Brant Morgan

Space systems: Patterns and Cycles

Grade Level: 1st grade
Standards:
Science:
1-ESS1-2. Make observations at different times of year to
relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.
Math: Measurement and Data 1.MD.3 Tell and write time in hours and halfhours using a digital clock.

Science Background:
During the year there are different amounts of sunlight each day per month.
It varies quite small daily but monthly it can vary from 1-3 hours. This variation has
to do with how the earth is tilted and how it rotates around the sun in an elliptical
formation. Another factor involved is what hemisphere you live in with regards to
how it is tilted. In the Northern hemisphere, Even though the sun is closer to the
earth during the winter months, it is colder due to the earths tilt. The northern
hemisphere does not see that much of the sun or receive its heat energy during this
time. During summer months the tilt of the earth is in favor of the northern
hemisphere receiving lots of sunlight and heat energy from the sun. Here is a
diagram showing this explanation.

Objective:
1. The student will recognize that there is different amounts of daylight
for every month of the year.
2. The student will demonstrate how to tell and write time in hours and
half-hours with a digital clock.

Science Vocabulary:

Equator- An imaginary line drawn around the globe, equal from both poles,
that divides the Northern and Southern hemisphere.
Sunrise- The time in the morning when the sun appears.
Sunset- The time in the evening when the sun disappears.
Earth- The planet on which we live.
Sun- The star around which the earth orbits.
Tilt- A sloping position or movement.

Engagement:
Materials needed:

The books The longest Day and The Shortest Day by Wendy Pfeffer.

Procedures:
Read The longest Day by Wendy Pfeffer. After reading this story ask the students
questions to assess what they understand about the summer season and the
amount of daylight.
1. What season do you think the story is talking about? Summer, spring
2. What do you notice about the amount of daylight during the summer? The
days are longer
3. What do you notice when you get up in the morning during the summer? The
sun is out.
4. What do you notice after dinner or when it might be bedtime? The sun is still
out
5. What time do you think the sun rises and sun sets? Varied answers

Read The Shortest Day by Wendy Pfeffer. After reading this story ask the students
the same questions to assess what they know about the winter season and the
amount of daylight.
1. What season do you think the story is talking about? Winter, Fall
2. What do you notice about the amount of daylight during the winter? The days
are short
3. What do you notice when you are waiting for the bus? The sun might or
might not be out.
4. What do you notice around dinner time or after? The sun is not out
5. What time do you think the Sun rises and sun sets? Varied answers

After reading the books and talking about the questions regarding the summer and
winter seasons ask these questions about the spring season and fall season.
1. What do we notice about the fall season after the long summer days? They
tend to get shorter
2. What do we notice about the spring season after the short winter days? The
days get longer
3. Do fall and spring have the same amount of daylight? Yes they should.

Exploration:
Materials needed:

Months and daylight data handouts for students that show what time the
sunsets and sunrises during the different months of the year.
Telling time with digital clocks worksheet.

Procedures:
For this particular activity the students will be divided up into groups making sure
that the students who are developing slower with their reading skills will have a
chance to work with students who are developing faster with this skill. Encourage
the students who have a higher skill level with reading to help the students with a
lower skill level. Divide the students up into groups of 4-5. Pass out the data
worksheets that show the amount of daylight on average per month. These sheets
will show what time the sun rises and sets on average per month. After the groups
have looked at the worksheet, have them watch you write on the whiteboard an
example of how to write time in hours and then how to write time in half hours.
Pass out the Digital time sheets and have them practice with you writing different
times. Then have them write times that you tell them out loud, while walking
around to informally assess them to make sure they understand. Pass out one
more digital worksheet and have them write the sunset and sunrise for their
birthday month. Then have them pick out three months, each of a different season
and a different season of their birth month, to write out the digital times of the
sunset and sunrise. Make sure to go around the room and check up on how the
students are doing as well as encouraging the higher skilled readers to help the
lower skilled readers with the data sheet.

Some questions to ask the class as a whole or per group are

1. What do you notice about the different times of the sunsets of your months
that you picked?
2. What do you notice about the different times of the sunrises of the months
you picked?

Explanation:
Materials needed

Usage of the white board with assorted markers.

