Unit Plan 22 (Grade K Science): Local Seasons
Kindergarten seasons unit where students track weather, plants, daylight, and clothing to observe seasonal patterns and predict changes using simple data.
Focus: Observe and describe seasonal patterns by tracking changes in weather, plants, daylight, and clothing choices over time using simple class data tools (calendar graphs, journals, and picture-based models).
Grade Level: K
Subject Area: Science (Earth & Space Science • Observation & Patterns)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Kindergartners become season scientists as they observe how their local environment changes across the year. Students collect and share daily observations about temperature, precipitation, wind, and sky conditions, then connect those weather changes to visible seasonal shifts like leaf color, plant growth, animals, clothing, and daylight. By the end of the week, students create a simple Season Storyboard (or class mural) that explains what they notice in each season and how those patterns can be predicted.
Essential Questions
- What changes do we notice outside when the season changes?
- How does weather help us tell what season it is?
- What patterns can we observe in plants, daylight, and clothing choices across seasons?
- How can we use observations to describe patterns over time?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Use and share observations of local weather conditions (sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy, hot/cold) to describe patterns over time (K-ESS2-1).
- Identify observable seasonal changes in the local environment (plants, animals, clothing, daylight) and describe what typically happens in each season.
- Record simple seasonal observations using pictures, tally marks, or labels in a class weather/season journal.
- Compare two seasons (e.g., fall vs. winter) using student-friendly language (warmer/colder, longer/shorter daylight, more/less rain).
- Create a Season Storyboard that shows at least two seasonal patterns supported by class observations.
Standards Alignment — Kindergarten (NGSS-Aligned)
- K-ESS2-1 — Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.
- Example: Track daily weather and connect it to seasonal changes like leaf drop, snow/ice, flowers, or hot sunny days.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can describe today’s weather using words and pictures.
- I can tell ways the outside world changes in different seasons.
- I can use our class chart to show patterns like “We had more rainy days this season.”
- I can compare two seasons using evidence from our observations.
- I can make a Season Storyboard that shows real patterns I observed.