Teaching the reasons for seasons is often a difficult concept for our students to grasp. We can certainly feel the changes of the seasons here on Earth, but the causes behind those changes are not as easily “felt.”
In my class, we take about one week to complete the “Reasons for Seasons” unit. Students investigate how the tilt of Earth’s axis and Earth’s movement in its orbit causes our seasons.
Students are introduced to the following concepts and terms: rotation, revolution, axis, tilt, seasons, angle of insolation, orbit, solar noon, solstices, equinoxes, etc.
Being that this topic is somewhat abstract, I like to use lots and lots of diagrams and animations. These tool helps students have a clearer understanding of how the tilt of Earth’s axis and Earth’s movement in its orbit have such an impact on us here on Earth.
Incorporating the reasons for our seasons into your classroom
Your students will appreciate the variety of activities in this unit. Here is a list of all of the resources included:
– Reasons for Seasons Lesson Plans
– Reasons for Seasons PowerPoint Presentation & Guided Notes
– Earth’s Revolution Practice Worksheet & Answer Key
– Earth’s Rotation & Revolution Lab & Answer Key
– Seasons Practice Worksheets (three versions) & Answer Keys
– Seasons Quiz & Answer Key
Be sure to check out my three-month long Astronomy bundle with all kinds of extra activities about orbital motions, our solar system, ellipses, eccentricity, Kepler’s laws, our moon, eclipses, tides, stars, the universe and so much more. We all know how nice it is to have DONE FOR YOU activities.
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