You will learn
- Name local seasons.
- Describe how weather changes.
- Describe how living things change.
- Explain how people prepare.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- A year has seasons.
- Weather changes with seasons.
- Plants and animals change through the year.
- People plan work around seasons.
Words to know
a time of year with its own weather
the time of year with much rain
the time of year with little rain
a dry dusty wind in West Africa
1. Discover: The planting calendar
Kwame’s grandmother keeps a seasonal calendar on the wall. In the rainy season she plants maize. In the harmattan, the air is dry and dusty and the streams dry up. “Every season has its work,” she says.
Think: Why does she plant in the rainy season?
2. Understand: Seasons
Idea 1: Seasons
A season is a time of year with its own weather. In many tropical places there is a rainy season and a dry season. Other places have spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Idea 2: Living things
In the rainy season plants grow green and many insects appear. In the dry season some trees drop leaves and some animals move to find water. The harmattan brings dusty dry air.
Idea 3: People
Farmers plant at the start of the rains. People change clothes and food, and prepare for floods or dry spells.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Which season?
Heavy rain, green grass.
- Much rain.
- Green plants.
- Rainy season.
Answer: This is the rainy season.
Example 2 (We do it together): Living things
Dry season.
- Trees drop leaves.
- Animals seek water.
- Change.
Answer: Living things adapt to seasons.
Example 3 (You try): People
Planting time.
Show the steps and answer
- Rain starts.
- Seeds planted.
- Harvest later.
Answer: Farmers plant in the rains.
Did you know?
In places near the poles, the sun does not set for weeks in summer and does not rise for weeks in winter.
Why this matters
Seasons shape farming, travel and festivals around the world.
4. Explore: Season wheel
Make a season wheel showing weather, plants and people.
- Draw a circle in four parts.
- Label each season.
- Draw the weather.
- Add what plants and people do.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Each season has different weather and work.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A ___ is a time of year.
- The rainy season has ___ rain.
- The ___ season has little rain.
- Farmers plant in the ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a season?
A time of year.
Question 2. Name a season.
Rainy.
Question 3. What comes with rains?
Green plants.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a season?
- Name a season.
- What comes with rains?
- What is harmattan?
- When do farmers plant?
Level 2: Grow
- Why do trees drop leaves in the dry season?
- Why do some animals move?
- Why change clothes?
Level 3: Stretch
- Make a season wheel.
- Explain why seasons matter.
- Compare rainy and dry.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
What seasons do you have?
Show a sample answer
Rainy and dry.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: They differ.
Fix: They do.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name local seasons.
- I can describe how weather changes.
- I can describe how living things change.
- I can explain how people prepare.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- A year has seasons.
- Weather changes with seasons.
- Plants and animals change through the year.
- People plan work around seasons.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Weather and living things. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is a season? [1 mark]
- Name two seasons. [2 marks]
- How do plants change? [2 marks]
- How do people prepare? [2 marks]
- Safety rule? [1 mark]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Time of year with own weather [1]
- Rainy [1]; dry [1]
- Grow green in rains [1]; drop leaves in dry [1]
- Plant [1]; clothes or water [1]
- Hat or water [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a season?
- Name a season.
- What comes with rains?
- What is harmattan?
- When do farmers plant?
- Why do trees drop leaves in the dry season?
- Why do some animals move?
- Why change clothes?
- Make a season wheel.
- Explain why seasons matter.
Homework
Make a season calendar for your area. Draw weather and what people do.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a season? | A time of year. | 1 |
| 2. Name a season. | Rainy. | 1 |
| 3. What comes with rains? | Green plants. | 1 |
| 4. What is harmattan? | A dry dusty wind. | 1 |
| 5. When do farmers plant? | At the start of rains. | 1 |
| 6. Why do trees drop leaves in the dry season? | Save water. | 1 |
| 7. Why do some animals move? | Find water. | 1 |
| 8. Why change clothes? | Weather. | 1 |
| 9. Make a season wheel. | Wheel. | 1 |
| 10. Explain why seasons matter. | Farming and life. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 A time of year.; 2 Rainy.; 3 Green plants.; 4 A dry dusty wind.; 5 At the start of rains.. Level 2: 1 Save water.; 2 Find water.; 3 Weather.. Level 3: 1 Wheel.; 2 Farming and life.; 3 Table..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Name local seasons | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Describe how weather changes | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Describe how living things change | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Explain how people prepare | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Seasons are the same everywhere.” They differ.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Compare two seasons.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns about seasons. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Talk about seasonal foods.
- Ask, “What changes in the dry season?”
- Draw a wheel.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: name local seasons; describe how weather changes; describe how living things change; explain how people prepare.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: weather and the sky, describing weather and dressing for weather.
Materials. Paper circles, crayons and glue. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Print a season wheel template. Prepare crayons.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Ask, “What season is it now?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach seasons.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners make wheels.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners present.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Which season? What changes?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Seasons are the same everywhere.” They differ.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Compare two seasons. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 2 Unit 8, topic 8; Next Generation Science Standards, Earth systems and weather patterns (K-ESS2, 3-ESS2 foundations); Cambridge Primary Science Stage 2, Earth and atmosphere; IB Primary Years Programme, how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.