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Using Geometric Shapes

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Snow seems to fascinate most children, and I must admit snowflakes themselves intrigue me. It hasn't snowed here yet, but it surely will once winter is in full swing. In preparation for that, I have a winter stem activity to share that's all about snowflakes!

Are you following Fun-A-Day's Winter Pinterest board?

winter stem activity that explores snowflakes

Learning goals What I'd like the kiddos to get out of this activity:

An understanding of the structure of snowflakes

An introduction and exploration of the concept of symmetry

A chance to learn more about basic shapes

The opportunity to plan and build their own "snowflake"

Materials
Construction paper
Tape, glue, and/or stapler
Photos of real snowflakes

Directions Cut the construction paper into thin strips (ours were about an inch to an inch-and-a-half wide and about four to five inches long). Set about making some shapes with the paper strips:

For the circle, simply loop the strip around and tape/staple/glue the ends together. We went with tape this time around.

For the square, fold the strip in half and then half again. Then unfold and make into a square-shape. Attach the ends together.

For the triangle, fold the strip into thirds, unfold, and attach the edges.

This is a great time to talk to the children about the qualities of different shapes. If they're interested, let them help assemble the shapes. That's an even more hands-on way to explore the shapes.

Once there are enough shapes constructed, bring out the photos of real snowflakes. The photos could be found together online, researched in a book, or even found in your own photos. Ask the children to tell you what they notice about the snowflakes - it's always interesting to see what they notice first! Guide them to noticing there are three lines to each snowflake. Bring up the term symmetry and explain how, if the snowflakes were folded in half, both sides would match up.

Now move onto the planning and building portion of this stem activity! Draw three intersecting lines on a piece of paper. Work with the kids to map out their own snowflakes. Ask questions along the way to help guide them towards a symmetrical snowman - "Why are you putting a circle there?" "What shape is next?" "I see a triangle on this side, so what shape should be here?" The kiddos can then tape, staple, or glue the shapes together into a snowflake. One of ours was taped together, while another needed to be placed onto another piece of paper.

Or just keep the individual shapes separate and let the kids build, and rebuild, snowflakes along the intersecting lines. Would your children like this winter stem activity?

Preschool Snow Lesson Plans

If you're looking for more snow-themed lesson plan ideas, be sure to check out our plans for the preschool classroom and homeschooling preschool.

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Winter STEM Activity - Build a Snowflake

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here. Snow seems to fascinate most children, and I must admit snowflakes themselves intrigue me. It hasn't snowed here yet, but it surely will once winter is in full swing. In preparation for that, I have a winter stem activity to share that's all about snowflakes! Are you following Fun-A-Day's Winter Pinterest board?

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Here are 10 things about the December Solstice you might not know:

©bigstockphoto.com/Yanika

1. Winter and Summer Solstice

In the Northern Hemisphere, the December Solstice is the winter solstice and the shortest day of the year.
Sunrise & Sunset in Your City
In the Southern Hemisphere, it is summer solstice and the longest day of the year, because equinoxes and solstices are opposite on opposite sides of the planet.

2. A Specific Point in Time

Most people count the whole day as the December Solstice. However, the Solstice is actually at a specific moment - when the Sun is exactly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn.

In 2018, the December Solstice is on December 21, at 22:23 UTC. Due to the Time Zone difference, some locations will have their solstice on a different date.

3. Second Solstice of the Year

Solstices happen twice a year - once around June 21 and then again around December 21. On the June Solstice, the Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer (latitude 23° 30′ North) in the Northern Hemisphere, while on the December Solstice, the Sun shines directly over the Tropic of Capricorn (latitude 23° 30′ South) in the Southern Hemisphere.

4. The Date Varies

The December Solstice can happen on December 20, 21, 22 or 23, though December 20 or 23 solstices are rare. The last December 23 solstice was in 1903 and will not happen again until 2303.

5. The Sun 'Stands Still'

The term solstice comes from the Latin word solstitium, meaning 'the Sun stands still'. This is because on this day, the Sun reaches its southern-most position as seen from the Earth. The Sun seems to stand still at the Tropic of Capricorn and then reverses its direction. It's also common to call it the day the Sun turns around.

