The document provides resources and guidance for teaching a science unit on the reasons for the seasons. It includes state standards, lesson plan components, instructional strategies, activities, assessments, and accommodations for different learners. Key points emphasized include that the side of Earth facing the sun experiences day, and the side tilted toward the sun experiences summer. Teachers are advised to use models, videos and investigations to illustrate these concepts for students. Formative assessments are embedded to check understanding during the unit.

1. Science Grade 8: Reason for the Seasons
Core Content Coaching

2. Purpose
To provide support for grade-level, unit content planning

3. Resources for planning
• Teacher Yearly Resource Document (or Yearly Itinerary)
• CRM 6: Earth, Sun, and Moon
• Blank Pacing Calendar
• 8th
Grade 4th
Six Weeks Lessons: Reason for the Seasons Pacing Guide
• Computer with Internet Access

4. Teacher yearly resource document

5. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Jan. 5
Global Winds & Ocean
Currents
6 7 8 9
12
Weather
13 14 15 16
19
Student/Staff Holiday
20
Reason for the Seasons
21 22 23
26
Moon Phases
27 28 29 30
Feb. 2
Tides
3 4 5 6
9
Origins of the Universe
10 11 12
Life Cycle of a Star
13
16
Student Holiday
17
Life Cycle of a Star
18 19 20
4th
Six Weeks Planner (33 days)

6. 8.2D-E, 8.3A & C8.7: Earth & space. The student knows the effects
resulting from cyclical movements of the Sun,
Earth, & Moon. The student is expected to:
•8.7A: model & illustrate how the tilted Earth
rotates on its axis, causing day & night, & revolves
around the Sun causing changes in seasons.
TEKS & Student expectations
Content TEKS Skills TEKS
1. What are the state standards for this unit?
2. Deconstruct the TEKS: Verb, Noun, and Context
Model: a usually miniature representation of something
Illustrate: to provide with visual features intended to explain or
decorate
1. What are the state standards for this unit?
2. Deconstruct the TEKS: Verb, Noun, and Context
Model: a usually miniature representation of something
Illustrate: to provide with visual features intended to explain or
decorate

7. CRM 6: TEKS & Acquisition section

8. Teacher Content support
Ted-Ed: Reason for the Seasons- http://ed.ted.com/lessons/reasons-for-the-seasons-rebecca-kaplan
MIT Video: The Reason for the Seasons- http://video.mit.edu/watch/earths-tilt-1-the-reason-for-the-
seasons-13110/
Earth, Sun, & Moon Videos & Animations
http://terry-eng35.blogspot.com/2012/05/day-night-orbit-rotation.html
NSTA Leaning Center- http://learningcenter.nsta.org/
Search Resources & Opportunities: seasons
ScienceFusion Grade 8 Teacher Edition: Content Refresher: p. 278

9. Vertical alignment
6TH
GRADE
•understand that gravity is the
force that governs the motion of
our solar system
8TH
GRADE
8.7A: model & illustrate
how the tilted Earth rotates on
its axis, causing day & night, &
revolves around the Sun causing
changes in seasons.

10. • Gravity is the force that governs the motion of
our solar system.
PRIOR LEARNING

11. 2014 STAAR-Released Question: 8.7A
F 18%
G 18%
H* 58%
J 5%

12. 2014 STAAR-Released Question: 8.7A
F 22%
G 12%
H* 43%
J 22%

13. Based on the data and distractors, what key points should teachers
emphasize during lessons?
• The side of the
Earth FACING
the Sun
experiences day.
• The side of the
Earth titled
TOWARD the
Sun experiences
summer.
Activities to emphasize this
point included in the
curriculum:
1.YouTube Rotating Earth Day
& Night- Planet Observer
2.Day & Night Modeling &
Visualizing and Chunking Data
Collection Sheet
3.A Day on Earth Graphic
Representation Notes
4.Seasons Angle Of Light And
Heat Investigation
5.Balloon Light Diffusion
Demonstration
Activities to emphasize this
point included in the
curriculum:
1.YouTube Rotating Earth Day
& Night- Planet Observer
2.Day & Night Modeling &
Visualizing and Chunking Data
Collection Sheet
3.A Day on Earth Graphic
Representation Notes
4.Seasons Angle Of Light And
Heat Investigation
5.Balloon Light Diffusion
Demonstration
18%18%
18%18%

