Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: The Sun and the Earth
The students will understand the relationship between the Earth and the sun and how this relationship affects observable phenomena on Earth, such as the seasons. The activity will help students learn about these concepts and will...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Cycles of the Sun and Moon
Students download sunrise and sunset data along with moon phase data, and graph these data sets together in a spreadsheet in order to visualize the cycles of the seasons and the moon.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Reasons for the Seasons
Why do some regions experience full-time heat while others are reckoning with frigid temperatures and snow? And why are the seasons reversed in the two hemispheres? Rebecca Kaplan explains how the shape of the Earth's orbit around the...
Exploratorium
Exploratorium:seasons/shadows: Investigate How Shadows Shift Throughout the Year
Ancient Chacoans used shadows to tell daily time and seasons. Build a model that demonstrates the changes in Earth's tilt that affect the length of shadows relative to the sun that determines the seasons. The lesson plan uses everyday...
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climatological Survey: The Seasons
Find out what the seasons are and how they change. Through the use of excellent graphics, content explores the Earth's orbit around the sun and how sunlight reaches the earth at equinox and the winter solstice.
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Reason for the Seasons
In this set of activities, the path the Sun takes in relation to the Earth is tracked by students on two days, with three months in between them. They will develop an understanding of what causes the seasons as they examine the effects...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Project Ideas: The Reasons for the Seasons
In this astronomy science fair project, investigate how the earth's axial tilt creates seasons. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction, followed by a section on...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: A Matter of Degrees: Tilt of Earth's Axis Affects the Seasons
In this science fair project, use a globe and a heat lamp to investigate how the angle of the Sun affects global warming. This project includes the objective, background questions, a list of all the materials you'll need, and the...
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.
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
The following lessons help students from grades 6-8 understand sleep and circadian rhythms. Lesson topics iinclude: day and night, seasons, sundails, clocks, sleep and sleep patterns and sleeping in space.
The Wonder of Science
The Wonder of Science: Ms Ess1 1: Earth Sun Moon System
Develop and use a model of the earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Dirtmeister's Science Lab: Let the Sun Shine In
Students graph data reflecting time of day and length of shadow, and then draw conclusions about Earth's seasons and position in relation to the Sun.
University of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin: Reasons for the Seasons
A brief explanation of the Earth's rotation around the Sun and how it relates to the amount of sunlight the Earth receives, and to the seasons. Includes two questions for students to respond to.
National Museums Liverpool
Liverpool Museums: The Sun Tracker
This simulation allows the user to see the sun's arc in the sky anywhere in the world at any time. By changing the season settings the user can see how seasons affect the height of the sun's arc.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Seasons
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Learn how and why seasons occur.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Seasons
For this activity, students create a small model of the Earth using a styrofoam ball and a skewer. They then explore the relationship between the Earth and the Sun (a flashlight) to understand why it is hottest at the Equator, and why we...
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Earth and Space the Seasons
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart explores the relationship between the sun and earth and how the seasons happen. Vocabulary of the equinox, solstice, etc. is included.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Calculating the Declination of the Sun for Elementary Students
In the school courtyard, students will measure the apparent path of the sun across the sky using a toilet plunger. Students will then generate questions as to why the sun appears to move, and what is really happening in the process. We...
PBS
Pbs: Why Do We Have Seasons?
A student-directed tutorial showing all aspects of seasons, including Earth's tilt position in relation to the sun, photos of typical weather during that season, and some informational text to support the visuals.
NASA
Nasa Star Child: A Song for All Seasons
After listening to excerpts from four of the violin concertos from "The Four Seasons" by Italian composer and violinist, Antonio Vivaldi, decide which excerpt was meant to go with which season, and also decide where the earth would be in...
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.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Modeling Earth's Seasons by Rotation and Revolution
In this lesson, students will discuss, define, and demonstrate the Earth's rotation and revolution around the sun in a counterclockwise position. They will be able to predict seasons based on the amount of light that hits the Earth.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Fifth Grade Science: Earth Science: Earth's Motion in Space
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Discusses the motion of the Earth with its day and night cycle, the seasons, the Earth's orbit around the Sun, and its year-long cycle.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Earth and Sun
A slideshow exploring Earth's rotation and revolution around the sun. Learn that because of Earth's axis tilt we experience the seasons!