Subscribe

3rd grade · Science · Unit 5 of 6

Sky & Seasons

Day, night and the seasons

What your child practices

Day and night, the sun, moon and stars (the moon reflects sunlight), and the order of the seasons.

Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards benchmark: 3E.2.1.1.1; 3E.2.2.1.1 · patterns of the sun, moon and stars, and of daylight through the year

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. The sun comes up in the morning, is high at midday and sets in the evening.
  2. Some animals, like owls, are awake at night.
  3. Summer is for swimming. Winter is for snow and sledding.

Example: Is a snowman a winter or a summer thing? Snow falls in the cold season. Answer: winter

Sky & Seasons in Minnesota

In the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards, this is unit 5 of 6 in 3rd grade Science, after Surviving in a Habitat and before Light.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Put the seasons in order. Start with spring.

    • 🍂fall
    • 🌷spring
    • ☀️summer
    • ❄️winter

  2. Question 2

    Why does the moon look bright at night?

    🌕
    • 🔥it is on fire
    • 💡it has light bulbs
    • ☀️sunlight shines on it

  3. Question 3

    What do you wear to play outside on a snowy day?

    ⛄
    • 🩱swimsuit
    • 👡sandals
    • 🧤warm coat and mittens

  4. Question 4

    When do we usually see the sun in the sky?

    • ☀️in the daytime
    • 🌃in the middle of the night

  5. Question 5

    Winter or summer? Tap an item, then tap its basket.

    Sort into: ❄️ winter · ☀️ summer

    • 🧣warm scarf
    • ⛸️skating on a pond
    • 🕶️sunglasses
    • 🍉watermelon picnic
    • 👒sun hat
    • 🧤mittens

  6. Question 6

    In which season do many leaves change color and fall?

    • ☀️summer
    • 🌷spring
    • 🍂fall

More 3rd grade