14. Based on the data and distractors, what key points should teachers
emphasize during lessons?
Position 1: Fall
Position 2: Winter
Position 3: Spring
Position 4: Summer
22%22%
Activities to emphasize this
point included in the
curriculum:
1.Seasons Reading &
Questions
2.Bill Nye Seasons Part 1 Video
3.The Cycle of the Seasons
Pictorial Input
Activities to emphasize this
point included in the
curriculum:
1.Seasons Reading &
Questions
2.Bill Nye Seasons Part 1 Video
3.The Cycle of the Seasons
Pictorial Input
22%22%

15. Components of a good lesson plan
1. Engage Student Interest
2. Review/Scaffold to TEKS
3. Student-Centered Activities directly relating to the depth and complexity of the TEKS
• Labs, Activities, Videos
1. Organize and Practice Vocabulary
2. Reading & Comprehension Strategies
3. Writing Opportunities & Scaffolds
4. Daily Listening & Speaking Opportunities
5. Differentiation
6. Formative Assessment & Reteach

16. Embedded in lessons:
Engage Student Interest
• Why is it Warmer in Summer
Assessment Probe
• Pre-Assessment: If the sun
were the size of a paper
plate, how big would the earth
be?
• Sun-Earth Scale & Distance
Demonstration
• YouTube Rotating Earth Day
& Night- Planet Observer
• K-W-L Chart: Seasons

17. Recommended in lessons:
Review / Scaffold to TEKS
• Earth Seasons and Day & Night Unit
Overview
• ScienceSaurus Reading: Rotation p.
233, Revolution & Seasons p. 234
• Earth, Sun, & Moon Videos &
Animations
http://terry-
eng35.blogspot.com/2012/05/day-
night-orbit-rotation.html
• A Reason for the Seasons
Accommodated Reading &
Questions

18. • Heating Things Up Graph
• Seasons Angle Of Light And Heat
Investigation
Embedded in lessons:
Student-Centered Activities directly relating to the depth and complexity of the
TEKS (Investigations, Activities, Videos)
Investigations

19. • YouTube Rotating Earth Day & Night-
Planet Observer
• Scholastic Study Jams- A Day On
Earth
• Bill Nye Seasons Part 1
• BrainPop Video: Seasons
Embedded in lessons:
Student-Centered Activities directly relating to the depth and complexity of the
TEKS (investigations, Activities, Videos)
Videos

20. • Sun-Earth Scale & Distance
Demonstration
• Day & Night Modeling &
Visualizing and Chunking Data
Collection Sheet
• The Cycle Of The Seasons
Pictorial Input
• Balloon Light Diffusion Model
Embedded in lessons:
Student-Centered Activities directly relating to the depth and complexity of the
TEKS (investigations, Activities, Videos)
Activities

21. Embedded in lessons:
Organize and Practice Vocabulary
• Earth Seasons & Day and Night Unit Overview
• Rotate & Revolve Anchor of Support
• Total Physical Response: Rotate and Revolve
• Scholastic Study Jams- A Day On Earth Graphic Representation Notes

22. Embedded in lessons:
Reading & Comprehension Strategies
• ScienceFusion: Earth’s Days, Years, & Seasons
p. 224-232
• ScienceSaurus Reading: Rotation p. 233,
Revolution & Seasons p. 234
• Seasons Reading & Questions
• Comprehension Strategies
• Shared Reading Recommendation: Have
each student in a pair read a paragraph at a
time and then have the non-reader
summarize the section.
• Active Reading Strategies embedded in
ScienceFusion Reading

23. Embedded in lessons:
Writing Opportunities & Scaffolds
• Why is it Warmer in Summer Assessment Probe
• Journal Entries/Exit Tickets
• What would the line look like for a graph of the United
States? Explain.
• If the sun were the size of a paper plate, how big
would the earth be?
• What region of the earth has very little change in
temperature for the different seasons? (the equator),
Is there more daylight hours in the summer or the
winter? Why?
• In which hemisphere is the North American continent
located? Name two continents located in the southern
hemisphere.
• What would happen if the earth didn’t rotate? How
would life be different on earth if earth were not tilted?
• Scaffolds: Sentence Frames, Word Bank, Talk then Write,
Write/Share/Revise, Think/Share/Write

24. Embedded in lessons:
Daily Listening & Speaking Opportunities
North America is
located in the…
____ and ____ are located in
the Southern Hemisphere.

