A seven-page matching set for 1st grade science on seasons and daylight. Students join winter, spring, summer, and fall to weather pictures, then to how much daylight each season has, then to an activity and clothing picture. A tip at the top notes that these patterns describe what usually happens where you live. The set ends with one question about which season has the shortest daylight, the core idea of NGSS 1-ESS1-2.
1-ESS1-2
“Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.”
The Daylight Matches page ties each season to how the sky looks around dinner, and question 1 asks students to name winter as the shortest.
Four seasons to four pictures, such as fall with orange and red leaves and spring with gentle rain on green buds.
Winter goes with a dark night sky, summer with a bright sky at dinner time, and spring and fall share a picture of the sun setting in the evening.
A snowman in a thick coat, a puddle splash in a raincoat, a swim in a pool, and raking leaves in a light sweater.
Students name the season with the shortest amount of daylight. The answer is winter.
Across the year
Keep a copy and return to the daylight page each season. Students check whether the sky at dinner matches the picture.
Local weather
Point out the tip at the top. If your winters are not snowy, talk about how your own seasons differ from the pictures.
Matching center
Cut the pictures into cards so students can pair them at a table before they draw lines on the sheet.
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