REASONS FOR THE SEASONS WEBQUEST

Name: __________________________________ Section:

_______________________

Objective: Model and illustrate how the tilted Earth rotates on its axis, causing day and night, and
revolves around the Sun causing changes in seasons.

An educational publishing company has hired YOU 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 wrong ideas (misconceptions) about what causes seasons it is very important that your
poster be very accurate. Your poster will answer the question "What causes the seasons?" Before you
can start your poster, you must do some research on student ideas as well as the science behind the
seasons.

******Start by checking out the following interactive program on Why We Have Seasons

Part 1: Misconceptions about the Seasons

What are misconceptions? A misconception is an incorrect idea about something. Your task is to find
some common misconceptions about the reasons for the seasons.

A. Read the Common Misconceptions about Day and Night, Seasons paragraph below
B. Read What Causes the Seasons? Common Misconceptions
C. Read Some Background Facts
D. Read The Seasons

CommonMisconceptionsaboutDayandNight,Seasons

Thepolarregionsextremesinlengthsoftheseasonsanddayandnightareanintriguingintroductiontomisunderstoodscientific
concepts.Researchhaslongdocumentedthatpeopleofallageselementaryschoolchildren,collegestudents,andadultscannot
explainthecauseofdayandnightorseasons.Whiletheprevalenceofthesemisconceptions,aswellasthecomplexityofthe
subject,makesitunlikelythatstudentswillleaveelementaryschoolwithacompleteandcorrectunderstanding,itisimportantto
assess,target,andchallengethesemisconceptionsevenintheearlyyears.

Wevelistedsomecommonmisconceptionsabouttheseasonsanddayandnightascitedbyeducationalresearch.

DayandNightMisconceptions

TheSungoesbehindhills.
CloudscovertheSun.
TheMooncoverstheSun.
TheSungoesbehindtheEarthonceaday.
TheEarthgoesaroundtheSunonceaday.
TheEarthspinsonitsaxisonceaday.
TheSunmovesacrossthesky.
TheEarthrotatesinaclockwisemanner.
SeasonsMisconceptions

EarthisclosertotheSunduringsummerandfartherawayduringwinter.
SeasonshappenatthesametimeeverywhereonEarth.
SeasonalcharacteristicsandchangearethesameeverywhereonEarth.
TheEarthsorbitisanelongated(skinny)ellipse,makingthedistancebetweenearthandsunvarydramaticallyoverthe
courseofayear.
Thetiltoftheearth'saxisofrotationputstheNorthernHemispheresignificantlyclosertothesuninJunethanthe
SouthernHemisphere(producingsummerintheNorthernHemisphereandwinterintheSouthernHemisphere).
Acommonstudentanswerforthecauseoftheseasonsisthat"theEarthtipstowardtheSunintheSummer,...".This
conveystheimpressionthattheEarthmovesarounditsorbitandatcertaintimesoftheyeartherotationaxissuddenly
tipsonewayoranotherandthuswehaveseasons.

Record four misconceptions in the table below. You will be using this information to make part of your
poster.

1. _________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Using these misconceptions, make part of your poster identifying common misconceptions and then
turn them into truths.
PART 2: TILT OF THE EARTH

How does the Earth's tilt affect the seasons? Research the websites below.
Include the following on all 4 drawings: Earth, its tilt, the sun, name of the season.

Earths Tilt Is the Reason for the Seasons!

Why Do We Have the Seasons?
Seasons and the Tilt
Seasons and the Tilt Interactive
Tilted Earth (podcast)

Using your research draw a picture of the Earth, showing its tilt, at each season,
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall/Autumn
Use this information to make the second part of your poster about the tilt of the Earth.

Part 3: Earth Location and Seasons

The Earth is at four different points in its orbit around the Sun when we have each season.
Where is the Earth when it is summer (or winter, fall, and spring)?
Why is the hemisphere tilted towards the Sun warmer?
How are things different at the equator than at the poles?
For the Northern Hemisphere, when does the axis point most towards the Sun? When does the
axis point away from the Sun? At what point does the axis point neither towards nor away?
What is the special name for these two dates?

For this section draw a picture of the Earth revolving around the Sun through the year.
Show the Earth at its location during Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall/Autumn.
Be sure to answer all of the questions listed above in this section of your poster.

Part 4: Day & Night

How does the angle of the sunlight that hits the Earth affect day and night?
Include a diagram with labels. Use the information to make the fourth section of your poster about
the angle of sunlight that hits the Earth causing day and night.

Part 5: Written Response

Write a paragraph explaining the reasons for the seasons, making sure to incorporate each part
of your poster into your paragraph.

Poster requirements:
Diagrams and drawings including labels will be used on every poster section to help illustrate
the concepts. The poster will be neat and all information will be easily found.
Take your time, and produce a neat and accurate poster explaining the reasons for the seasons.
Other Useful resources

Earths Appearance at different times during the year

Seasons Interactive
Seasons Interactive 2
Observe Seasonal Changes

Poster Rubric

Students will:

Describe the relationship between the tilt of Earth's axis and its yearly orbit around the
sun.
Describe the yearly revolution (orbit) of Earth around the sun.
Explain that Earth's axis is tilted relative to its yearly orbit around the sun.
Explain how the relationship between the tilt of Earth's axis and its yearly orbit around
the sun produces the seasons.
Compare Earths position in relationship to the sun during each season.
Use a drawing and/or model to explain that changes in the angle at which light from the
sun strikes Earth, and the length of daylight, determine seasonal differences in the
amount of energy received.
SUMMARY OF WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED

1. While the total number of hours in the days does not change from season to season, the
number of daylight hours does.

2. Our planet is not oriented straight up and down with regard to its motion around the sun.
It is actually tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees off the perpendicular of its solar orbit (the
same angle at which most model globes are tilted.)

3. As Earth travels around the sun, the axis changes the orientation of the planet with
regard to the incoming solar radiation. This causes a change in the amount of light hitting the
planets surface at any position above or below the equator.

4. As the seasons change from spring to autumn, the axis is oriented toward the sun. From
autumn to spring, the axis is turned away from the sun. When the axis is pointed toward the
sun, more light falls on that hemisphere.

5. During the months of April through September, there is more light on the Northern
Hemisphere than on the Southern Hemisphere. The farther north one gets, the greater
number of daylight hours.