Grade 2 Read-Aloud

34 Cycles in Nature: Supplemental Guide 2 | The Reasons for Seasons

Note: Introducing the Read-Aloud and Extensions may have

activity options which exceed the time allocated for that part of

the lesson. To remain within the time periods allocated for each

portion of the lesson, you will need to make conscious choices

about which activities to include based on the needs of your

students.

Exercise Materials Details

Introducing the Read-Aloud (10 minutes)

What Have We Already

Learned?

Essential Background

Information or Terms

create “sun hat” Have the student representing the sun

wear the “sun hat.”

Note: For this activity, choose up to

four students to demonstrate Earth’s

revolution, you may wish to have

students slowly pace around the sun.

This demonstration can also be done in

pairs, with one student acting as the sun

and the other acting as Earth.

Be sure that students are clear about

the difference between Earth’s rotation/

spinning around its axis for daytime and

nighttime, and Earth’s revolution/orbit

around the sun for the seasons. Be sure

they are clear that the terms rotation and

revolution are not the same. (There is an

extension activity demonstrating Earth’s

revolution in more detail.)

Seasons Chart Instructional Master 2A-1

(optional); chart paper, chalkboard,

or whiteboard

Note: You will introduce the Seasons

Chart here. By the end of the read-aloud,

you should have information to fill in the

first two rows. Continue this chart in

Lesson 3.

Vocabular y Preview: Equator,

Hemisphere

Image 2A-3; globe

Purpose for Listening

Presenting the Read-Aloud (15 minutes)

The Reasons for Seasons Seasons Chart; globe You may wish to fill in relevant parts of

the chart during the read-aloud.