Meteorology

What Causes the Seasons?

Have you ever wondered what causes the seasons?

Your Perfect Weather Day

In many different climates around the world, the different seasons bring very different weather. What is your requirement for having a "perfect weather" day? Discuss your perfect weather day with a partner. Do you have a list of requirements such as warm and sunny, or chilly and windy, etc? You could say that you have a success criteria for your perfect day.

Learning Target

The model of the solar system can explain that the seasons are a result of the tilt of the earth and are caused by the differing amounts of sunlight on different areas of Earth across the year.

Success Criteria

I will be able to create a model to demonstrate how the tilt and orbit of the earth causes differing amounts of sunlight on different areas of earth.
I will be able to use a model to demonstrate how the tilt and orbit of the earth causes differing amounts of sunlight on different areas of earth.

Using a model I can predict:

The season on Earth, given the relative positions of Earth and the sun (including the orientation of the Earth’s axis) and a position on Earth.
The relative positions of Earth and the sun when given a season and a relative position (e.g. far north, far south, equatorial) on Earth.

Work With Your Trios!

Choose your roles in the group and help each other monitor the Success Criteria

Start Here...

Click on the link to right, read the introduction and then click LAUNCH to begin the simulation.

Follow the directions below as you make your way through the simulation:

Draw a diagram of the Sun/Earth System in your notebook. (be sure to include the Earth's tilt on its axis.)
Click on the points on Earth's orbit around the Sun to learn about that time of year.
Change the city location (New York, USA 41°N, Miami, USA 26°N, Singapore, 1°N, Melbourne, Australia 38°S) to see how they are similar and different as the Earth is in different positions in its orbit.
Read the tabs on the side (About Seasons, Earth's Orbit, Sun's Path In The Sky, Sun's Angle, Seasonal Lag) and take notes in your science notebook.

Why Do We Have Seasons?Explore what causes seasons on Earth in this interactive produced by WGBH and adapted from NASA materials. The interactive features four cities at different latitudes (New York City, Miami, Singapore, and Melbourne) and provides information about their seasonal conditions at eight points in Earth's orbit. Illustrations show how the Sun's path through the sky and the angle of sunlight hitting Earth's surface vary depending on latitude of a location and Earth's position in its orbit. Text boxes describe the shape of Earth's orbit, how the duration and angle of sunlight influence the energy received at Earth's surface, and seasonal lag. This interactive replaces “Earth in Motion: Seasons,” which was removed because of inaccurate content. This resource is part of the NASA Planetary Sciences Collection.

Group Assessment

Answer the following questions together with your Trio. You may use your notes as you answer the questions. Please be sure to discuss each question thoroughly.

Individual Assessment

Answer the following questions by yourself. You may use your notes as you answer the questions.