Seasonal Changes

Science Year 1/2 Weather Art

Talk about the four seasons and make a seasons collage together. Go outside to experience the wind and make a windsock, windmill and bottle wind spinner in the classroom. Talk about the importance of the sun, design sun catchers to hang in the classroom and a sundial for the playground. Then explore shadows using torches and make shadow theatre characters to use with DIY light boxes and OHPs.

Session 1 Four seasons

Objectives

Talk about the four seasons and what weather is associated with each season. Think about the similarities and differences between the seasons and create a collage together as a class.

Science Objectives
i) Observe changes across the four seasons.
ii) Observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.

Working Scientifically

  1. Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
  2. Observe closely, using simple equipment.
  3. Perform simple tasks.
  4. Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
  5. Gather and record data to help in answering questions.

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Talk about the four seasons and what weather is associated with each season.
  • Make a seasons collage together, using colours and images associated with the different times of the year.
  • Consider what we do to relax during the winter and the summer. How does it change with the weather? How can we represent these activities on the class collage? (Yr1)
  • Think about the different moods we feel with different weathers. What colours or shapes would represent those best on our collage? (Yr2)

Activities

  1. Learn about the weather for the season and consider if the weather they are expecting is typical.
  2. Understand more about the different seasons of the year, including the current season.
  3. Consider the different elements of the seasons and represent in a group collage.

Investigation - Exploring, pattern seeking
Talk about the four seasons and what weather is associated with each. Make a seasons collage.
Year 1 - Consider what we do to relax during winter and summer. How does it change with the weather? How can we represent these activities?
Year 2 - Think about the different moods we feel with different weathers. What colours or shapes would represent those best on our collage?

Vocabulary
Rain, snow, storm, thunder, lightning, warm, cold, forecast, summer, autumn, winter, spring, seasons

Session 2 Windsock wonder

Objectives

Go outside and experience the wind in the playground. How do we know it is windy? Make a wind sock and a weather vane to measure the direction of the wind. Which is best and why?

Science Objectives
i) Observe changes across the four seasons.
ii) Observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.

Working Scientifically

  1. Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
  2. Observe closely, using simple equipment.

You Will Need

Provided Resources

  • ‘How to make a wind sock’ resource
  • ‘How to make a weather vane’ resource
  • ‘How to use a compass and measure wind direction’ resource

Additional Resources

  • Plastic bottles
  • PVA glue
  • Tissue paper
  • Ribbons and string
  • Chalk
  • Resources for making weather vanes (plastic plates, tubs, old rulers, t-frames, duck tape, and plastic tubes for installation)

Weblinks
Windsocks and their uses from www.youtube.com
Useful information for teachers on measuring weather from www.weatherforschools.me.uk

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Talk about what wind is like, where it might come from and how we know it is there.
  • Discuss what we need to do differently when it is very windy, what we need to wear and what might blow away.
  • Make a wind sock to measure wind direction and try them out in the playground (Yr1).
  • Make a wind vane to measure the direction of the wind. Consider the question: how do the wind sock and the weather vane differ in their effectiveness to measure wind direction? Which is best and why? How can we test them to compare? (Yr2)

Activities

  1. Make a wind sock to measure wind direction.
  2. Begin to record the direction of the wind and consider if it will change? (Yr1)
  3. Observe wind direction using a weather vane and compare the effectiveness of weather vane and wind sock (Yr2).

Investigation - Problem solving
Talk about what wind is like, where it might come from and how we know it is there. Discuss what we do differently when it is very windy, what we need to wear and what might blow away.
Year 1 - Make a wind sock to measure wind direction and try them out in the playground.
Year 2 - Make a wind vane to measure the direction of the wind. Which is best and why? How can we test them?

Vocabulary
Rain, snow, storm, thunder, lightning, warm, cold, forecast, summer, autumn, winter, spring, seasons

Session 3 Spinners and spirals

Objectives

Experience the wind in the playground and imagine what it would be like if it was blowing really hard. Make bottle wind spinners and spirals to explore the strength of the wind.

Science Objectives
i) Observe changes across the four seasons.
ii) Observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.

Working Scientifically

  1. Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
  2. Observe closely, using simple equipment.

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Talk about what wind is like and what happens when the wind is very strong.
  • Make a bottle wind spiral and spinner to explore the strength of the wind in the playground. Discuss results together as a class (Yr1).
  • Discuss which is better for measuring wind strength - the wind spinner or the spiral? Why? (Yr2).
  • Explore the idea of measuring the wind using the spinners.

