Day & Night/ Seasons

• The rotation of the earth on its axis causes day and night.

• It takes 24 hours to rotate once. Half of the earth facing the sun experiences day time. Half of the earth facing away from the sun experiences night time.

• Model the length of day and night and how it changes throughout the year.

• Students will need to be able to explain what causes day and night.

  • The Earth's rotation causes the Earth to have day and night.

  • It takes 24 hours to complete on rotation.

What is the reason for the seasons?

Students will also need to know what is the reason for the seasons.

Explain how Earth's orbit affects seasonal changes.

• • Students should be able to understand that the Earth's tilt causes the amount of direct sunlight to cause different seasons.

  • If the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun then it is experiencing summer, and the southern hemisphere will be experiencing winter.

  • Students should understand that when the Earth is orbiting sun, the seasons are affected by the tilt and the place the earth is in the orbit.

  • It takes 365 days for the Earth to orbit the sun.

• The reason for the seasons is the tilt of the earth on its axis.

• When the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun it gets more sunlight and experiences summer; the southern hemisphere is therefore tilted away from the sunlight and experiences winter.

• When the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun it gets less sunlight and experiences winter; the southern hemisphere is now tilted toward the sun and experiences summer.

• The northern and southern hemispheres always experience opposite seasons. Summer/Winter and Spring/Fall.