South Carolina ETV

South Carolina ETV
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545

Seasons of the Year (Grades 2-3)

Master Teacher

William L. Austin, M.Ed., NBCT

Time Allotment

45 minutes

Overview

In this lesson students will participate in activities and view video segments designed to help them correctly sequence the seasons and gain a better understanding of their importance and become familiar with the celestial events that cause the different seasons.

Subject Matter

Science, Seasons of the Year

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

Describe and sequence the seasons.
Illustrate the weather conditions of different seasons.
Explain that the earth's movement around the sun causes the changing seasons.

South Carolina Curriculum Standards

(These Standards can be found online at www.myscschools.com/offices/CSO)

South Carolina Science Standards (2005) 2 nd grade "Earth Science" Weather

Standard IIIA1d (old) Standard 2-3.3 (new)

IIIA1d Describe and sequence the seasons (old standards)
2-3.3 Illustrate the weather conditions of different seasons (new standards)

Media Components

Video

The Four Seasons

To access the video, log on to your account at ETV's StreamlineSC Web page ( http://etv.streamlinesc.org ). In the search by keyword box, type in Four Seasons and hit go. Click on the video The Four Seasons . Click on the "d" next to the video title and save the video to your desktop.

( Note to Teacher: If you don't have an account with ETV's StreamlineSC , check with your media specialist about signing up for an account.)

Materials

Pencils or crayons
Activity sheets
Chart paper
White construction paper
Old magazines
Glue
Scissors
Ruler

Equipment

Computer
TV
Whiteboard or chart paper or overhead with transparencies

Prep for Teachers

Access, preview, and download the United Streaming Video "The Four Seasons."
Purchase or check out the book from your local library , The Stranger , by Chris Van Allsburg, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1986. ISBN 0-395-42331-7
Have access to glue and scissors for each student and sufficient magazines depicting all the different seasons.
Duplicate attached activity sheet "Seasons Chart."
When using media, provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction , a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, web sites, or other multimedia elements.

Introductory Activity

Step 1: Read the book, The Stranger , by Chris Van Allsburg, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1986. ISBN 0-395-42331-7

Step 2: Ask your students if they can describe the problem in the book (the season is not changing on the Bailey farm). Have them describe what the stranger saw when he stood on the highest hill on the Bailey farm and looked to the north. Ask what happened on the farm when the stranger left.

Step 3: Have the students list how their world changes in the fall. Write these responses on the board, on the overhead, or on a piece of chart paper.

Step 4: Ask the students if they know the reason for these changes. (possible answers: the weather changes, the seasons change, it gets colder, etc.)

Learning Activity

Step 1: Cue up the video segment "The Four Seasons." Give the students a Focus for Media Interaction by asking them to remember the different activities that will be shown for the four different seasons.

Step 2 : PLAY the introduction segment. This segment runs for one minute, twenty-four seconds (1:24). PAUSE the video when the 2005 Calendar appears.

Step 3: Divide the whiteboard, overhead or a piece of chart paper into four equal blocks. Label the quarters, summer, fall, winter, and spring .

Step 4: Ask the students to name some of different activities their families do, or holidays they celebrate during the four seasons. List some of the activities and holidays on the whiteboard, overhead, or chart paper.

Step 5: Give the students a Focus for Media Interaction by asking students to watch the next segment for definitions of what a year is and what months define each season.

Step 6: PLAY the Year segment. This segment runs for one minute, twenty-four seconds (1:24). PAUSE the video when the winter scene is shown.

Step 7: Have the students come up with a common definition for a year to include the months of the year. Write this definition on the whiteboard, overhead, or chart paper, making sure you include the months.

Step 8: Distribute one activity sheet per student (Seasons Chart).

Step 9: Have students complete the outside ring of the Seasons Chart with the missing months for each season.

Step 10: Give the students a Focus for Media Interaction by asking them to watch the rest of the video and to remember how the weather changes for each of the seasons shown.

Step 11: PLAY the rest of the video. This will take eight minutes, twenty-eight seconds (8:28). STOP the video at its completion.

Step 12: Have the students complete the center part of the Seasons Chart by describing or illustrating the changes in the weather from season to season and some of the events that happen during that season. (this will vary in different places depending on the local climate)

Step 13 : Have students share some of their conclusions and redirect or clarify where necessary.

Culminating Activity

Step 1: Give students construction paper, glue, and scissors.

Step 2: Demonstrate how to divide the construction paper into four equal parts.

Step 3: Have students divide the paper and label each part with one of the four seasons.

Step 4: Using the magazines, have students cut and paste pictures from the magazines to represent each different season.

(Note to Teacher: I f your children have problems cutting with scissors, it might be a time saver to pre-cut pictures for your students use).

Cross-Curricular Extensions

Math: Sequencing of the months of the year on the Seasons Chart. (Learning Section- step 9)

Social Studies: Discuss how different cultures celebrate holidays throughout the year. (Learning Section- step 4)

Community Connections

Discuss how the different members of the community celebrate holidays differently
Collect different "seasonal recipes" from the community and compile into a yearly cookbook and distribute within the community.

Student Materials

Activity Sheet 1: Seasons Chart (PDF)