Day Length Changes

Overview

Year group: 1
Duration: 50 minutes
Class size: 4 students
Unit: Seasons and Living Things (Lesson 3 of 21)
National Curriculum Ref:

• Science Programme of Study (Year 1) – Seasonal Changes
• Pupils should observe changes across the four seasons and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will:

• Notice and describe how the length of the day changes as the seasons change (NC link).
• Use a clock and simple time vocabulary (morning, afternoon, evening) to compare day lengths.
• Understand how day length affects daily activities and routines.

Resources

• Analogue clocks with moveable hands (1 per student)
• Pre-prepared laminated “Day length” charts (showing sunrise and sunset times in simple terms for different seasons)
• Paper, crayons, and stickers
• Visual aids: pictures depicting seasonal activities in daylight and darkness
• Large wall clock or digital timer

---

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction & Engagement (10 minutes)

• Gather pupils in a circle.
• Recap briefly on the previous lessons about seasons and what happens in each season (weather, clothing, etc.).
• Introduce the question: “Have you noticed how some days feel longer and some feel shorter?”
• Show two photographs: one depicting a sunny long day in summer and another a short, dark day in winter. Ask: “Which day do you think is longer? Why?”
• Explain: “Today, we will look at how day length changes with the seasons and why that is important for what we do every day.”

2. Teaching Input (10 minutes)

• Use a simple diagram or animation (drawn together on the board) showing the sun’s position for summer and winter.
• Introduce vocabulary: daylight, sunrise, sunset, morning, afternoon, evening.
• Use the classroom analogue clocks:
  • Set the clock for typical summer sunrise and sunset times (e.g., sunrise 6:00am, sunset 9:00pm).
  • Set the clock for typical winter sunrise and sunset (e.g., sunrise 8:00am, sunset 4:00pm).
• Discuss differences: “The sun comes up earlier and stays longer in summer. In winter, it gets light later and dark earlier.”

3. Activity 1: Day Length Comparison (15 minutes)

• Each child receives a clock and a “Day length” chart with simple sunrise and sunset times.
• Activity steps:
  • Set their clocks to show sunrise time in summer, then sunset time, and discuss how long the daylight is.
  • Repeat for winter sunrise and sunset.
• Task: Children use crayons and stickers to colour a simple “day and night” timeline strip, showing longer daylight in summer and shorter in winter.
• Discuss how longer days mean more time to play outside, and shorter days mean more time inside or early bedtime.

4. Activity 2: Daily Routine Discussion (10 minutes)

• Discuss with pupils what they do differently when it is light and when it is dark (e.g., when they wake up, play, eat dinner, sleep).
• Use prompt questions:
  • “What do you like to do when it’s light outside?”
  • “How does it feel when it gets dark early?”
• In pairs, children discuss their favourite season and how the day length makes them feel or changes what they do.
• Share ideas with the group.

5. Plenary / Assessment (5 minutes)

• Use a simple oral quiz: “Show me on your clock when the sun rises in winter? When does it set in summer?”
• Ask: “Why are days longer in summer?” (Accept simple answers about sun rising early and setting late.)
• Ask children to complete a sentence: “In summer I can… because the days are…”
• Teacher makes observational notes on children’s understanding of day length and the link to their daily activities.

---

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils requiring additional support, focus on fewer times (only sunrise or sunset) with hands-on clock manipulation.
• Challenge: Ask higher attaining pupils to explain why day length changes (introduce idea of Earth’s tilt simply).

---

Key National Curriculum Links

• Science – Seasonal Changes:
  Pupils should be taught to observe changes across the four seasons, describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.
• Working Scientifically (Year 1):
  • Asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways.
  • Using simple equipment to observe closely (analogue clocks).
  • Identifying and classifying (day length—long vs. short).
  • Using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.

---

Reflection and Next Steps

• Follow-up lessons can explore weather changes more deeply, recording daily weather and daylight hours in a class diary.
• Encourage children to observe sunrise/sunset times at home with their families.
• Potential cross-curricular links: Maths (time and measuring duration), Literacy (sequencing daily activities), Art (seasonal nature drawings).

---

This lesson plan combines tactile learning with critical thinking suitable for Year 1 learners, ensuring alignment to the National Curriculum while sparking curiosity about the natural world!