a video as a class about the four seasons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTXtSGf1VdY


 Tell students that we will now brainstorm some facts about the four seasons. For each season, I will ask during which months does the season occur and the various holidays (include the dates) that fall in that season. I will ask them what holidays fall in what seasons. Ask students what the weather is like and what activities they like to do during these seasons. Write down student ideas and prompt students for ideas read in the story.  When I am asking them these questions, we are looking for all the types of characteristics of the seasons and I will create a chart on the board and write down all their ideas and responses.  On the board I will write Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring and underneath each word I will write what ever the class is saying about the specific season.  

As an assessment for our lesson, each student will be creating their own "Seasons Book."  They will each get 5 pieces of colored construction paper; one for a title and the other four for each of the season.  The pages will be labeled; (Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring)  I will provide them with the construction paper and they will need to do their book for homework.  In their Seasons Book they must include the weather of each season, the months of each season, the type of clothing worn, and whatever things that remind them of each season and its characteristics.  They can cut pictures out of magazines, draw pictures, or even put pictures of themselves in different kinds of weather with their family and friends. 


My main focus for this project is for them to use their creativity, be able to compare/contrast, describe, find characteristics, find differences and similarities, and have fun while learning all about the four seasons of the year!