CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Plix: Seasons
[Free Registration/Login Required] This site contains an animation showing how the seasons are produced by the tilt of Earth's rotating axis. Site also includes a short quiz over the topic of seasons.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Weather & Climate: Seasons
A slideshow and a short multiple-choice quiz on the topic of seasons and how they are caused by the Earth's rotation and orbit.
NASA
Nasa: Sci Jinks: What's a Solstice?
Find out how the Earth's tilted axis affects the seasons on the Earth.
Other
Center for Science Education: Eye on the Sky: Motion of the Sun and Earth
Students model the interaction of the earth and the sun. The activity is designed for the playground. You will need chalk, but all the other worksheets are provided.
Geography 4 kids
Geography4 kids.com: Earth Around the Sun
Find out what all results from Earth revolving around the sun every 365 days as well as the rotation of the Earth every 24 hours.
Illustrative Mathematics
Illustrative Mathematics: G Mg Tilt of Earth's Axis and the Four Seasons
This task gives students a chance to explore the effects of the Earth's tilt and rotation using a simple geometric model of Earth-Sun interaction that shows why the seasons occur. Aligns with G-MG.A.1.
Other
Astro Methods: Earth's Nutation Visualized
Nutation is a small cyclical motion superimposed upon the steady 26,000-year precession of the Earth's axis of rotation. It is mainly caused by the gravitational effect of the 18.6-year rotation period of the Moon's orbit. The main...
Utah Education Network
Uen: A Moon With a View
Understand the rotation of the earth and the appearance of movement of other bodies in the sky.
Utah Education Network
Uen: As the World Turns
Third graders use their bodies to act out the motions of earth.
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Scijinks: Seasons
An explanation about the rotation of the Earth and why the Earth has seasons.
Math Is Fun
Math Is Fun: The Seasons
Learn about the four seasons, when they occur in the northern and southern hemispheres, and why the seasons change as the Earth rotates around the Sun.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Earth's Movements in Space
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart contains definitions for axis, rotation, revolution explanation of seasons and an assessment using Activotes.
McREL International
Mc Rel: Earth's Axis [Pdf]
A worksheet regarding the path of the Sun around the Earth and the Earth's tilt on its axis.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Earth and Space Day and Night
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart illustrates a view of the earth from space and how day and night happens.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Rotation of the Earth
A KWL activity combined with a demonstration model. Students record their ideas and questions about why we have day and night. They then shine a flashlight (the Sun) on a rotating styrofoam ball (the Earth) and record their observations....
McREL International
Mcrel.org: Planet Rotation [Pdf]
A worksheet regarding the axis of rotation within each of the planets. PDF
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Cosmology and Astronomy: Season Simulator
This season simulator takes Earth through an entire year cycle allowing the viewer to observe the tilt of the Earth and the intensity of the sunlight.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: What on Earth Is Spin?
Why is the spinning motion so special? Brian Jones details the dizzyingly wide array of ways that spinning affects our lives. [3:57]
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Day and Night
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this flipchart students will understand how the Earth rotates during a 24 hour period giving us day and night.
NASA
Nasa: Sea Wi Fs Biosphere Globes
This interactive globe allows you to get any view of the earth by entering latitude, longitude and season criteria.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Lunar Learning
Why does the Moon not always look the same to us? Sometimes it is a big, bright, circle, but, other times, it is only a tiny sliver, if we can see it at all. The different shapes and sizes of the slivers of the Moon are referred to as...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Trb 3:1: Investigation 4: Day and Night
A lesson for third graders in which they learn about the rotation of the Earth on its axis and how this movement creates day and night. They also examine the orbit of the moon about the Earth and the Earth's orbit around the sun.
Other
Center for Science Education: Eye on the Sky: What Makes Day and Night?
This activity will allow you to model day and night cycles. A rotating student holding a map (provided) models the earth. A lamp is used to model the sun. Numerous worksheets (pdf) and additional website resources are also provided.
Read Works
Read Works: Morning Sunshine
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read about how the tilt of the Earth on its axis affects sunrises and sunstes. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.