Day to Day, Season to Season Science Stations | NGSS 5-ESS1-2

Help students deepen their understanding of Earth, moon, and sun patterns with these Day to Day, Season to Season Next Generation Science Stations. This fifth grade science station unit focuses on NGSS 5-ESS1-2 as students explore day and night, seasonal changes, moon phases, Earth’s rotation, Earth’s revolution, the moon’s orbit, eclipses, and the seasonal appearance of stars.

Students move through eight engaging science stations that include videos, games, reading passages, investigations, diagrams, models, hands-on activities, sorting tasks, and digital options. Each station helps students build understanding of the observable patterns caused by the movement of Earth, the moon, and the sun.

What’s Included

This Day to Day, Season to Season Science Stations Unit Bundle includes:

• Vocabulary Cards in two formats:
  • With pictures
  • Without pictures
• Big Idea Posters for classroom display
• Teacher and student checklists
• Eight science stations
• Printable station materials
• Differentiated student questions
• Google Forms™ options
• Google Slides™ activity directions and worksheets
• Digital crossword and word search options

Please note that the vocabulary cards, Big Idea posters, and checklists are only available in the bundle.

Science Stations Included

Watch a Video

Students watch a video about night and day or seasons, then answer questions to reinforce what they learned.

A Google Form™ version is available.

Play a Game

Students play a board game with classmates. Additional options include a crossword puzzle or word search puzzle. The crossword and word search are also available digitally.

Investigate Night and Day

Students read about patterns caused by the movement of Earth around the sun. They investigate what happens as Earth revolves around the sun while rotating on its axis, then answer questions to reinforce understanding.

Google Form™ and Google Slides™ versions are available.

Diagram Moon Phases

Students read about the different phases of the moon. They conduct an activity, create a moon phases diagram, and answer questions to show what they learned.

Google Form™ and Google Slides™ versions are available.

Read About Rotations and Revolutions

Students read about how the rotations and revolutions of Earth and the moon cause observable patterns and changes on Earth. Then they answer questions to reinforce key concepts.

A Google Form™ version is available.

Model Tilting Planet

Students read about how Earth’s tilt, rotation, and revolution cause the seasons to change. They use models to conduct an investigation and build understanding.

Google Form™ and Google Slides™ versions are available.

Explore Eclipses

Students read about solar and lunar eclipses, then explore these events through a hands-on activity. Follow-up questions help students reinforce what they learned.

Google Form™ and Google Slides™ versions are available.

Sort Seasonal Changes

Students read about seasonal changes and their causes and effects. They sort scenarios by season and answer questions to explain their thinking.

Google Form™ and Google Slides™ versions are available.

Google Classroom™ Components

Digital components are included to support Google Classroom™ use.

Included digital options:

• Google Forms™ with reading passages and differentiated questions for:
  • Watch
  • Investigate
  • Diagram
  • Read
  • Model
  • Explore
  • Sort
• Google Slides™ with activity directions and worksheets for:
  • Investigate
  • Diagram
  • Model
  • Explore
  • Sort

These digital options make it easier to use the stations in blended learning, paperless assignments, centers, small groups, or independent work.

Skills Covered

Students will practice important Earth and space science skills, including:

• Understanding day and night
• Explaining Earth’s rotation
• Explaining Earth’s revolution around the sun
• Understanding the moon’s orbit around Earth
• Identifying moon phases
• Modeling Earth’s tilt
• Explaining seasonal changes
• Understanding solar and lunar eclipses
• Recognizing patterns in the sky
• Analyzing and interpreting data
• Sorting seasonal scenarios
• Using models to explain science concepts
• Reading informational science text
• Answering science-based questions

Ways to Use This Resource

Each station is designed to last about 15–20 minutes, making the unit easy to fit into your science block.

Use the stations for:

• Fifth grade science units
• NGSS-aligned instruction
• Earth and space science lessons
• Science centers
• Small group rotations
• Partner activities
• Whole-class station rotations
• Google Classroom™ assignments
• Digital science practice
• Review and reinforcement
• Early finisher activities
• Blended learning
• Sub plans

Students may complete one station per day for eight days, two stations per day for four days, or any schedule that works best for your classroom. The additional Watch and Play station activities can also be offered as student choice options or early finisher stations.

NGSS Alignment

This resource supports the fifth grade NGSS Performance Expectation 5-ESS1-2.

5-ESS1-2: Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky.

This aligns with the Disciplinary Core Idea ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System, which focuses on how the orbits of Earth around the sun and the moon around Earth, along with Earth’s rotation on its axis, cause observable patterns. These patterns include day and night, changes in shadows, and different positions of the sun, moon, and stars at different times of the day, month, and year.

This station set supports:

• Performance Expectation: 5-ESS1-2
• Disciplinary Core Idea: ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System
• Science and Engineering Practice: Analyzing and Interpreting Data
• Crosscutting Concept: Patterns

Why Teachers Love It

Teachers love these Day to Day, Season to Season Science Stations because they make complex Earth and space science concepts more concrete and engaging. Students do more than read about the Earth, moon, and sun—they investigate, model, diagram, sort, play, watch, discuss, and respond.

The mix of print and digital options gives teachers flexibility, while the vocabulary cards, posters, checklists, differentiated questions, Google Forms™, and Google Slides™ help support organization and student independence.

Build Understanding of Earth, Moon, and Sun Patterns

These Day to Day, Season to Season Science Stations give fifth graders a hands-on and digital way to explore the patterns caused by Earth’s rotation, Earth’s revolution, the moon’s orbit, Earth’s tilt, moon phases, eclipses, day and night, and seasonal changes. With eight NGSS-aligned stations and flexible classroom options, this resource is a strong addition to your Earth and space science unit.