25. • Special Education:
1. Mixed-Ability Partners
2. Science Glossary
3. Word Bank
4. Sentence Frames
5. Unit Overview
6. Pre-Teach Vocabulary
7. Anchor of Support
8. Total Physical Response
9. Realia
10. Modeling
11. Visualizing & Chunking Data
12. Stopping Points During Video
13. Closure Activity
14. Chunked Reading
15. Class List
16. Pictorial Input
17. Paired Visuals
18. World Maps/Globes
19. Modified Investigation
• English Language Learners:
1. Mixed-Ability Partners
2. Dual Language Science Glossary
3. Word Bank
4. Sentence Frames
5. Pre-Teach Vocabulary
6. Anchor of Support
7. Total Physical Response
8. Realia
9. Modeling
10. Visualizing & Chunking Data
11. Closure Activity
12. Beginner & Intermediate Sentence
Frames
13. Class List
14. Pictorial Input
15. Paired Visuals
16. World Maps/Globes
Embedded in lessons:
Differentiation

26. • Journal Entries
• K-W-L Chart
• Sun-Earth Scale & Distance Class
Discussion
• Day & Night Closure Activity & Class
Discussion
• Seasons & Day and Night Quiz
Embedded in lessons:
Formative Assessment
Formative Assessment

27. Reteach Options
• Earth Seasons & Day and Night Unit
Overview
• ScienceSaurus Reading: Rotation p. 233,
Revolution & Seasons p. 234
• Earth, Sun, & Moon Videos & Animations
http://terry-
eng35.blogspot.com/2012/05/day-night-
orbit-rotation.html
• A Reason for the Seasons Accommodated
Reading & Questions
• ScienceFusion Unit 5, Lesson 1: Digital
Lesson, Virtual Lab
• Determining the Seasons Activity
• 8.7A Seasons Presentation for Cornell
Notes
• Optional Activities

28. Higher level questions
• “Research shows there’s a link between critical thinking skills and increased student achievement in the
classroom.” (Moore & Stanley, 2010)
• Higher level questions must be planned in order to be implemented effectively in the classroom.
• Levels of Questions
• Knowledge
• Comprehension
• Application
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Evaluation
• Plan and provide a variety of questions at each level and build student knowledge and critical thinking by providing
Higher Level Questions.

29. Lower Levels of questions

30. Higher Levels of questions

31. Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluate
In which month
does winter begin
in the northern
hemisphere?
What is Earth’s
tilt?
Define rotate.
Define revolve.
Define orbit.
How does the
Earth’s rotation
cause day and
night?
What does the tilt
of the Earth’s
axis have to do
with the
seasons?
How does the tilt
of the Earth’s
axis and the
Earth’s revolution
around the Sun
cause seasons?
Which location on
the illustration of
Earth below
receives the most
direct rays from
the Sun?
A.A
B.B
C.They receive
equal amounts.
How does the
motion of the
Sun, Earth, and
Moon affect the
environment?
How does gravity
effect the
organization and
motion of the
solar system?
How does the
motion of the
Sun, Earth, and
Moon cause
natural,
observable
phenomena?
Why isn’t the Arctic
very warm even
though half the
year the Sun is up
all night long?
How would
conditions on Earth
change if Earth
stopped rotating on
its axis?
How would
conditions on Earth
change if the Earth
was not titled?
How would you
prove to a friend
that Earth’s
seasons are not
caused by the
Northern
Hemisphere being
closer to the Sun
during the
summer?

32. Recommended Anchors of Support
• Earth Seasons & Day and Night Overview
• Rotate & Revolve Anchor of Support
• Rotate & Revolve Journal Entry
• Day & Night Visualizing and Chunking Data
Collection Sheet
• A Day on Earth Graphic Representation Notes
• K-W-L Chart: Seasons
• The Cycle Of The Seasons Pictorial Input
• Balloon Light Diffusion Journal Entry
• ScienceFusion: Visual Summary p. 232
• ScienceFusion: Visualize It! p. 227, 230-231

33. Anchors of Support
Other Resources
•Interactive Word Wall- Current, working models with student contributions
• Interactive Word Walls Article: http://learningcenter.nsta.org/files/ss1103_45.pdf
• “Word walls can be arranged on cupboard doors or classroom walls, or hung from
the ceiling with wire and string.”
• “Maximum instructional potential and efficiency are achieved when interactive word-
wall construction is aligned with lessons and students are allowed to participate in
the process. As a result, walls are usually built over many days and are finished as
a unit nears completion. Word walls support units and are changed or replaced as
units change.”
• Interactive Word Walls Rubric: Next Slide
• ScienceFusion Textbook, Science Glossaries, Dual Language Science
Glossaries

35. Academic vocabulary
LESSON COMPONENTS PAGE
CURRICULUM ROAD MAP