A lamp with no lamp shade to use as the sun.
A globe to shows how the earth rotates around the sun (lamp). This will
also show the different patterns of daylight.
Painter tape and marker

Procedures:
Have the students gather with their time sheets in front of the whiteboard area and
tell you what time the sun sets and rises per month, while grouping them into
seasons across the whiteboard. Show how many hours during the day the sun is out
for each month also. This will show them a concrete way of seeing the amount of
daylight on average per month and during the respective seasons.
1. Ask the students if they see a pattern with the amount of daylight during the
fall and spring season?
2. Ask the students if they see a pattern with the amount of daylight during the
summer and fall seasons?
Then gather the students in a circle around the lamp (every student should be
about ten feet from the lamp) and tell them this is the sun. Take out the globe and
show the students the cause of the different amounts of sunlight per day according
to the season. As you are walking around the sun with your globe make sure to have
the correct tilt on the earth so they can see how much sunlight is hitting the earth.
Below is a picture of how the earth tilts in regards to the different months and
seasons. Use painter tape on the floor to mark what season and if you want to
elaborate what month certain areas around the lamp are. Ask the students what
season and month you should be writing down and guide them if you need to.

You should have a taped circular area around the lamp. Ask if there are any
questions about the demonstration.

Elaboration:
Materials needed:

Oranges (1 per student)

Markers

Procedures:

Have the students go back to their seats and give them an orange that has a predrawn equator line around the middle. Have the students then put a mitten or an X
in the area that they live. You will have to guide the students who do not know
where to put the symbol in the correct spot. Take about 5-6 students up at a time
and line up around the lamp and stand on the taped circle. Have the students walk
around the sun so that they can see the demonstration as they are doing it. Make
sure they are tilting the earth correctly. If some students are waiting to go up or
have already gone up and are waiting at their desks they have a choice to practice
writing digital times on an extra worksheet or they can quietly read their kids
national geographic magazines for that week. Make this announcement before you
bring up the first group.

Evaluation:
Materials needed: Two page Assessment
Procedure:
The evaluation will be a short worksheet assessment on paper that will test the
knowledge of daylight hours according to which month or season, how to write

times using a digital clock, and be able to show which parts of the earth get sunlight
while tilted and rotating around the sun. They will complete this assessment on
individually. Make sure to read the assessment to the students while they are
taking it. Pausing and moving along when needed. This will help the students who
are developing their reading skills at a slower pace. The answer key for the Yes/No
are 1) no 2) yes 3) no 4) yes

References
Heid, K. (2016, February). Globe around the light bulb activity.
Nauticus Lesson Plans. (2016). Nauticus Technology. Retrieved from
www.nauticus.org/currwthrless03.html
Pfeffer, W. (2015). The Longest Day: Celebrating the Summer Solstice. Puffin Books.
Pfeffer, W. (2015). The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice. Puffin Books.
TES. (2016). Science do now linder. Retrieved from
www.tes.com/lessons/WCrnoKnmj0Sq-Q/science-do-now-linder

Telling Time With

Digital Clocks
Name________________________

Sunrise

Sunset

Month____________________

Month____________________

Month____________________

Month____________________

Month____________________

Name_____________________________

Fill in the Digital clocks with the times listed below.

12:00
9:30

3:30

2:00

Shade in the parts of the earth that will receive Sunlight.

Good Job

Almost Done

True or False
Circle Yes or No after each statement
1) The days in the summer are very short.
Yes

No

2) The shortest days of the year are during the

winter.
Yes

No

3) The days of summer and fall all have the same

amount of daylight.
Yes

No

4) The sun rises very early in the summer.

Yes

No

Good Job!

Months and Daylight Data

October
November
Sunrise- 7:30am

Sunset-6:30pm

Sunrise-7:30am

Sunset-5:00pm
9 hours of daylight

9 hours

of daylight

September
December
Sunrise-7:00am
Sunrise 8:00am

SunsetSunset-

12 hours of daylight

7:30pm
5:00pm
9hours of daylight

August

January

Sunrise-6:30am SunsetSunrise- 8:00am

Sunset14 hours of daylight

July

8:30pm
5:30pm
9 hours of daylight

February

Sunrise 6:00am
sunset- 9:00pm
Sunrise- 7:30am
Sunset- 6:00pm
15 hours of daylight
10 hours of daylight

June
March
Sunrise- 6:00am Sunset- 9:00pm
Sunrise- 7:30
Sunset- 7:30
15 hours of daylight
12 hours of daylight

April
May
Sunrise- 7:00am

Sunset-8:00pm

Sunrise-6:00 Sunset-

8:30
13 hours of daylight
daylight

14 hours of