Topic: Illumination of the Earth throughout the year

Target group

4th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

Grade IV

General requirements

II. Skills and application of knowledge in practice.

3. Analyzing, describing, comparing, classifying, using various sources of information (eg own observations, research, experiments, texts, maps, tables, photographs, films, information and communication technologies).

Specific requirements

II. Orientation in the field. Pupil:

10) describes changes in the position of the Sun above the horizon during the day and during the year.

General aim of education

Students explain how the lighting of the Earth affects the seasons.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• explain the concept of spring equinox, autumn equinox, summer solstice, and winter solstice;

• discuss the lighting of the globe on the equinoxes and on the days of solstices;

• explain the relationship between the slope of the earth's axis and the variability of the seasons.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

• Students get acquainted with the content of the abstract. They prepare to work on the lesson in such a way to be able to summarize the material read in their own words and solve the tasks themselves.

Introduction

• The teacher gives the topic, the goals of the lesson in a language understandable for the student, and the criteria of success.

Realization

• The teacher asks students to read the abstract themselves, paying particular attention to the illustrations.

• The teacher cites a curiosity about the failures of the first European settlers in the cultivation of plants in Australia. The lecturer presents and discusses an interactive illustration informing about the duration of particular seasons in the northern hemisphere and in the southern hemisphere.

• Students, working individually or in pairs, carry out interactive exercises to check and consolidate knowledge learned during the lesson. Selected people discuss the correct solutions for interactive exercises. The teacher completes or corrects the statements of the proteges.

• Work of the whole class team. Students stand in a circle. The teacher encourages them to play: throws a ball or mascot to one of the students, saying the English word or notion learned in the lesson. The student gives the Polish equivalent, mentions another word in English and throws a ball or mascot to a friend or colleague.

• The teacher initiates a discussion regarding the relationship between the lighting of the globe and individual seasons.

Summary

• At the end of the lesson the teacher asks: If there was going to be a test on the material we have covered today, what questions do you think would you have to answer? If the students do not manage to name all the most important questions, the teacher may complement their suggestions.

Homework

• Develop a lap book containing issues learned during the lesson and bring your work to the next class.

• Listen to the abstract recording at home. Pay attention to pronunciation, accent and intonation. Learn to pronounce the words learned during the lesson.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Illumination of the Earth throughout the year

The Earth’s North Pole is tilted towards the Sun for half of the year, and its South Pole is tilted towards the Sun for the other half. It's the result of the inclination of the Earth's axis and its circular motion. For this reason, for half of the year the northern hemosphere receives more light and heat from the Sun and the southern hemisphere receives less, and then the situation is reversed. The moment when the axis is the most tilted towards the Sun with its nothern tip (summer solstice) occurs on June 22nd. After half a year the situation is reversed and it’s the southern hemisphere that receives more light. That moment falls on December 22nd (winter solstice). In Poland, that day is the shortest day of the year, whereas beyond the Arctic Circle there’s polar night.

Twice a year the Earth’s axis is positioned in such a way that both hemisphere are illuminated identically: on March 21st during the vernal equinox and on September 23rd during the autumnal equinox.

• The Earth’s revolution around the Sun takes 365 days 5 hours and approx.

• The inclination of the axis of the Earth’s rotation in combination with its revolution lead to the Earth having seasons.

• Twice a year the Earth’s axis is positioned in such a way that both hemisphere are illuminated identically: on March 21st during the vernal equinox and on September 23rd during the autumnal equinox.