Winter and Summer Sunlight

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about seasonal sunlight?" Then let them work through the worksheet on their own or with a partner, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These seasonal sunlight worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

These seasonal sunlight worksheets for 1st grade give students a clear, visual way to work through one of the big ideas in earth sun and moon. Students label diagrams, sort and classify examples, read short explanations, and answer questions that ask them to say why, not just what. Each page keeps the science vocabulary front and center so students leave with the words they need to talk about seasonal sunlight accurately. Working through seasonal sunlight on paper gives 1st grade students something concrete to hold onto before, during, or after the hands on part of a lesson.

This worksheet is designed for 1st Grade students (Ages 6-7), aligned to NGSS standard 1-ESS1-2. It can also be used as review for early students at the next grade level or as an introduction for advanced students.

Yes. This worksheet works for homeschool, classroom, and tutoring settings. Print individual pages for targeted practice, or print the full set as a packet. Works great as a morning warm-up, independent center activity, or fast-finisher task.

First graders learn that Earth's tilt causes different amounts of sunlight to reach us at different times of year, creating the seasons. They explore why summer has longer days and more direct sunlight, making it warmer, and why winter days are shorter and cooler.

Seasonal sunlight is typically introduced during a Grade 1 earth science unit on seasons or the sun and sky. Teachers connect it to students' lived experiences of summer vacations, winter holidays, and the changing length of their school days throughout the year.

Compare your family's morning and evening routine in summer versus winter and ask your child why it's light outside at different times. Use the worksheet activities to connect those observations to what they're learning about Earth's tilt and the sun.