🌱 Sprout · Printable packSCIENCE · YEAR 1

Daily and seasonal changes

Name Date
🎯 What you'll learn - tick each one off!
📖 Learn

The Daily Cycle

Every day has three main parts: morning, midday and night. As the Earth spins, the amount of sunlight we get changes. This changes the light, changes the temperature, and changes what people do.

In the morning, the sun rises (this is called sunrise) and the sky grows bright. The air is usually cool. This is when most families wake up, eat breakfast and get ready for the day.

At midday, the sun is high in the sky. This is usually the brightest and warmest part of the day. This is when many people eat lunch and might play outside in the sun.

At night, the sun sets (this is called sunset) and the sky grows dark. The air is usually cooler. This is when families eat dinner, get ready for bed, and might see the moon and stars appear.


Follow the cycle below. In the morning, the sun has just risen and it feels cool, so Mia puts on her jumper and eats breakfast. At midday, the sun is high and it feels warm, so Mia plays outside without her jumper. At night, the sun has set and it is dark and cool again, so Mia puts her pyjamas on and goes to bed.
morningmiddaynight
The higher the sun sits in the sky, the warmer the air usually feels.
sunrisemiddaysunsetnight-time
✏️ Activity 1

Order the Day

Read each sentence. Write 1 if it happens in the morning, 2 if it happens at midday, or 3 if it happens at night.

  1. Mia eats breakfast and gets ready for school.
  2. Mia looks up and sees the stars come out.
  3. Mia plays outside because the sun is high and warm.
  4. Mia brushes her teeth and gets into bed.
  5. Mia says good morning to the sun as it rises.
  6. Mia eats her lunch in the shade because it is hot.

Now write the missing time of day in the cycle below.

morningnight
📖 Learn

The Four Seasons

Australia has four seasons across the year, and each one lasts about three months. Summer (December, January, February) is the hottest season, with long, sunny days. Autumn (March, April, May) is cooler, and leaves change colour and fall from many trees. Winter (June, July, August) is the coldest season, with shorter days and cold mornings. Spring (September, October, November) warms up again, new leaves and flowers grow, and many baby animals are born.

Many First Nations Australians read the land, sky, plants and animals for their Country and describe more than four seasons, sometimes six or more, that change with local signs like flowering plants, animal behaviour or the direction of the wind, rather than fixed calendar dates.


What season is July in? July sits between June and August, so July is in winter. In winter the weather is cold, so people wear warm jumpers, coats and beanies, and might have a hot drink to warm up.
Watching what is happening to the trees, like leaves falling or new leaves growing, is often a clue to the season.
summerautumnwinterspring
✏️ Activity 2

Sort by Season

Read each sentence. Write the letter of the season it matches next to each number.

  1. Swimming at the beach and eating icy poles.
  2. Wearing a scarf and jumper to play outside.
  3. Kicking through crunchy fallen leaves.
  4. Planting seeds and watching new flowers grow.
  1. Summer
  2. Autumn
  3. Winter
  4. Spring
✏️ Activity 3

Weather Watch

Mia wrote down what happened each day for a week. Use the words on the picture below to help you write the weather word for each day.

SunnyCloudyRainyStormyWindy
DayWhat happenedWeather word
MondayThe sky was blue all day and Mia wore her sunhat.
TuesdayGrey clouds covered the sky but no rain fell.
WednesdayBig drops fell from the sky and Mia used her umbrella.
ThursdayThunder rumbled and lightning flashed across the sky.
FridayThe trees swayed and Mia's kite flew high in the air.
SaturdayThe sun was shining and it felt warm outside.
SundaySoft grey clouds filled the sky and it stayed dry.
✏️ Activity 4

Weather and Us

Answer each question in a full sentence.

1. It is a hot summer day. Write two things you could wear or do to stay cool.

2. It is a cold winter morning. Write two things you could wear or do to stay warm.

3. Why do farmers often plant seeds in spring instead of winter?

4. Choose your favourite season. Write a sentence about why you like the weather in that season.

🔑 Answer sheet

For the parent or supervisor: set this page aside before handing over the worksheet.

Activity 1

  1. 1 (morning): Mia eats breakfast and gets ready for school.
  2. 3 (night): Mia looks up and sees the stars come out.
  3. 2 (midday): Mia plays outside because the sun is high and warm.
  4. 3 (night): Mia brushes her teeth and gets into bed.
  5. 1 (morning): Mia says good morning to the sun as it rises.
  6. 2 (midday): Mia eats her lunch in the shade because it is hot.
  7. The missing time of day is midday.
    morningmiddaynight

Activity 2

  1. A (Summer): swimming at the beach and eating icy poles happens in summer.
  2. C (Winter): a scarf and jumper are worn to stay warm in winter.
  3. B (Autumn): leaves fall from trees in autumn.
  4. D (Spring): new flowers grow and seeds are planted in spring.

Activity 3

  1. Monday: Sunny
  2. Tuesday: Cloudy
  3. Wednesday: Rainy
  4. Thursday: Stormy
  5. Friday: Windy
  6. Saturday: Sunny
  7. Sunday: Cloudy

Activity 4

  1. A good answer names two sensible ways to stay cool, such as wearing a hat and light clothes, swimming, drinking water or staying in the shade.
  2. A good answer names two sensible ways to stay warm, such as wearing a jumper, coat, beanie or gloves, having a hot drink, or staying inside.
  3. A good answer explains that spring is warmer than winter, so seeds get enough warmth (and rain) to grow, while winter is too cold for seeds to grow well.
  4. A good answer names one season and gives a weather-based reason that matches it, for example "I like summer because it is warm and I can go swimming."

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