Reasons for Seasons

Winter, spring, summer, and fall—take the learning of the seasons beyond the elementary level to the middle school classroom. Curious learners begin by watching videos about the seasons and the rotation of planet Earth. Then, they...

Learners determine the causes of changes in season. In this earth science lesson, students relate the Earth's tilt to seasonal changes. They list traditional activities that take place in various seasons.

Meteorologists view an animated video by the Environmental Protection Agency to learn how the carbon cycle works, and then move into groups to analyze and graph actual data of the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration from Hawaii's...

In this earth's seasons worksheet, students answer fill in the blank questions after seeing Bill Nye's video. Topics include the rotation of the earth around the sun, the tilt of the earth, the time zones and sunlight.

Considering the shape of Earth's orbit and the tilt of its axis, viewers see why seasons occur on the planet. Additional resources that come with the video include a discussion idea, multiple-choice Think questions, and Dig Deeper links...

From days of 24 hour sunlight, to endless nights that last for days, the Arctic is a very unique place to live. Examine the seasonal changes that occur in the northern-most reaches of the globe and the impact they have on the plants and...

Explore the reason for the seasons! An interactive lesson allows learners to explore the earth's rotation from the viewpoint of four cities at different latitudes. It provides descriptive information at eight points during the orbit...

Junior geologists become the force that makes the world go around! With a lamp on the floor in the middle of the room to represent the sun, volunteers hold a globe, revolve, and rotate. Observers notice how the light hitting the globe...

What can shadows tell us about the changing season? Over several months, astronomy learners record length and position of an outdoor object's shadow, such as a flagpole. They apply the data to a growing hypothesis and note the patterns...

Students evaluate data to determine changes in length of day. They model the revolution of Earth around the sun to show changes in length of day and sun angle and illustrate how the sun angle affects the change of season.