What Happens in Spring? Elementary Lesson Plan
How to Graph the First Signs of Spring and Spring Activities
Mar 4, 2009
Teachers can use this integrated science and math elementary lesson plan to focus children's attention on changes in the world around them and to teach kids the characteristics of spring, how to distinguish between the four seasons, and what people do in spring.
In this integrated math and science elementary lesson plan, children will:
- Brainstorm lists of the first signs of spring and popular spring activities.
- Read children's picture books about spring to collect more spring-related sights to add to their lists.
- Make graphs to chart and compare and contrast information about their feelings toward spring sights and activities.
- Make charts in which to record information about their experiences with spring this year.
Brainstorm Information About What Happens in Spring
Start two lists on the board: one of ways people can tell that winter is turning into spring and that spring is here (Spring Sights) and the other of things people do during spring (Spring Fun).
Possibilities for Spring Sights include:
- snow and ice melt
- ground thaws
- buds on plants
- new green leaves and grass
- new shoots and flowers
- more insects, like bees and butterflies
- hibernating animals waking up
- eggs or baby birds in nests
- baby animals like ducks and bunnies
- birds return home
- hearing frogs croak
- windy days
- rain and thunderstorms
- sunny warmer weather
- longer days
Possibilities for Spring Fun include:
- picking wild flowers
- playing in muddy puddles
- playing on playgrounds
- flying kites
- outdoor games like playing hopscotch or jumping rope
- outdoor sports like baseball
- rollerblading
- riding bikes
- starting and taking care of a garden
Use Children's Picture Books to Research Spring
Once children are done brainstorming, provide them with books such as the following and have them take notes about other spring sights and activities to add to the class lists:
- That's What Happens When It's Spring! by Elaine W. Good [Good Books, 1969]
- Around the Year by Elsa Maartman Beskow [Floris Books, 1988]
- How Do You Know It's Spring? by Allan Fowler [Children's Press, 1991]
- The Circle of Seasons by Gerda Muller [Dutton Juvenile, 1995]
- The Reasons for Seasons by Gail Gibbons [Holiday House, 1996]
- Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur [Clarion Books, 1999]
- Around the Year by Tasha Tudor [Simon & Schuster, 2001]
- It's Spring! by Linda Glaser [Millbrook Press, 2002]
- Four Seasons Make a Year by Anne Rockwell [Walker Books for Young Readers, 2004]
- Spring by Nuria Roca [Barron's Educational Series, 2004]
- Spring Is Here by Lois Lenski [Random House, 2005]
- Mouse's First Spring by Lauren Thompson [Simon & Schuster, 2005]
- Spring Things by Bob Raczka [Albert Whitman & Company, 2007]
- Skip Through the Seasons by Stella Blackstone [Barefoot Books, 2007]
- Our Seasons by Grace Lin and Ranida T. McKneally [Charlesbridge Publishing, 2007]
Teach How to Make a Bar Graph
Explain that a bar graph is a good way to compare and contrast information. Tell students that they will make bar graphs to show which spring sights and which spring activities are the class favorites.
Include at least three bars on each bar chart. First, set up an empty bar chart headed Spring Signs, with the names of several signs across the bottom. Have each student stick a flower or other spring-themed sticker in the column of the sign of spring that is his or her favorite to see. Repeat to make a Spring Activities bar chart.
Once both bar graphs are made, model how to read and discuss the results using vocabulary such as more, fewer, and most. For example, More students prefer to bike in the spring than to roller-blade. For assessment, have students make their own statements about the results.
Teach How to Make a Chart
Have students make two-column charts in their science journals with one column listing signs of spring and the other column left blank for students to fill in the dates when they see each sign. Students can add more signs at the bottom as necessary. Repeat to have students set up a second two-column chart in which to record the times when they participate in different spring pastimes.
Invite students to share their charts with the class from time to time. Discuss the completed charts in depth toward the end of the school year as spring draws to a close.
Keeping track of when they see different spring signs and participate in different spring pastimes will teach students how the natural world changes as one season turns into another and focus their attention on the different activities in which people take part during each season. Learning how to graph data is an elementary math skill students can use during activities from other science and math elementary lesson plans.
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