Objective
By the end of this lesson, you will understand what the spring equinox is and why it is an important event in the sky!
Materials and Prep
- Pen and paper
- Coloring materials
- No prior knowledge required!
Activities
- Sun and Shadow Experiment: Go outside and trace your shadow at different times of the day. Notice how the shadow changes length. Discuss why this happens.
- Color the Earth: Draw the Earth on a piece of paper and color in the areas that are experiencing day and night during the spring equinox. Talk about why this happens.
- Story Time: Read a fun story about the changing seasons and talk about how the spring equinox marks the beginning of spring.
Talking Points
- What is the spring equinox?
"The spring equinox is a special day when day and night are almost equal in length. It marks the beginning of spring!" - Why does day and night have equal length on the spring equinox?
"On the spring equinox, the Earth's axis is not tilted towards or away from the sun, so the sun shines equally on the northern and southern hemispheres." - What happens after the spring equinox?
"After the spring equinox, the days start getting longer and the nights shorter as we head towards summer!"