Seasons & Climate PDF

Seasons & Climate is the sixth unit in the Earth & Space course. This unit includes the science of how and why seasonal changes in the weather occur across the planet, the layers and composition of the atmosphere, and also how climate zones are created by the sun, earth’s rotation, prevailing winds, latitude, and topography. This unit also focuses on the concept of models as tools to learn about systems that are too big to fit in a lab (like the atmosphere). This unit includes sections on:

• Seasons
• Atmosphere
• Climate

Layers of Learning does not take a position on climate change. We teach scientific aspects of how the climate is affected by various factors. We also present alternative arguments and ask you to research and discuss them.

This is an activity based curriculum, where you learn by doing. Here are a few of the activities to choose from in this unit:

• Create a four seasons poster that shows the earth’s tilt and how the seasons change because of it.
• An experiment that shows how the intensity of light decreases as the angle of strike increases.
• Notebooking pages about what causes the seasons
• An experiment that shows how heated air expands
• A model to demonstrate that the ozone layer protects the earth
• A model to show how continent placement can affect Ice Age cycles
• An experiment about albedo and feedback loops
• Plus much more!

Each Layers of Learning Science unit includes library lists of books, a family read-aloud suggestion, hands-on activities, printables and paper crafts, sidebars for extra learning, and tools to help you assess student’s progress and mastery. You can learn more about how Layers of Learning works in the Curriculum Guide. You may also want to purchase the Science Guidebook for even more information on how to teach and learn with Layers of Learning Science.

See Inside

Here is a two page spread from Seasons & Climate:

Sidebars with extra learning ideas and facts line the center section of lesson plans and hands-on activities. This is a pick-and-choose curriculum so you decide on the things that will fit your interest and needs. Along with your hands-on activities you will be reading books from the Library List. The reading serves as the lecture and the activities serve as hooks to make learning deeper and memorable . . . not to mention fun.

Flexibility

This unit was written to be used for a month but contains plenty of content for many more weeks of learning if you choose. This is a pick-and-choose curriculum, meant to be cycled back to in the future when your child is older. As such, it intentionally includes far more material than you can possibly cover in a month.

Seasons & Climate is also part of the overall Earth & Space course, the first Year of the four year Layers of Learning Science cycle. If you use the program in order, it will take you though the four branches of science from Earth & Space to Biology to Chemistry to Physics in a logical progression where skills are learned and then practiced and used. However, each unit stands alone and can be used independently of any other unit and in any order.

Printable Pack

This unit comes with a downloadable Printable Pack that includes all the student worksheets. The printables can be copied as many times as needed for your family or class.

You can download the Printable Pack from your receipt or from your account at Layers of Learning.

Extra Resources

This unit comes with extra weblinks and a YouTube video playlist on the Earth & Space Resources page.