Objectives (5 - 10 minutes)

• The teacher will introduce the topic of "Astronomy: Seasons of the Year" to the students, explaining that they will be learning about the astronomical reasons behind the changing of seasons.
• Students will be given a clear overview of the learning goals. They will understand that by the end of the lesson, they should be able to:
  1. Explain the concept of the Earth's axial tilt and its role in the changing of seasons.
  2. Describe how the Earth's revolution around the Sun affects the length of days and nights throughout the year.
  3. Identify the solstices and equinoxes and explain why they are significant in the yearly cycle of the seasons.
• The teacher will also emphasize that the students will be engaging in hands-on activities to deepen their understanding of these concepts.

Introduction (10 - 15 minutes)

• The teacher will remind the students of their previous lessons on Earth's rotation and revolution, and their effects like day, night, year, etc. These concepts are fundamental to understanding the changing of seasons, and the teacher will ensure that the students have a solid grasp of these ideas before proceeding.

• The teacher will then present two problem situations to the students, which will serve as the starting point for the development of the topic:

  1. "Imagine you are planning a trip around the world, and you have to decide when to visit the North Pole and when to visit the South Pole. How would you determine the best times to go based on the seasons?"

  2. "Suppose you are an ancient civilization that relies on agriculture for survival. How would you use the changing of seasons to determine when to plant your crops?"

• The teacher will contextualize the importance of the topic by explaining how understanding the seasons is not just a matter of curiosity but has practical applications in various fields such as agriculture, tourism, and even in our daily lives like deciding what clothes to wear.

• To grab the students' attention, the teacher will share two interesting facts:

  1. "Did you know that not all places on Earth experience four distinct seasons? Places near the equator, for example, only have two seasons - wet and dry!"

  2. "In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice, which happens around June 21st, is the day with the most sunlight. In the Southern Hemisphere, the situation is reversed, and the summer solstice, around December 21st, is the day with the most sunlight. Can you guess why?"

• The teacher will then link these facts to the main topic, explaining that the Earth's axial tilt and its revolution around the Sun are responsible for these interesting phenomena. This will pique the students' curiosity and set the stage for the exploration of the topic in the following parts of the lesson.

Development (20 - 30 minutes)

Activity 1: "Modeling the Earth's Tilt and Revolution" (10-15 minutes)

• The teacher will provide each student with a flashlight (representing the Sun) and a small globe (representing the Earth).
• Students will be asked to hold the globe vertically (representing the Earth's axial tilt) and shine the flashlight directly at the globe. This position will represent one of the solstices.
• They will then slowly rotate the globe around itself (representing the Earth's rotation), observing the light's changing angle and the area it illuminates (representing the different seasons).
• After a full rotation, students will notice that the light is now shining from a different angle, representing the Earth's position in the opposite solstice.
• This hands-on demonstration will allow students to visually and physically grasp the concept of the Earth's axial tilt and its role in the changing of seasons.

Activity 2: "Seasons' Wheel" (10-15 minutes)

• The teacher will divide the class into small groups and provide each group with a large, circular cardstock cutout. The cutout will be labeled with each season and the dates of the solstices and equinoxes.
• The students will also be given various art supplies (colored pencils, markers, stickers) and a list of facts about each season.
• The aim of the activity is for the students to decorate their "Seasons' Wheel" while demonstrating their understanding of the seasons and their corresponding astronomical events.
• They will also be required to write a short explanation for each season and its associated event, demonstrating their comprehension of the concepts.
• This activity encourages creativity, collaboration, and reinforces the students' understanding of the Earth's revolution, axial tilt, and their relationship to the changing of seasons.

Activity 3: "Seasons Around the World" (5-10 minutes)

• To further understand the global aspect of the seasons, the teacher will provide a world map and a set of cards, each with a picture representing a season from different parts of the world.
• The students will be asked to place the cards on the map according to the locations they think experience these seasons. They will then check their answers with the teacher.
• This activity will enhance the students' awareness that the seasons are not experienced uniformly across the globe, reinforcing the idea that the Earth's axial tilt and revolution around the Sun are responsible for this diversity.

These hands-on, interactive activities will provide a fun, engaging, and memorable way for students to understand and retain knowledge about the seasons. By the end of these activities, students should be able to clearly explain the astronomical reasons behind the changing of seasons.

Feedback (10 - 15 minutes)

• The teacher will initiate a group discussion, asking each group to share their findings and the conclusions they drew from the activities. This will give students an opportunity to articulate their understanding and learn from their peers. The teacher will moderate the discussion, ensuring that all students are actively participating and that the conversation remains focused on the learning objectives.

• The teacher will then propose that students reflect on the connections between their hands-on experiences and the theoretical concepts they have learned. This reflection will be facilitated by the following questions:

  1. "How did the 'Modeling the Earth's Tilt and Revolution' activity help you understand the Earth's axial tilt and its role in the changing of seasons?"
  2. "What did you learn about the significance of the solstices and equinoxes from the 'Seasons' Wheel' activity?"
  3. "How did the 'Seasons Around the World' activity contribute to your understanding of how the seasons are experienced globally?"

• The teacher will then ask the students to take a minute to reflect on these questions individually. This will allow them to process the information and consolidate their learning.

• After this reflection period, the teacher will invite the students to share their thoughts. This will provide insight into the students' learning process, highlight any areas of confusion, and allow the teacher to address these issues before ending the lesson.

• To conclude the feedback session, the teacher will summarize the key points of the lesson, emphasizing the role of the Earth's axial tilt and its revolution around the Sun in the changing of seasons. The teacher will also reiterate the significance of the solstices and equinoxes in the yearly cycle of the seasons.

• Finally, the teacher will assign a short homework task for the students to further reinforce their understanding of the topic. This could include writing a paragraph explaining the seasons and their astronomical causes, or finding examples of how the knowledge of seasons is applied in real-world contexts.

• The teacher will assure the students that they can ask any remaining questions during the next class or during office hours. This will ensure that all students have a clear understanding of the topic and are confident in their knowledge of it.

Conclusion (5 - 10 minutes)

• The teacher will begin the concluding stage by summarizing the main points of the lesson. They will recap the concepts of the Earth's axial tilt, the Earth's revolution around the Sun, and their combined effects that cause the changing of seasons. The teacher will also remind students of the significance of the solstices and equinoxes in this process. This summary will serve to reinforce the core knowledge that students should take away from the lesson.

• The teacher will then explain how the lesson connected theory, practice, and applications. They will highlight that the theoretical concepts were introduced at the start of the lesson and were further explored and solidified through the hands-on activities. The teacher will also emphasize that the practical applications of these concepts were discussed throughout the lesson, with examples from real-world contexts such as agriculture and tourism. This discussion will help students understand the relevance and applicability of what they have learned.

• To further enrich the students' understanding of the topic, the teacher will suggest additional materials for study. These could include documentaries about astronomy, books about the Earth's seasons, or interactive online resources that allow students to explore the topic in more depth. The teacher will also encourage students to make observations of the changing seasons in their own environment and to think about how these observations align with the concepts they have learned. This suggestion will promote independent learning and a lifelong interest in the subject.

• Lastly, the teacher will underscore the importance of understanding the seasons in everyday life. They will explain that this knowledge is not just relevant for astronomers, but also for farmers, gardeners, tourism professionals, and anyone who wants to understand more about the world around them. The teacher will also emphasize that understanding the seasons can help us appreciate the natural world and make more informed decisions in our daily lives.

• The teacher will conclude the lesson by thanking the students for their active participation and encouraging them to continue exploring the fascinating world of astronomy. This positive note will leave the students feeling motivated and excited about their learning journey.