Since the changing seasons are an integral part of students' lives, it's important that students understand the differences between the seasons in their region. They are probably already aware of the significant differences, such as temperature variations and seasonal household chores, but they may not have thought about the more subtle differences, such as changes in foods available at the market and the length of the days. This lesson will ask them to think about all of these aspects of the seasons.

Geography, earth science, meteorology

Standard 7: "The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface"

Three to four hours

• Computer with Internet access
• Photos of the four seasons (available online)
• Globe
• Paper house or person
• Flashlight (optional)

Students will

• discuss their experiences with and knowledge of the four seasons;
• look at pictures of the four seasons and compare those pictures to the seasons in their home region;
• plan and hold a party commemorating the four seasons; and
• write stories depicting themselves showing a visitor some of the things they like best about their favorite season.

Ask students to discuss their experiences with and observations about the four seasons. What is it like during the four seasons where they live? What do they like and dislike most about each season? What holidays are celebrated in each season, and how do these holidays reflect the seasons in which they are held (for example, Halloween and Thanksgiving involve pumpkins and other fall foods, while the Fourth of July is celebrated with summer foods and outdoor activities).

Have students look at pictures of the four seasons at the Finland's Four Seasons Web site. What do the pictures show about the four seasons? Does their home region look similar to this part of Finland during each season? In what ways does it look different?

Discuss as a class the major differences between the four seasons. Pose the following questions, and see what students say about them. Help them to understand some of the basics behind the seasons, as addressed in these questions:

• In what season is it darkest, and in what season is it lightest? What season allows you to play outside late into the evening?
• What happens to plants during each of the seasons? What about animals?
• In which season do you see the most flowers?
• Does everyone in the world experience the seasons in the same way? Why or why not? (For older students, do the demonstration in the Challenge section below. For very young students, just make sure they understand that the seasons are different in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.)

Have students plan a class party to commemorate the four seasons. Tell the class that during the party, the classroom will be divided into four sections, each representing one season. Inform them that they will be responsible for creating decorations and (if you want them to) for bringing in food that is appropriate for each season.

Assign each student one of the seasons, and have them get together with their season groups. Give students blank paper and crayons, and ask them to draw pictures that they associate with their assigned season. These pictures will serve as decorations for their corner of the room during the party.

Students can draw the pictures individually or collaborate with group members to create larger posters or murals. They can look at the clip art at the Kids Domain Holidays site to get some ideas (link to the appropriate season or holiday and then to the Clip Art section).

Help the groups make lists of the foods and activities that they associate with their assigned seasons. You might also want to help groups select and rehearse seasonal songs. Ask students to volunteer to bring in items, both edible and inedible, that they think represent the season. For example, someone in the summer group might bring in a baseball mitt, and someone in the winter group might bring in a warm scarf or a top hat for a snowman (or a raincoat if they live in a place where it doesn't snow).

Have students bring in these items over the course of a week or so, and store their belongings in a special place in the classroom (except for any perishables, or course). If this is not practical, they can draw pictures of the items rather than actually bringing them into class.

On the day of the party have students gather in their assigned sections of the room and decorate their areas with the seasonal decorations they have drawn and the items they have brought into class. Ask a few students from each group to show the rest of the class what the group has created to represent its season. If students know songs from their seasons, have them sing the songs as a group or as a class. If there is food at the party, have them share the food after all groups have described their sections of the classroom.

After all groups have presented their seasons, have students leave their groups and go to the section of the room that represents their favorite season. Ask a few students in each new group to explain why they like that season the best.

[Note: If a party is not practical for your classroom, have students decorate the classroom for each of the four seasons but forgo the food and other festivities.]

Challenge

Tape a paper house or person to a globe at the location of your town. Hold up the globe, and have a student volunteer pretend to be the sun. Walk around the "sun" with the globe tilted to show students a basic example of why the seasons occur.

As you walk around the sun, stop several times and ask a student volunteer to say whether their hometown is positioned close to or far from the sun (relative to locations in the opposite hemisphere) and to guess which season it might be at that position.

For a more dramatic effect, this demonstration can be done with a flashlight in a dark room—the "sun" points the flashlight toward the globe as you walk around the sun. A more comprehensive example of this lesson can be found at The Seasons.

After the party, ask students to think about the things they and their fellow students brought into the classroom and the reasons why students chose various seasons as their favorites. Have them ask each other questions to clarify anything they don't understand.

Have students write short stories (or have younger students draw pictures) pretending a visitor has arrived to the classroom from a place that doesn't have very noticeable changes from season to season (you can tell students that this person might live at the Equator, and point out the Equator on the globe).

The students' stories should describe themselves showing this new person around during their favorite season and demonstrating why they think that season is the best one.

As a class, list on the board the activities, holidays, foods, songs, and other unique aspects of each season. If any students have lived in other parts of the country or world, have them contribute items from their previous homes to let the rest of the class know what the seasons are like in different places.

Cape Cod Web Cams
National Geographic: Xpeditions Activity—A Reason for the Season
University of Michigan: WeatherCams