Sample 2023 Fall Equinox Activity Packet & Lesson Guide

[Pages:28]Free Mini-Activity Book for

The Fall Equinox 2023



About This Resource:

Thank you so much for downloading this book. I hope you have as much fun with it as we do each year. Here is a quick overview on how

to get the most out of this download. This document is both a digital and printable resource. There are links through out the booklet that you can click to get additional info, resources, videos, articles and a detailed Homeschool

Lesson Guide on fall equinox. We have been a homeschool family since 2016 and learning with the cycles and rhythms of nature has proven incredibly fun for all of us. We are secular homeschoolers, and while we appreciate learning all about as many cultures, religions and traditions we can, we prefer to

use only completely secular curriculum. I started creating various lesson guides and worksheets when I struggled to find what I was

looking for. My kiddos are currently entering 4th and 6th so this workbook is

geared mostly to middle grade learners. I freshen these resources each year so make sure to sign up for emails and I will send you the latest version each time it's updated!



Equinox Lesson Guide

This is a basic outline for you to use that will help you create a Spring Equinox homeschool lesson. How you pace it out is up to you, we tend to spread things out a bit so we can do more craft projects so what could be done in 3 days can also be stretched over a week or two! You can really shape this to fit your homeschool style and add any spirituality you'd like (or not!!) If you want examples and resources for any of the points on the guide you can find them at the bottom of THIS FALL EQUINOX BLOG POST.

Ask Questions and record answers.

Give a brief overview and go through the questions. Read a book or passage on the topic.

Watch a short video and have the kids write, discuss or present a brief overview of the topic.

Do a hands on activity (craft/art project, outdoor adventure, cooking/baking.

Read a book about the topic and do a brief activity, comprehension sheet or coloring page that corresponds with it.

Wrap up with some creative writing, art journaling or nature journaling.

Finish the lesson with a presentation of learning or celebration.



Solstices & Equinoxes

Northern Hemisphere 2023-2024

Vernal/Spring Equinox

March 19th 2024 8:06pm GMT

Summer Solstice

June 21st 2024 1:50pm GMT

Winter Solstice

December 21st 2023 3:27am GMT

Autumn/Fall Equinox

September 22nd 2023 11:15pm GMT



Solstices & Equinoxes

Southern Hemisphere 2023-2024

Autumn/Fall Equinox

March 19th 2024 8:06pm GMT

Winter Solstice

June 21st 2024 1:50pm GMT

Summer Solstice

December 21st 2023 3:27am GMT

Spring/Vernal Equinox

Septhember 22nd 2023 11:15pm GMT



Fall Equinox

What is it?

There are two solstices and two equinoxes each year, these 4 events mark the changing of the seasons and have for all recorded history and beyond. The fall equinox happens in September in the Northern Hemisphere and March in the Southern Hemisphere.

The fall equinox is an astronomical event that happens once a year, in the Northern Hemisphere it occurs around September 20-23rd, in the Southern Hemisphere, usually between March 19-22

Cultures all over the world have been observing/celebrating the fall equinox for the past 12,000+ years!! There are many historical sites that align with the equinoxes (and solstices) that give us clues to how observing this date helped shape civilization.

The Earth is tilted on its axis. This tilt is what gives us our seasons. During the fall equinox, the Earth is in a position where the sun is directly above the equator. On this day, the length of daylight and nighttime is almost equal all around the world. That means we have roughly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. Check out this short video that explains why: Click HERE.

After the fall equinox, the earth starts tilting away from the sun, and that's when we experience the days getting shorter and the nights becoming longer. This change in sunlight and temperature is what brings about the beautiful autumn season, in some places this means leaves changing colors and the weather becoming cooler.

There are many symbols, animals, etc. associated with the seasons changing from summer to fall: Apples, corn, gourds, foxes, squirrels, animals preparing for hibernation, oak trees, acorns, pine cones, grains, breads, root vegetables, and more! What do you think about when you think about this time of year?

Check out the additional resources near the end of this packet for videos, books and more!



The Earth's Axis

Imagine that the Earth is like a giant spinning top, and it has an invisible line running through it from the North Pole to the South Pole. This line is called the Earth's axis. The Earth spins around this axis as it goes on its journey around the

Sun.

Earth's Axis: The Earth's axis is tilted, which means it's not standing straight up and down. This tilt is what gives us our seasons. It's like when you tilt a flashlight ? the light shines on different parts of the wall. Because of the tilt, different parts of the

Earth get more or less sunlight at different times of the year.

Equinoxes happen when the Earth's is tilted in a way that we get nearly even amounts of day and night. During solstices, half of the earth is tilted toward the sun and the other half awaymaking for the "longest day" (summer solstice), and the "longest night" (winter solstice). The Earth's axis causes the seasons change and gives us different amounts of daylight throughout the year. Equinoxes happen when day and night are about the same length, and solstices happen when one hemisphere gets the most or least sunlight. It's the natural rythm that humans have used to mark the seasons for thousands of years!

Additional Lesson Plan by The California Academy of Sciences.



Autumn Word Search



 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download