Long Days and Short Days
A 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on comparing observations across the year to relate daylight to the time of year.
Long Days and Short Days is a free 50-minute Grade 1 science lesson plan for Common Core standard 1-ESS1-2 — compare how much daylight there is at different times of year. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 1
- Length:
- 50 minutes
- Standard:
- 1-ESS1-2
Grade 1 · Earth and Space Science
1-ESS1-2
Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.
Objective
Students will be able to compare daylight in different months and say how it relates to the time of year.
Students are successful when they can
- Reads hours of daylight off a chart.
- Names the month with most and least.
- Says why one month's reading is not enough.
What you need
- Sunrise and sunset times for four months, from a newspaper or almanac
- Strips of paper to make a daylight bar for each month
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — was it dark when you came?
5 min- Ask whether it was dark on the way to school this morning.
- Ask whether that was true in June.
Teach — make the bars
13 min- Read December's times: rose 8:04, set 3:53. Cut a strip about 8 hours long.
- Do June: rose 4:43, set 9:21. Cut a strip about 17 hours long.
- Stand the two strips side by side and ask what the class notices.
- Add March and September and put all four in order.
- Say the finding: the amount of daylight changes with the time of year.
- Ask why all the readings came from the same place.
“Same place, different month. What changed?”
Investigate — build the year
17 min- Groups make daylight strips for four more months from a table of times.
- They put all eight in order round the room.
- They mark the longest and the shortest.
- They predict a month not in the set and place its strip.
Independent practice
12 min- Students complete the 'Long Days and Short Days' page.
- Point at the tallest and shortest bar with a pupil who is stuck.
Close
3 min- Ask what time it will get dark next month, and why.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Thinks the days are shorter in winter because of clouds.
Why: Winter is greyer.
Fix: The times are sunrise and sunset. Cloud does not change either.
Compares two months measured in different places.
Why: Any two readings feel comparable.
Fix: Only the month may change. Check both readings are from the same place.
Thinks daylight changes suddenly.
Why: The clocks change on one day.
Fix: Put all eight strips in order. The change is gradual across the year.
If they are not there yet
- Two months rather than four.
- Pre-cut strips to place in order.
If they finish early
- Predict the strip for a month between two you have.
- Say when the days start getting longer again.
- Explain why the school day feels different in December.
Exit ticket
December has about 8 hours of daylight and June about 17. What does that show?
What to look for: The amount of daylight changes with the time of year. Restating the numbers means the relating step is missing.
Printable practice for 1-ESS1-2
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Long Days and Short DaysLook at the chart, then answer.
Questions about Long Days and Short Days
How long does the Long Days and Short Days lesson take?
50 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, investigate 17 min, independent practice 12 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Long Days and Short Days teach?
1-ESS1-2 — 1-ESS1-2, Earth and Space Science for Grade 1: “Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.” In plain terms, compare how much daylight there is at different times of year.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Sunrise and sunset times for four months, from a newspaper or almanac, strips of paper to make a daylight bar for each month and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: thinks the days are shorter in winter because of clouds; compares two months measured in different places and thinks daylight changes suddenly. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “December has about 8 hours of daylight and June about 17. What does that show?.” The amount of daylight changes with the time of year. Restating the numbers means the relating step is missing. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Long Days and Short Days?
Yes — 1 printable 1-ESS1-2 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Long Days and Short Days free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 8 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Aligned to 1-ESS1-2 of the Next Generation Science Standards.