Annually on December 21, 22, or 23, darkness envelops Earth’s Northern Hemisphere for a bit longer than regular. Whereas what we now know to be the winter solstice has an easy astronomical clarification, early myths of why the solstice takes place additionally share insights into early civilizations’ steps into science.

Science ATL

Picture by Tom Fisk from Pexels

Why YOU Need to Know About Winter Solstice?

I’m selecting to jot down about Winter Solstice this month as a result of it’s vital for all of us, adults and children alike, to S…L…O…W down and pay some consideration to the atmosphere round us this time of 12 months. With all of the ‘preparing for the vacations’ frenzy stuffed with procuring, wrapping, gifting, partying, consuming, journey, ending up work earlier than the world shuts down the week of December 23, it’s straightforward to overlook the calm that settles upon the Northern Hemisphere as the times develop shorter, darker, and colder. For these readers within the Southern Hemisphere, the solstice marks the glory and warmth of the summer season months with lengthy days.

You need to learn about Winter Solstice as a result of it is filled with intriguing data for younger learners together with: science, historical past, consciousness of what’s occurring in world round us, and, as importantly, fostering social and emotional connections based mostly upon widespread expertise and reflection. In any case, constructing data and using background data, in addition to rising vocabulary is what literacy is all about at any age.

Tricks to Clarify Winter Solstice to Children–Bullet Level Info for YOU!

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  • It’s the SHORTEST day of all the 12 months, that means, the Northern Hemisphere receives the least quantity of daylight on that day. The times following the Winter Solstice change into a bit longer every day when the solar once more begins to climb. On at the present time, the solar seems the bottom within the sky as a result of the solar hits the Northern Hemisphere at an angle. Due to the angle, the solar’s rays are extra unfold out fairly than straight shining upon us. It is usually the primary day of winter and happens on December 21, 22, or 23. This 12 months, Winter Solstice falls on December 21.
  • All of the planets within the photo voltaic system revolve across the solar, which is on the heart…however our Earth additionally rotates upon an axis (as do all the opposite planets). The Winter Solstice happens on the level when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted the furthest away from the solar. The lean of the axis just isn’t straight up and down because it seems on two dimensional maps. This ’tilting’ of the axis is what creates our seasons.
  • Winter Solstice can be known as ‘hibernal solstice’ and ‘the intense of winter’. I assume which means it’s time to ‘sit back’!
  • The phrase ‘solstice’ comes from 2 Latin phrases: ‘sol’ that means “solar” (acknowledge this phrase in Spanish?) and ‘sistere’ that means “to face” from the Latin solstitium “level at which the solar appears to face nonetheless”. The phrase’s utilization dates from the 1200s.
  • Despite the fact that the phrase ‘solstice’ dates from the 1200s, people have been observing the Winter Solstice way back to the Stone Age’s Neolithic interval occurring roughly 10,200 B.C!
  • Legends surrounding the Winter Solstice have been typically used to elucidate environmental phenomena earlier than the science was understood. For instance, historical peoples believed monsters who stole the solar away triggered the shortage of daylight. Finnish folklore ascribed the winter solstice to the ‘witch goddess of the north’, Louhi, who stole each the solar and the moon. Greek and Yupik cultures believed the extra darkness allowed gnome-like creatures the chance to hunt.
  • Further associations to Winter Solstice embody the deal with ‘gentle’ and ‘rebirth’. It was thought that the earth’s emergence from the lengthy evening to the sunshine of day corresponded to the continuous cycle of life and demise. A further interpretation is the chance to create gentle and goodness within the face of darkness or evil.
  • Traditionally, many cultures celebrated the Winter Solstice with ceremonies and festivals to mark the day of the solar’s rebirth, celebrating life, demise and the human reference to nature’s strongest power, at areas equivalent to Stonehenge in England, which was constructed roughly 5000 years in the past as an observatory.

Picture from Farmers’ Almanac

What New Vocabulary to Focus on?

I counsel you employ the illustration above to assist clarify a few of these phrases. You’ll discover I take advantage of easy and little one/pupil pleasant definitions versus dictionary definitions. I choose the Collins CoBuild Dictionary as a supply of extra ‘pleasant’ or simpler to grasp definitions. I encourage you to make use of photographs to assist clarify these vocabulary phrases.

