Science Year 1

Strand: Seasonal changes

Physics

Children find out facts about the Sun & observe its apparent movement
across the sky. They investigate how shadows change during the day.
Discuss the four seasons & varied day length. Describe the weather
associated with each season & the changes this brings.
Note: Some of these Sessions include enquiries that should be repeated at various times throughout
the year, and others are linked to particular seasons. Therefore not all the Strand should be taught in
any one Term choose the relevant Sessions for the time of year, but remind children of their findings
at other times of the year.

Description of sessions
Use the book The Gift of the Sun to introduce ideas about
Session A the Sun. Look at some sunny facts & then children
Sunny facts draw/paint the Sun and label with simple facts. Use poetry
to gather other ideas about the Sun & to describe the Sun.
See where the Sun is in the sky at different times of the day
Session B and at different times of the year. Children record their
Sun
findings by drawing or painting. Discuss how to stay safe in
movement the Sun & children then design a sunhat for themselves or a
teddy!
Link to findings in previous session. Choose a sunny day to
Session C investigate how shadows change throughout the day. This
Explore
should be done at different times of the year. Chn record
shadows
their findings using drawings, make shadow animals & play
with their own shadows.
Show how silhouettes are like shadows & discuss where we
Session D use silhouettes on postage stamps, road signs & other
More
signs. Children make postage stamps with their silhouette,
shadows
create dark, faint & coloured shadows & design their own
road signs.
Order the seasons & months. Discuss the four seasons &
which months are in each. Compare how the apparent
Session E
movement of Sun through the sky changes through the year
Seasons
using previous observations. Chn draw a tree in each
season & tally & graph class birthdays.
Use some poems to stimulate discussion about the weather
Session F at different times of the year. Discuss the variety of weather
Recording we experience & look at weather map symbols & forecasts.
weather
Record weather over a week possibly using weather
instruments chn have made.
Link the weather changes during the year to the
Session G observations chn made in Sessions B & F. Discuss how the
Seasonal
weather is linked to the position of the Sun in the sky & the
weather
number of hours its visible during the day. Study seasonal
clothing matched to weather.
Hamilton Trust 2013 Y1 - Science

Remind chn that weather around the world is quite varied.

Session H
Look at some extreme examples & compare some
Migration & countries. Discover that some animals migrate because of
hibernation these differences & other animals hibernate to escape cold
winters with less available food.
Discuss why the Sun is so important to us & explain that
Session I
this is why myths about the Sun have existed for
Sun myths generations. Read several Sun myths. Look at one myth in
detail & children plan & perform a short play of the myth.

Science Strands KS1

Year 1
Plants Biology
Animals including humans Biology
Everyday materials Chemistry
Seasonal changes Physics

Hamilton Trust 2013 Y1 - Science

Year 2
All living things Biology
Plants Biology
Animals including humans Biology
Habitats Biology
Uses of everyday materials Chemistry
Movement Physics

Hamilton Trust
Science Year 1
Physics Strand
Seasonal changes

Hamilton Trust 2013 Y1 - Science