Seasonal Circles

1. Quiz your students to discern their knowledge about seasonal changes. To supplement their current knowledge, share details about changes that take place with the seasons, either in your area or elsewhere on Earth. Which of these changes fascinate them? Why do these changes take place? When do they happen? Select an appropriate picture book to share with the entire class, carefully viewing illustrations as the read progresses.
2. Using Crayola® Erasable Colored Pencils, students draw six circles with a diameter about as wide as the span of your fingers. Draw a large square inside each circle so that the four corners touch the sides of the circle. If students struggle with creating the circles or squares, provide them with templates to trace.
3. Students cut out all six circles using Crayola Scissors. Erase any extra marks on the outside of the circles.
4. On four of the squares, students will use Crayola Crayons, Crayola Color Sticks or Colored Pencils to draw a scene or object for each of the four seasons. Demonstrate how erasing sections of their drawings can create highlights in the drawings.
5. Students write the names of two seasons on each of remaining squares. Ask students to illustrate those squares, too.
6. Demonstrate for students how to bend all edges of the squares upward in order to make four sides. Assist students with this step as needed.
7. With adult assistance, students place one circle face down on its folded edges. Select one edge from each of the four circles and attach them to the edges of the circle facing down with Crayola Glue Sticks. Glue edges to adjoining edges to form a rounded square.
8. Students compare the scenes chosen to illustrate with those done by classmates. There are so many beautiful ways to remember each season!

LA: With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

LA: Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

LA: Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.

LA: Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

MATH: Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories.

SCI: Develop, use, and share representations of weather conditions to describe changes over time and identify patterns.

VA: Use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.

VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

VA: Select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.

Possible classroom resources include: The Reason for Seasons by Gail Gibbons; Seasons by Blexbolex; Julie Andrews' Treasury for All Seasons: Poems and Songs to Celebrate the Year by Julie Andrews & Emma Walton Hamilton

Encourage students to play a game with their Seasonal Circles. Toss one to another students. The receiving student tells information about the season their thumbs land on.

Working in small groups, students generate a list of describing words about each season. Students use those words to write seasonal riddles for each other.

Students collaborate to write original poetry about their favorite seasons. Illustrate each poem and display it in the classroom.