Introductory Activities
Mystery Class starts in early February. Build excitement and background knowledge:

• Track Seasonal Change With Journey North
• Track and Report Changes in Day Length
• Explore Season Simulator
• Observe and Wonder: Wonder Rings
• Build-a-Booklist and Learning Center
• Time, Seasons and the Globe
• Photo Gallery: Explore the View from Space
• Photo Gallery: Explore Words and Diagrams

Earth's Daily Cycle
Explore reasons for day and night, and how time of day reveals clues about the longitude of a location.

• What Makes Day and Night?
• Far Above the North Pole: What Pattern Do You See?
• Eating on the Equinox
  
• Exploring Hourly Shadows and Sunlight
• Following the Sun for a Day
• Telling Time with Shadow Sticks
• Telling Time with Sundials
• World Clocks
• Visualizing the 24-hour Clock

Earth's Seasonal Cycle
Explore reasons for seasons, and how photoperiod reveals clues about the latitude of a location.

• What Makes Seasons?
• Modeling the Seasons
• Season Simulator
• Reasons for Seasons
• How is Sunlight Changing? Autumn Mornings in North America
  
• Following the Sun Through the Year
• Exploring Seasonal Shadows and Sunlight
• On the Same Day of March: A Tour of the World's Weather
• Seeing the Light: Recognizing the Sun's Role in Living Systems
• Misconceptions about Reasons for Seasons

Latitude and Longitude

• Where in the World? Understanding Latitude and Longitude
• Game: Locate the Spot
• The World's Biggest Address Book: Learning About Latitude and Longitude
• Teacher's Practice Packet #1: Discovering Latitude Clues
• Teacher's Practice Packet #2: Discovering Longitude Clues
• Latitude Shoes: Invention Lets You Travel the Globe!
• Longitude Clues: Why They Only Work on the Equinox
• Eating on the Equinox
• Latitude and Longitude Literature

Photoperiod

• Make Your Own Photoperiod Graph
• Reflection Questions for Photoperiod Graphs
• Graphing Photoperiod and Interpreting Graphs
• Kids Calculating Photoperiods
• Calculating Photoperiods: How to Double Check
• Practice Graphing Photoperiod

Additional Resources

• Reading Suggestions: Trade Book Titles
• The Longitude Contest: Who Wanted to be a Millionaire?
• The "Powers" of the Equinox?
  
• Core Teaching Resources
• Assessement Tasks and Tools

Report Photoperiod

Season Simulator

Wonder Rings

Build-a-booklist

Latitude Shoes

Who Digs That Prime Meridian?

World Clocks

Core Resources