6. It's the First Day of Astronomical Winter

In the Northern Hemisphere, astronomers and scientists use the December Solstice as the start of the winter season, which ends on the March Equinox. For meteorologists, on the other hand, winter began three weeks ago on December 1.
How are seasons defined?
7. The Earth Isn't Farthest From the Sun

During winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the Earth is actually closest to the Sun. Different seasons are not defined by how far the Earth is from the Sun. Seasons occur because Earth orbits the Sun on a slant, with an axial tilt of around 23.4 degrees. Therefore different amounts of sunlight reaches the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, causing variation in temperatures and weather patterns thoughout the year.

In fact, the Earth is on its Perihelion - the point on the Earth's orbit closest to the Sun - a few weeks after the December Solstice.
Is this timing a coincidence?
8. Earliest Sunset Not on the Solstice

Most places in the Northern Hemisphere see their earliest sunset a few days before the Solstice and their latest sunrise a few days after the Solstice. This happens because of the difference between how we measure time using watches and the time measured by a sundial.
Why isn't the Year's Earliest Sunset on the Winter Solstice?
9. Daylight Hours Increase Faster in the North

If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, the increase rate of daylight hours depends on your location's latitude - in more northern latitudes you will see a rapid increase in daylight hours compared to if you're in the more southern latitudes.
Sunrise and sunset times in your city
10.Celebrated Around the World

Many cultures around the world hold feasts and celebrate holidays around the December Solstice.

Topics: Astronomy, Sun, Seasons, December, Solstice

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Here are 10 things about the December Solstice you might not know: In the Northern Hemisphere, the December Solstice is the winter solstice and the shortest day of the year. Sunrise & Sunset in Your City In the Southern Hemisphere, it is summer solstice and the longest day of the year, because equinoxes and solstices are opposite on opposite sides of the planet.

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Edpuzzle video lesson. Make any video your lesson. Take a video and crop it, add your voice or embed questions at any point.

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STONEHENGE FORETOLD THE SEASONS

As to the purpose of Stonehenge, again we can only surmise. But clearly, the very scale of this unique megalithic structure suggests that the area itself was of importance. But for what? Was Stonehenge a temple to the gods? Who were the gods? It is tempting to assign the giant sarsen stones to astrological alignement. The danger here is that you can find an alignement to almost anything if you search hard enough.

But one presents itself immediately - Stonehenge is aligned northeast-southwest, and it has been suggested that particular significance was placed by its builders on the solstice and equinox points, so for example on a midsummer's morning, the sun rose close to the Heel Stone, and the sun's first rays went directly into the centre of the monument between the arms of the horseshoe arrangement. It is unlikely that such an alignment can have been merely accidental.

Or is this too simple? Turning 180 degrees, another alignment becomes apparent…..at the precise moment of the winter solstice, the sun sets exactly between the largest sarsen stones.

STONEHENGE FORETOLD THE TIME

To validate this, we must look at the society of the time. It had become a society now dependent on the seasons, which determined the success of agriculture. Would mid-winter have been more important to a society that had now become dependent upon the fortunes of these seasons? Psychologically, mid-winter would have been more of a critical turning point than the balmy days of summer. Stonehenge was a clock, a clock that foretold the time not only of the solstices but perhaps also of sun and lunar eclipses.

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Edpuzzle video lesson. Make any video your lesson. Take a video and crop it, add your voice or embed questions at any point.

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Winter Weatherlore & Folklore from Stormfax® Look for weather signs in your own backyard!

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Post your photos and quick video clips of Stonehenge or rock balancing here!

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In teams of 4, you will have 5 minutes to construct what researchers believe the original Stonehenge looked like.

Use your choice of materials: Legos, blocks, rocks, cardboard, etc. to create a replica of Stonehenge. NO glue, tape, string, or anything adhesive is allowed.

You will then have 5 minutes to clean up and return all the materials.

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A Free flash online stopwatch, quick easy to use flash stopwatch! also a countdown timer!

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Individually, you will have 10 minutes to create a rock balancing structure.  Consider the balance points and shapes of the rocks.  You do not have to focus on height, be creative!  Be sure to capture images of your rock artwork as they will need to be taken down and returned to the rock bucket at the end of the timed challenge.

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A Free flash online stopwatch, quick easy to use flash stopwatch! also a countdown timer!

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Winter Folklore Forecasts
Winter Folklore Forecasts
 WEATHER FOLKLORE from STORMFAX®
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Winter Weatherlore & Folklore from Stormfax® Look for weather signs in your own backyard!
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