Seasons

What causes us to experience a time of very hot temperature and 6 months later for it to be snowing and freezing? That is the question we seek an answer too in this section. We will be studying the Earth and the effect of its tilted axis on the weather patterns. You can start by watching this video.

Here is the Bill Nye, Seasons worksheet.

If the video does not work, click here

You should also check out this page by NASA. What causes the seasons?

This site will also talk to you an explain the reason for seasons.

Here is one more site; Click Here.


Here is the Seasons Word Journal

Seasons Study Guide

This is a WebQuest created by Mr. Hill, a science teacher in Utah.

This WebQuest will help you understand the reasons for the seasons. This WebQuest will help us to answer the following questions:

  • Why do we have seasons?

  • Why is winter colder than summer?

  • Is it because the Earth is closer to the Sun in summer than winter?

Take your time and complete each task carefully. If you do, you’ll be surprised just how much you will learn.


Task

Imagine: You have been hired by an educational publishing company to produce posters for middle school science classrooms. Your first poster is to be one that shows the causes of seasons on Earth.

Since many students have the wrong idea about what causes seasons (they think that they are caused by the Earth being closer to the Sun during the summer) it is very important that your poster be very accurate. Your poster will answer the question "What causes seasons".

After you have researched the information for your posters, you will go back to the classroom and make your posters. If you haven’t been given the WebQuest worksheet and requirements, click here.


Click Here for an Example of the Final Poster

Seasons Notes 1

Click here for a copy of Season Guided Notes

(Answer Key)

Review: We know winter is when the northern hemisphere (north pole) points away from the sun; summer is when the northern hemisphere (north pole) points toward the sun.


So can we actually tell when the sun is pointing away or toward the sun? Actually you can observe these changes by watching the sun in the sky. There are 4 days during a year to look for; Winter Solstice, Summer Solstice, Spring Equinox, and Fall Equinox.

Solistice and Equinox

Watch the videos below as a review.

Video 1 will review the reason we have seasons.

Video 2 will show a time lapse of the sun's position in the sky over the course of a year. What do you notice?