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Lesson eight - Season and
change pages 16-17
Text from the book
For every tree there is a season …
Which season do you look forward to?
A tree is used to illustrate seasonal change and to start
a discussion about the pattern of change in life.
Learning objectives
Pupils will:
- deepen their understanding of life as a changing, transforming
continuum;
- reflect on their own patterns of change as they grow and the
years pass
Bible reference
Ecclesiastes 3.1-8
Background
Trees change, depending on the season, but they are also changed
each year as they age. Human beings change too as the years go by,
yet something in them remains the same. We change physically, learn
new skills, change opinions, but something in us is the same. Perhaps,
like trees, we grow and bend from time to time, imperceptibly changing
as the years pass by.
Ways of using the pictures
- Discuss what the pupils notice most about the changing trees.
- Explore how plants and animals change as they grow older with
the passing years.
- How have the pupils changed in the last year as the seasons
move through the year?
- Discuss changes within the family as times change.
Key words
- Seasons
- Cyclical
- Growth
- Decay
- Eternal
- Relentless
- Symmetrical
- Image
- Perception
- Many-faceted
Activity
The school may have access to the cross-section of a tree trunk
and could mark historical events, local and national, on it its
width etc. 50,100,150 years ago.
The pupils can brainstorm those events that are celebrated yearly,
(such as birthdays, Christmas, etc). They are the same yet different.
How and why?
The class could look at how the Victorians would celebrate Christmas
or another festival. Is it very different from now?
Try the same activity with a school time line. Certain events happen
every year but there will be some changes. List the changes that
occur in the school events each year.
Learning outcomes
Pupils will be able to:
- identify that religions both change and stay the same;
- understand that though things do change and are transformed
there is still the core that remains constant.
Extension work
Pupils could reflect on their own growth and how they change. Is
there something that stays the same? They could represent this in
an art form, in poetry, or in a dramatic scene.
Web sites
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/News/2001/News-AutumnalEquinox.asp
Here is a site which gives an informative look at why our seasons
change. It includes a brief ‘NASAtoon’ animation explaining the
seasons. More detailed information on this subject can be found
at:
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/time/seasons.html
http://www.nyu.edu/projects/julian/
A fascinating eco project which looks in depth at ancient trees.
Featured on the site are artists’ interpretation of trees and school
children’s own artistic images. Why not use this as a starting point
for an art lesson and post your own pupils’ drawings on this web
site?
http://photoscience.la.asu.edu/photosyn/education/colorchange.html
Why do leaves change colour in the autumn? Find out at this
informative web site, aimed at adults and older children. A number
of sites answer this question. This site is aimed at children. Further
information can be found at: http://www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/leaves/leaves.htm
http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/FieldOps/Cgs/leaves.htm
© Alan Brown and Alison Seaman, 2002
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