Lesson Plan - Let's Celebrate Spring!

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Learning Objective

Students will understand what happens during the spring equinox and identify some of the ways the equinox is celebrated around the world.

Text Structure

Description 

Content-Area Connections

World Cultures, Earth Science

Standards Correlations

CCSS: RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.3, RI.3.4, RI.3.5, RI.3.6, RI.3.7, RI.3.8, RI.3.10, L.3.4, SL.3.1, W.3.2

NCSS: Culture

TEKS: Social Studies 3.13

1. Preparing to Read

Watch Two Videos: Happy Holi! & Chichén Itzá Serpent
Discuss: What do Holi and the appearance of the sunlight serpent at Chichén Itzá have in common? What events do you associate with the start of spring?

Happy Holi
Watch a video to learn more about this colorful holiday.
Chichén Itzá Serpent
Watch a video of this famous “snake” appearing on the steps of a pyramid.

Preview Words to Know

Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

  • equator 
  • monument


Set a Purpose for Reading

As students read, have them identify similarities among the traditions.

2. Close-Reading Questions

1. What is the spring equinox?
The spring equinox occurs when the sun shines directly above the equator and the hours of day and night are equal. This marks the arrival of spring.
(RI.3.4 DOMAIN-SPECIFIC VOCABULARY)

2. Why do people toss colored powder during Holi?
People toss colored powder at each other during Holi to spread joy and celebrate the arrival of spring.
(RI.3.3 CAUSE/EFFECT)

3. In what ways are the equinox celebrations in Mexico and England similar?
Both celebrations take place at structures built by ancient people—the Mayan temple at Chichén Itzá and the Druid monument at Stonehenge. Both are gatherings of people.
(RI.3.8 COMPARISON)

3. Skill Building

FEATURED SKILL: Descriptive Writing
Use the Skill Builder “Five Senses in Spring” to have students brainstorm sensory details about this season.
(W.3.2 DEVELOPING A TOPIC WITH DETAILS)

Differentiate & Extend

Multilingual Learners
Celebrate diverse languages and cultures by inviting students to share the word for spring in their native languages. Use the words, along with photos of springtime celebrations around the world, in a bulletin board display.


Striving Readers
Have students read the lower-level version of the article (available here).


Geography Link
Use a globe to show students the location of the equator. Explain that on the equinox, the sun is directly over the equator at noon. This is what makes the hours of day and night equal.

Text-to-Speech