Seasons Change

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

There are four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

In many parts of the world, each season is different and special in its own way. In this lesson, you will learn about seasons that change and why they change!

Seasons happen in a cycle. Think about a bicycle wheel.

• It spins around and around, right?

That's just like the four seasons. They happen over and over again.

You might be wondering, "Why and how do the seasons change? How do we get from summer to fall or fall to winter?"

Seasons happen when the earth's position, or tilt, changes in relationship to the sun.

• Wondering how this actually works?

Take a moment to read What Causes the Seasons? to find out!

Now, learn about what makes each season special and different, especially in the Temperate Zones. Start with the season of summer.

During the summer, the sun is bright, and the temperature is hot!

This season starts during the month of June in the Northern Hemisphere and during the month of December in the Southern Hemisphere.

In the summer, the days are longer, so we get a lot more sunlight. The flowers are in full bloom, and trees and plants are green and growing.

After the summer is over, the season changes to autumn. Autumn, which is often called fall in the United States, starts in September in the Northern Hemisphere and in March in the Southern Hemisphere.

In the fall, the temperature gets cooler. The leaves on the trees change from green to orange, yellow, and red.

Most trees start losing their leaves in the fall. This helps them save water and energy and get ready for the next season, winter.

Check out this cool video about the fall.

After the fall, the next season begins, winter. Brrr!

The winter season starts in the month of December in the Northern Hemisphere and in June in the Southern Hemisphere.

Winter is a time when animals go into hibernation, which is like taking a very long nap.

In the winter, plants and most trees also take very long naps. They become dormant. Their leaves are gone, and they stop growing for a while.

During the winter, the days are shorter, and there is less sunlight. It gets very cold in the winter, which is why we sometimes have snow. Water can also freeze and turn to ice.

After the winter is over, the season changes to spring!

Spring starts in the month of March in the Northern Hemisphere and in September in the Southern Hemisphere. Spring is a happy time.

Plants and trees start to bloom and grow again. Animals also wake up and come out of hibernation. The cold weather gets warmer. The days also get longer.

During the spring, there is also a lot more rain, which helps plants and flowers grow.

• Have you ever heard the rhyme, "April showers bring May flowers"?

That's because of all the rainfall we get in the spring!

Take a moment to learn more about the spring with the following video.

Now that you know all about the seasons, spring on over to the Got It? section for a little quiz!