Activities

  1. Talk about what wind is like and what happens when the wind is very strong.
  2. Make a bottle wind spiral and spinner to explore the strength of the wind in the playground.
  3. Understand that the spinner is best for measuring wind strength and explore the idea of recording the results.

Investigation
Talk about what wind is like and what happens when the wind is very strong. Explore the idea of measuring the wind using the spinners.
Year 1 - Make a bottle wind spiral and spinner to explore wind strength.
Year 2 - Discuss which is better for measuring wind strength and why.

Vocabulary
Wind, strength, direction, forecast, summer, autumn, winter, spring, seasons

Session 4 Looking at light

Objectives

Learn about the sun and what a light source is. Play with torches, lamps and candles. Design sun catchers for the classroom with coloured, dark and reflective materials.

Science Objectives
i) Observe changes across the four seasons.
ii) Observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.

Working Scientifically

  1. Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
  2. Observe closely, using simple equipment.
  3. Perform simple tests.
  4. Identify and classify.
  5. Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
  6. Gather and record data to help answer questions.

You Will Need

Provided Resources

  • How to make a sun catcher resource

Additional Resources

  • Pots
  • PVA glue
  • Little bits of see-through and shiny material
  • Torches, lamps, and candles (artificial or real)
  • Reflective materials
  • Dark materials
  • String

Weblinks
Useful information for teachers on measuring weather from www.weatherforschools.me.uk

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Explain what a light source is and the importance of the sun.
  • Dim the lights and investigate torches, lamps and candles.
  • Design sun catchers for the classroom. Discuss good places to hang them in the school (Yr1).
  • Design sun catchers that will both absorb the sun and reflect it, using dark and shiny materials (Yr2).

Activities

  1. Understand what a light source is and the importance of the sun.
  2. Design sun catchers for the classroom and understand the best places to hang them, according to the movement of the sun during the day.

Investigation - exploring
Explain what a light source is and the importance of the sun. Dim the lights and investigate torches, lamps and candles.
Year 1 - Design sun catchers for the classroom. Discuss good places to hang them in the school.
Year 2 - Design sun catchers that will both absorb the sun and reflect it, using dark and shiny materials.

Vocabulary
Sun, forecast, summer, autumn, winter, spring, seasons, light source

Session 5 Creating sundials

Objectives

Make group sundials and observe what happens. Why do they work and what would be the reasons for them not working?

Science Objectives
i) Observe changes across the four seasons.
ii) Observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.

Working Scientifically

  1. Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
  2. Observe closely, using simple equipment.
  3. Perform simple tests.
  4. Identify and classify.
  5. Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
  6. Gather and record data to help in answering questions.

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Make a group sundial in the playground and observe what happens (Yr1).
  • Make smaller sundials outside and explore to see if the right time can be achieved. Talk about why they work and why they sometimes are not effective (Yr2).

Activities

  1. Make a group sundial in the playground and observe what happens (Yr1).
  2. Make smaller sundials outside and explore to see if the right time can be achieved. Talk about why they work and why they sometimes are not effective (Yr2).

Investigation
Year 1 - Make a group sundial in the playground and observe what happens.
Year 2 - Make smaller sundials outside and explore to see if the right time can be achieved. Talk about why they work and why they sometimes are not effective.

Vocabulary
Shadow, day, night, shadow length, change, light, dark

Session 6 Shadow theatre

Objectives

Go outside and have fun with shadows. Make them jump, chase each other and play shadow tag. Make a shadow theatre in the classroom and perform to an audience.

Science Objectives
i) Observe changes across the four seasons.
ii) Observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.

Working Scientifically

  1. Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
  2. Observe closely, using simple equipment.
  3. Perform simple tests.
  4. Identify and classify.
  5. Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
  6. Gather and record data to help in answering questions.

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Talk about shadows being formed by something blocking a light source.
  • Explore shadows in the classroom by making shadow theatre characters to use.
  • Explore shadows further by playing with, and sharing, theatre characters together (Yr1).
  • Present a demonstration to the class, using their shadow theatre characters and explaining how the shadows are formed (Yr2).

Activities

  1. Talk about shadows being formed by something blocking a light source.
  2. Explore shadows further through the making of a shadow theatre performance (Yr1).
  3. Present a demonstration to the class, using their shadow theatre characters and explaining how the shadows are formed (Yr2).

Investigation
Talk about shadows being formed by something blocking a light source.
Make a shadow theatre.
Year 1 - Explore shadows further by playing with, and sharing, theatre characters together.
Year 2 - Present a demonstration, using their shadow theatre characters explaining how shadows are formed.

Vocabulary
Day, night, shadow length, change, light, dark