Lets start with a simple song:
The seasons change four times a year
From spring to winter they appear
Spring is wet , the flowers grow
it rains a lot and melts the snow
Summer is hot, its full of sun
there's no school, its lots of fun
Fall is cool, the leaves fall down
the colours change all over town
Winter is cold, the snowflakes fall
We skate and ski and make snowballs
The seasons change from sun to snow
And that is all we have to know...
LETS LEARN ABOUT SEASONS
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WHAT DO WE MEAN BY SEASON?
Season is the division of the year marked by changes in weather, ecology and hours of daylight.
Seasons happen because of annual revolution of earth around sun and the tilt of the earth's axis in relation to the orbital plane. This angle of deviation is 23.5 degrees.
(For more read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Season)
WHAT CAUSES EARTH'S SEASONS?
WHAT ARE SEASONAL VARIATIONS?
( A must read for students working on this lesson: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/121632/climate-change/275776/Seasonal-variation)
Equinox = day and night are equal.
Solstice = Days when Sun is at the farthest North or South
Shortest day of the year: 22 December(Winter Solstice; beginning of winter)
Longest day of the year: 21 June(Summer Solstice; beginning of summer)
Vernal Equinox: 21 March (Sun crosses equator; Spring begins in Northern hemisphere & Autumn in Southern Hemisphere)
Autumnal Equinox: 22 September
During summer, days are longer than nights
In winter, days are shorter than nights.
Generally, during May, June and July Northern hemisphere faces sun. During this time, they have Summer and at this period, Southern Hemisphere has winter. During November, December, January; Southern Hemisphere faces Sun and they have summer while opposite side has winter.
In the tropical countries, hot summers are from March to May; monsoons from June to October and cool or mild winters from November to March.
In North India, during December -January, winter(frost or fog); February to April is Spring; may to June is Summer; July and September/October are rainy seasons and in November there is Autumn.
In Kerala, there are two monsoons. South West monsoon is called Kalavarsham or Edavapathy and it is from June to September. The land receives 60% of rainfall from this monsoon. The other is North East monsoon called Thulavarsham. Its during October- November.We get 30%rains from this. Premonsoon showers with thunder in May is another common feature. Thus the seasons of Kerala are predominantly 3, with a prolonged rainy season. From November end to January its winter and thereafter its Summer.
To read more on seasons of Kerala log onto:
http://www.prokerala.com/kerala/climate.htm
For a visual and poetic elude of rainy nightfall in God's Own Country, read:
http://calicutnet.com/articles/rajesh/night_fall.htm
http://calicutnet.com/articles/rajesh/rain_rhythms.htm
A photo gallery on Kerala monsoons:
http://calicutnet.com/news/news-reports/rajesh-07/rain_lashed_kerala.htm
To look for seasons of India, peep :
http://www.mrdowling.com/612-monsoon.html
To know more about monsoons, visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsoon
Great Poet John Keats has penned a beautiful sonnet titled " The Human Seasons..."
"Four seasons fill the measure of the year
There are four seasons in the mind of man...
He has his lusty spring, when fancy clear
Takes in all beauty with an easy span:
He has his Summer, when luxuriously
Spring's honied cud of youthful thought he loves
To ruminate, and by such dreaming high
Is nearest unto heaven: quiet coves
His soul has in its Autumn, when his wings
He furleth close; contented so to look
On mists in idleness--to let fair things
Pass by unheeded as a threshold brook.
He has his Winter too of pale misfeature,
Or else he would fore go his mortal nature..."
He has his Summer, when luxuriously
Spring's honied cud of youthful thought he loves
To ruminate, and by such dreaming high
Is nearest unto heaven: quiet coves
His soul has in its Autumn, when his wings
He furleth close; contented so to look
On mists in idleness--to let fair things
Pass by unheeded as a threshold brook.
He has his Winter too of pale misfeature,
Or else he would fore go his mortal nature..."
Summary of meaning:
The four stages of human life are like the four seasons of a year.Each stage has a compilation of lengthy dramas and stories of experiences from the cradle to the grave.It applies for both the human body and the human mind.For what is life here on earth? it is but a short journey we all undertake till our purpose is done.We all are formed from the dust and to the dust we shall all return one day.
The first stage of human life is the birth and the childhood days,which is compared to the season of Spring.This Season is believed to be the rebirth of Nature's life here on earth.It is characterized by warmth, spots of flora emerging everywhere on the naked ground,sounds of all types of birds in the air, movement of wild animals in the forest and very bright sunshine.This is the Season of optimism and hope.From birth till late childhood, life for every child is almost the beginning of a bright and a shiny future.Childhood is featured by innocence, physical stamina and vitality, tremendous urge for the outdoors and a tremendous appetite for fun and play.Activities have no limits.Each and everyone of us miss our childhood days.
The second stage of human life is Youth which is compared to the season of Summer. Summer is the season of fertility and immense harvest. It is marked by pleasantness,warm Summer rain and a blooming of vegetation.The fish of the waters swim adventurously in the gushing streams and rivers.The Earth itself is manifested with esteemed life.Similarly, Youth is marked by the end of Childhood innocence,beginning of self consciousness and high spirits of Romance.It is the peak and the glorious age of life.Each and everyone of us decides which path in life to take and the plans to settle with the best of everything.Beauty and attraction symbolizes the physical color of youth.
The Third stage of human life is Middle age which is compared to the season of Autumn.Autumn is characterized by beginning of dryness and slow deterioration of leaves of trees and plants.Everything around begins to fade away and begins to look shabby.The incoming chilling breeze blowing in all directions add to the gloom of nature.Similarly, Middle age is featured by a very slowly degrading physical strength,slight change in outward appearance,relaxed mood,and burdened with matured activities.By this time, all are treading towards old age.We see life differently and quite often worry about the generation,quite often our own off springs.The main feature of Middle age is Parenthood.We also learn to look back at our own lives and become very nostalgic.
The last stage is the Old Age which is compared to the season of Winter.This season is marked by extreme dryness and cold.The days are short and nights are long.Physical strength begins to fall to an all time low.Health is always a major issue.At this stage people tend to become very Spiritual and become mentally prepared for death.Winter ultimately closes the year just like old age closes the life on earth of a person to eternal rest.
