Best for
Years 1-4 science, local weather observation, calendar talk, and place-based seasonal learning.
Science • Years 1-4 • Earth and space patterns
Seasons in Aotearoa
Use this handout to help ākonga notice how weather, daylight, plants, and clothing choices change across the seasons in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Free seasonal scaffold, premium local-observation path
This page already includes the sorting, comparison, and local noticing spaces. Te Wānanga can adapt it to your region, local species, or bilingual classroom language while keeping the junior-science sequence simple and usable.
- Swap in local photos, weather patterns, or place names.
- Create a more visual version for new entrants or an extension version with data collection.
- Save the adapted sheet in My Kete and revisit it later in Creation Studio.
Kaiako planning snapshot
- Use length: 25-35 minutes.
- Grouping: Whole-class talk, then pairs or independent matching.
- Prep: Optional seasonal photos, clothing items, or a weather calendar.
- Teaching move: Keep bringing students back to what they have actually noticed in their own place.
Resources already provided
- Season summary cards
- Matching-and-sorting task
- Local noticing prompt
- Write-and-draw space
- Teacher-only curriculum companion
The page already includes the prompts and writing space needed for a complete junior-science session.
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga / Learning Intentions
- We are learning the names of the four seasons in Aotearoa.
- We are learning how weather, daylight, and living things can change across a year.
- We are learning to notice seasonal patterns in our own place.
Paearu Angitu / Success Criteria
- I can name the four seasons.
- I can describe one sign of each season.
- I can record something I notice about the current season where I live.
Curriculum integration / Te Mātaiaho alignment
Use the companion page to connect this handout to junior earth-and-space science, weather observation, and place-based pattern noticing.
Seasons in local life
Seasons affect what we wear, what we notice outside, how long the day feels, and what happens in gardens, parks, and school grounds. Junior science becomes stronger when students connect the idea to real observations.
A mātauranga Māori lens can support this naturally through maramataka, local seasonal markers, and noticing how people and place change together.
The four seasons
Spring and summer
Warmer weather, longer days, and lots of visible plant growth.
Autumn and winter
Cooler weather, shorter days, and different patterns in wind, rain, and temperature.
Match the clues
| Clue | Which season could it be? | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| People wear sun hats and the days feel long. | ||
| Leaves change colour and the mornings feel cooler. | ||
| There is more frost and the afternoon gets dark earlier. | ||
| New flowers appear and the weather starts warming up. |
What do you notice now?
Write or draw two things you notice about the current season around your home, school, or local area.
Support, core, stretch
Support
Use the sentence frame: “I know it is... because...”
Core
Complete the matching table and record two local observations.
Stretch
Explain how daylight or temperature changes over the year in Aotearoa.
Students may respond through spoken language, labelled drawings, or short written sentences.
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Social Sciences — Tikanga ā-Iwi
Level 3–4: Investigate social, cultural, environmental, and economic questions; gather and evaluate evidence from diverse sources; communicate findings and reasoning clearly for different audiences and purposes.
English — Communication
Level 3–4: Read, interpret, and evaluate information texts; write clearly and purposefully for specific audiences; apply critical thinking skills to evaluate sources and construct well-reasoned responses.
Aronga Mātauranga Māori
This resource sits within a kaupapa that recognises mātauranga Māori as a living knowledge system with its own frameworks, values, and ways of understanding the world. The New Zealand Curriculum calls for learning that reflects the bicultural partnership of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which means every subject area has an obligation to engage authentically with Māori perspectives — not as cultural decoration but as substantive contributions to how we understand our topics. The concepts of manaakitanga (care for others), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whanaungatanga (relationship and belonging), and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) provide a values framework applicable across all learning areas, and all are relevant to the work in this handout.
Tuhia ōu whakaaro · Write Your Thoughts
Reflect on what you have learned today. What was the most important idea? What question do you still have?
Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Support Materials
This handout is designed to be used alongside the broader unit resources available at Te Kete Ako handouts library. Related resources from the same unit are linked in the unit planner. All resources are provided — no additional preparation is required to use this handout in your classroom.