Wendy Thai 42847354

Lesson 2: Seasonal changes and its effect on the environment

Rationale: For students to understand how the seasons affect themselves and the environment by
exploring their school grounds. Students will also be able to use their manipulative skills to drag items
that belong to the different seasons using Smart Notebook.
KLA(s): English, Science
Syllabus outcomes and indicators:
STe-7NE observes, using their senses, how daily and seasonal changes in the environment affect them
and other living things
describe how people respond to familiar changes in their environment, eg day and night and
seasonal changes (BOS, 2012)
ENe-1A communicates with peers and known adults in informal and guided activities demonstrating
emerging skills of group interaction

Understand how to communicate effectively in pairs and groups using agreed interpersonal
conventions, active listening, appropriate language and taking turns (BOS, 2012b)

Resources:
Smart Notebook

Interactive white board (IWB)

Key Scientific Knowledge (KSK):

1. There are 4 seasons in a year including
Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring (Ducksters,
2014).
2. During Summer, the sun shines directly onto
the Earth which causes the Earth's surface to heat
up. In winter, the sun hits the Earth's surface at
an angle but does not heat up as much
(Ducksters, 2014). Hence, Winter has the coldest
days because the sun is in the sky for the least
amount of time (VanCleave, 2014).
3. In Autumn, the North Pole moves away from
the sun and rises lower in the sky, reaching the'
autumn equinox' in September (Equinox occurs
when the Earth's axis rotates at a point where the
line from the N and S poles is parallel to the
direction of the Earth travelling around the sun)
(Barrow, 2013). In Spring, the North Pole starts
moving towards the sun where the sun rises
higher, this is known as the 'vernal/spring
equinox' which happens during March (Barrow,

Pertinent Loans of Knowledge (PLoK):

1. There are 4 seasons including Summer,
Autumn, Winter and Spring. The seasons changes
every 3 months (Ducksters, 2014).
2. During summer the sunlight hits the Earth
directly, causing the Earth's surface to become
very hot. During Winter, the sunlight hits Earth at
an angle, causing the Earth's surface to be cooler
(VanCleave, 2014; Ducksters, 2014).
3. In between Summer and Winter, Spring and
Autumn exists. In Autumn, the North Pole moves
away from the sun and rises lower in the sky. In
Spring, the North Pole moves towards the sun and
the sun rises higher (Barrow, 2013).
4. The season affect our environment and what
happens on Earth based on the amount of
sunlight that hits the Earth's surface.

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2013).
4. The seasons change based on the climate that
are affected by the different amount of sunlight
the Earth surface receives and the angle of the
sunlight that strikes Earth.
Lesson development: 35minutes
Introduction:

Discuss the different seasons with the children

Tell the children that they are going on a short walk around the school grounds to observe and
to use their senses to note how the season (currently spring) affects them (adapted from
Virginia Department of Education, 2012).
Body:
After returning to the classroom, gather the children on the mat and brainstorm ideas on the
things that are related to Spring based on their observations and prior knowledge
Open up the 'Season' Smart Notebook file (See appendix 1). Encourage students to drag the
items that belong to the seasons. For example, a beanie belongs in Winter (adapted from
Charlesworth, & Lind, 2012,p 485)
Conclusion:
For children to pair up (Think-Pair-Share) to tell their partner what they have learnt about the
seasons and how it affects them and their environment. Report back to the teacher in 5
minutes.

Support

Repeat definitions of the seasons to help

support children's thinking

Extend

Use why and how questions to heighten

children's cognitive thinking eg. "how
do you think the seasons will affect
animals and plants? Why do you think
that? "

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APPENDIX
1. Smart Notebook File- Seasons