  • axis : an actual or imaginary straight line going by the middle of an object that’s spinning, or line that’s spinning, or a line that divides a symmetrical form into two equal halves: The earth revolves across the axis that joins the North and South Poles.
  • hemisphere : from the Greek ‘hemi’, that means half and ‘sphere’ that means a 3 dimensional spherical object, on this case the Earth. Hemisphere actually means 1/2 of the Earth.
  • hibernal : having to do with winter when some crops and animals are in a dormant or resting state. Many youngsters are accustomed to the notion that animals hibernate through the winter months.
  • North/South Pole : northern/southern most level of the Earth the place the axis meets the floor of the Earth both on the northern finish or the southern tip
  • rebirth : new or second beginning, to happen once more
  • revolve : the thought of transferring round one other object in a round movement (the Earth revolves across the Solar as soon as every year)
  • rotate : to show round an axis (see above) in a round movement. The Earth rotates upon its axis as soon as each 24 hours. Thus the Earth BOTH revolves across the solar AND rotates on its axis. This could be a very troublesome idea for kids to grasp–it’s possible you’ll want to make a mannequin of the solar within the heart, then the earth utilizing a golf ball or pickleball with holes so to use a straw to show an axis.
  • shadow : a darkish space or form produced by a physique coming between rays of sunshine and a floor. An individual’s shadow is longer within the winter than in the summertime.
  • solstice : See the data above!
  • tilt : to lean, incline, slope, or slant

Simple mannequin of the Earth spinning on its axis. I’d have included the Solar—however the playground ball I had doubtless migrated to my grandkids’ home!!

Picture by Lori Josephson

Suffix : adjective suffix which compares 3 or extra objects (superlative for you grammar addicts). You have to to make use of this definition to elucidate phrases equivalent to ‘farthest’, ‘lowest’, ‘shortest’, and so forth. It’s nice to focus on its utilization.

Prefix : prefix that means ‘once more’ within the case of phrases related to Winter Solstice. By the way in which, this prefix additionally means ‘going again’ as within the phrases ‘recline’, ‘reverse’, and so forth. Many college students are unfamiliar with this second that means.

FYI, I clarify the significance of vocabulary acquisition, in addition to the significance of phrase elements, equivalent to prefixes and suffixes in my guide, Calling All Neurons! How Studying and Spelling Occur.

What Information Constructing Blocks and Empathy to Assume About?

It’s vital for our younger ones to each purchase data after which use this data as background data when referring to the world, in addition to studying textual content for in-school and out of college studying–and sure, even leisure. In an article printed really yesterday, Dr. Doug Fischer describes data constructing as, “an energetic course of facilitated by academic experiences the place lecturers deliberately develop college students’ data bases essential for future studying.” Alternatively, Dr. Fischer describes background data as, “prior data and experiences that college students carry to the studying course of. It contains all the pieces from data and private experiences to cultural norms and linguistic competence. This background data shapes how college students interpret texts and the connections they make [to the new text].”

In case your little one(ren) or pupil(s) know nothing in regards to the photo voltaic system, studying about Winter Solstice can be labeled as data acquisition. However, your little one(ren) or pupil(s) have some familiarity with the subject, they might have the ability to use their background data to assist them study Winter Solstice extra simply.

In any case, studying about one’s atmosphere and one’s connection to and interplay with the atmosphere, in addition to how the previous connects to the current and future can’t presumably be something however optimistic.

If you consider it, even this factual expository data (versus narrative fiction) has connections to how folks suppose and really feel. That is the true essence of literacy–utilizing textual content and footage (even of the true world) to raised perceive one another and join with others in an empathetic method.

Some Attention-grabbing Books and Actions To Share with Children

Any exercise to do with gentle is most acceptable to present a nod to the Winter Solstice. This could possibly be a bonfire, lighting candles, making lanterns, and the like. In any case, the Winter Solstice celebrates the tip of the ‘darkest day’ of the 12 months. Most, if not all, holidays presently of 12 months, have a good time gentle in some trend.

Taking your youngsters on a “Winter Nature Scavenger Hunt” is a superb alternative for Winter Solstice. Clearly, this can be a treasure trove when it comes to including extra vocabulary to our children’ lexicons.

Free Obtain from https://backwoodsmama.com

Storytelling in regards to the origins of Winter Solstice looks like an excellent match right here. Some chosen titles embody, however are usually not restricted to:

Shadow play is a good concept! Go outside (or indoors even for that matter) and measure every others’ shadows. Then measure them once in a while and report the variations. The longest shadows happen on the day of Winter Solstice; simply the other is true on the day of Summer time Solstice in June.

Picture by Lori Josephson–a selfie, taken on Winter Solstice.

For extra nice concepts, go to these web sites I discovered:

https://backwoodsmama.com/2017/12/7-wonderful-ways-to-celebrate-winter-solstice-with-kids.html#overlay-1376643

https://tinkergarten.com/weblog/how-to-celebrate-winter-solstice-with-kids

Yeah, it’s good to ‘sit back’ and hunker down presently of 12 months…keep in these pajamas all day!!

Even in right this moment’s world, it’s nonetheless a delight to view at the present time as an opportunity to cozy up and look ahead to the sunshine within the coming seasons. That’s me on Winter Solstice for actual, attempting to be ‘retired’ (ineffectively so!). Picture courtesy of Richard Josephson.

P.S. It’s additionally a good time to precise gratitude. Should you missed my final weblog specializing in gratitude, test it out right here. My weblog from final December, additionally about gratitude, might be discovered right here.

P.P.S. I want you a joyous and peaceable Vacation Season and a Completely satisfied New 12 months! See you in ’25!