Lesson Plan | Teachy Methodology | Seasons of the Year

Objectives

Duration: 10 - 15 minutes

This stage aims to provide a clear overview of the lesson objectives, guiding both the teacher and students on what will be covered. By describing the main and secondary objectives, it seeks to ensure that everyone understands the importance of relating the movement of the Earth to climatic conditions, the characteristics of the seasons, and the seasonal differences between the hemispheres. Additionally, the secondary objectives encourage the use of digital tools, preparing students for practical and interactive learning.

Main Objectives

1. Understand how the movement of the Earth affects the climatic conditions of a region.

2. Learn about the 4 seasons of the year and their characteristics.

3. Verify that the seasons in the northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere are distinct.

Side Objectives

1. Incorporate the use of digital resources to deepen understanding of the seasons.

Introduction

Duration: 10 - 15 minutes

The purpose of this stage is to engage students from the start of the class, using digital tools that they are already familiar with to create a connection between the content and their everyday lives. The key questions will prepare the ground for deeper discussions and help consolidate the prior knowledge they have about the topic.

Warming Up

Start the class by explaining to the students that today they will explore the seasons in an interactive and digital manner and how they are influenced by the movement of the Earth. Ask the students to use their phones to find an interesting fact about the season they like most. They can use search engines, social networks like Twitter or Instagram, or even scientific news apps to find this information.

Initial Reflections

1. What causes the different seasons of the year on Earth?

2. How does the Earth's translational movement influence the seasons?

3. What are the main characteristics of each season of the year?

4. How do the seasons vary between the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere?

5. Did you notice any differences in the posts and information about the seasons on social media?

Development

Duration: 65 - 75 minutes

The purpose of this stage is to provide students with a practical and interactive learning experience, using digital tools to explore the characteristics of the seasons and their differences between hemispheres. The creative use of technology promotes greater engagement and consolidates knowledge in a fun and meaningful way.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended that only one of the suggested activities be carried out

Activity 1 - Scientific Instagram 🌍📸

> Duration: 60 - 70 minutes

- Objective: Use a well-known social media platform to explore and explain the characteristics of the seasons, as well as the differences between the hemispheres, in an interactive and practical way.

- Description: Students must create a fictional Instagram profile for a digital influencer whose main theme is the seasons of the year. They should post photos, videos, stories and conduct short live sessions explaining the characteristics and curiosities of each season, including the differences between the northern and southern hemispheres.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Each group must create an Instagram profile, using only characteristics of the seasons as the main theme.

• Students must post at least one photo with a detailed caption for each season, explaining its characteristics.

• Each group must create at least two stories: one about the characteristics of a season in the northern hemisphere and another about the same season in the southern hemisphere.

• Students must conduct a live session (or simulate one) of 5 minutes explaining how the Earth's translational movement impacts the seasons.

• Groups should interact with each other by commenting and asking questions on the posts of other groups.

Activity 2 - Digital Seasons Newspaper 📰🌦

> Duration: 60 - 70 minutes

- Objective: Develop research and writing skills, as well as use digital tools to create relevant and informative scientific content about the seasons of the year.

- Description: Students must create a digital newspaper or blog about the seasons of the year, covering news, curiosities, weather forecasts, and scientific analyses. They can use resources like graphs, videos, and fictional interviews with 'experts'.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Each group must create an edition of a digital newspaper or blog using a platform like Google Sites or WordPress.

• The newspaper should have sections about each season, with detailed articles explaining their main characteristics.

• Students must include a fictional weather forecast for each season, using graphs and tables.

• Each group must produce at least one short video (up to 3 minutes) explaining a scientific curiosity about one season.

• The groups must create fictional interviews with 'experts' about the different seasons and their peculiarities.

Activity 3 - Gamifying the Seasons 🎮🌏

> Duration: 60 - 70 minutes

- Objective: Encourage the use of gamification to reinforce learning and promote collaborative work in creating educational content about the seasons.

- Description: Students must use a game creation platform, such as Kahoot or Quizizz, to develop an educational game about the seasons of the year. They should create questions addressing everything from the characteristics of the seasons to the differences between hemispheres and the impact of the movement of the Earth.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Each group must choose a game creation platform (Kahoot, Quizizz, etc.).

• Groups must create an educational game with at least 15 questions about the seasons.

• Questions should cover the characteristics of each season, differences between the hemispheres, and the impact of the Earth's movement on the seasons.

• Students must include explanatory feedback for each correct or incorrect answer.

• After creating the game, each group must play the game developed by another group and provide constructive feedback.

Feedback

Duration: (20 - 25 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to consolidate learning through the exchange of knowledge and reflections among students. The 360° feedback promotes self-assessment and personal growth, while group discussions enrich collective understanding of the seasons and their characteristics.

Group Discussion

Promote a group discussion where each group shares its main findings and conclusions from the activities carried out. A brief script to introduce this discussion could include:

1. Introduction: Explain that the idea is to share knowledge and learn from each other.
2. Group Presentations: Each group should have 2 to 3 minutes to present their main conclusions.
3. Questions and Answers: After each presentation, allow other groups to ask questions or add constructive comments.
4. Final Summary: Summarize the main learnings that emerged from the presentations and discuss any points of interest or surprise that arose.

Reflections

1. What did you learn new about the seasons during the activities? 2. How did the use of digital tools help to better understand the differences between the northern and southern hemisphere seasons? 3. Was there a concept or information that was difficult to understand or explain? How did you overcome that difficulty?

360° Feedback

Conduct a 360° feedback session where each student must receive feedback from other group members. Explain the importance of constructive and respectful feedback. Instruct students to highlight positive points and areas for improvement. A suggested format for feedback could include:

1. Positive Aspects: Talk about what the colleague did well during the activity.
2. Areas for Improvement: Suggest something that the colleague could improve or do differently next time.
3. Personal Reflection: Encourage students to reflect on the feedback received and consider how they can apply those suggestions in the future.

Conclusion

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

Purpose: The conclusion serves to consolidate learning in a fun and meaningful way, connecting the concepts explored in class with the reality of students and their daily experiences. This moment is essential to reflect on how the knowledge acquired can be applied in the real world, reinforcing the importance of the studied topic.

Summary

Summary: The seasons of the year as digital influencers! 🌞🍂❄️🌷

During this lesson, we explored how the movement of the Earth alters climatic conditions, learned about the 4 seasons of the year, and examined the distinctions between hemispheres. We highlighted all of this through interactive activities such as creating Instagram profiles, scientific blogs, and educational games. After all, who said science can't be as fun as a viral post on social media? 🎉

World Connection

In the World: Connecting with digital life 🛰️📱

In today's world, social networks and digital tools are a fundamental part of young people's daily lives. Integrating learning about these platforms into the classroom helps to contextualize the content with the students' reality, making the educational process more meaningful and engaging. By learning about the seasons through media they already use daily, students can see science in action in the real and digital world.

Practical Application

Applications in Daily Life: The seasons of the year directly affect our daily lives, from how we dress to agriculture and tourism. Understanding these climatic variations helps students make more informed and adapted decisions, as well as fostering greater awareness of climate change and its global impact.