Lesson: Seasons
Year: 1 | Subject: Science | Time Allocation: 100%
Class/Set: ____________ Date/Term: ____________
LO (WALT): To identify the four seasons and describe weather changes and day length.
Success Criteria (WILF):
- I can name the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.
- I can describe the weather for each season using simple words.
- I can explain that Summer has long days and Winter has short days.
1. Starter (15%)
- Activity: The "Mystery Season" Bag.
- Show: Pull sensory items out of a bag one by one (e.g., a woolly hat, sunglasses, a silk flower, a crunchy brown leaf).
- Discuss: Ask the children to guess which time of year we need these items and why.
- Recall: Use 'Talk Partners' to see if anyone can name all four seasons already.
2. Main Activity (70%)
Teacher Input:
- Identify: Display large images of the same oak tree across the four seasons.
- Explain: Define the cycle of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Use a "Season Wheel" to show they happen in the same order every year.
- Describe: Use a 'Weather Wall' to match symbols (sun, snowflake, rain cloud, wind) to the seasons. Model the sentence: "In Autumn, it is often windy and the leaves fall down."
- Demonstrate: Use a globe and a torch to show the sun. Explain that in Summer, our part of the world stays in the light for a long time (long days). In Winter, we turn away from the light sooner, so it gets dark before we go to bed (short days).
- Check: Ask pupils to stand up if a "Summer" day is long or sit down if it is short.
Student Task:
- Task 1 (Sorting): Distribute: A set of 8 pictures (e.g., snow, beach, blossoms, pumpkins). Students must glue them into the correct quadrants on a 'Season Circle' worksheet.
- Task 2 (Oracy & Writing): Complete: A "Weather Diary" entry for two seasons. For example: "In Winter it is cold. In Summer it is hot."
- Task 3 (Observation): Draw: A picture of what the playground looks like right now and label it with the current season.
3. Plenary (15%)
- Check: Play 'Season Statues'. The teacher calls out a weather type (e.g., "Icy frost!"). Children must act out the season (shivering) and shout the name "Winter!".
- Consolidate: Ask: "If it is dark when you eat your tea, is it likely to be Summer or Winter?" (Winter).
4. Resources
- Sensory bag with seasonal props (hat, sunglasses, etc.).
- Globe and high-power torch.
- Season Circle worksheet and picture cards.
- Glue sticks and sugar paper.
- Interactive whiteboard images of trees in different seasons.
⚠ TEACHER’S GUIDANCE
💡 Pedagogical Pulse
- Delivery Style: Conduct the Starter and Teacher Input as a carpet session. For Year 1, oracy is vital; encourage children to use full sentences when describing the weather to build scientific vocabulary.
- Misconception Alert: Children often think "day length" means the hours in a day change (e.g., a day becomes 20 hours long). Clarify: Explicitly state that a day is always 24 hours, but the amount of "daylight" or "sun time" changes.
- Sensory Engagement: Use the "crunchy leaves" or "cold water" to help EAL/SEND students bridge the gap between the abstract concept of a season and the physical experience of it.
✅ Answer Key & Solutions
- Task 1 Answer (Sorting):
- Spring: Blossom, baby lambs/chicks.
- Summer: Sun, beach/sandcastle.
- Autumn: Orange leaves, harvesting vegetables/pumpkins.
- Winter: Snowman, bare trees/frost.
- Task 2 Answer (Weather Diary):
- Winter: Cold, snowy, icy.
- Summer: Hot, sunny, bright.
- Spring: Warm, rainy, fresh.
- Autumn: Windy, cool, misty.
- Task 3 Answer (Observation):
- Answers will vary based on the current date. Ensure students identify the correct current season (e.g., if in November, the answer is Autumn).