Why Angle Changes Intensity

A lot can change in a year! Investigators observe a video of Earth over the course of a year and complete a KWL chart. Astronomers view a second video, participate in a guided discussion, and discuss the rubric for successfully...

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...

Students explore winter adaptations and glare. In this winter weather lesson, students discuss the season of winter and how animals and plants adapt to the changing weather. Students discuss the glare off snow and make goggles for their...

Students identify how the tilt and position of the Earth causes the seasons. After a discussion of the seasons and when they begin. Using themselves as the objects in the universe, they role play how the rotational movement of the...

Discover the chemistry behind the color change in leaves. The lesson narrator describes how trees must recycle nutrients in the leaves before they fall off for the winter. The video breaks down the process and highlights the chemistry of...

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.

Sixth graders conduct a controlled investigation to determine the length of the sun's shadow on a fixed object (i.e., flagpole, telephone pole, etc.) over a three-day period (one day in the fall, one in the winter, and one in the...

Young scholars explain the reason for the changes in season. In this instructional activity examining the relationship between the Earth and the Sun, students use an applet to discover how the alignment of the Earth and the Sun cause the...

Two hands-on activities celebrate the sun and moon autumnal equinox. First, scholars create a cairn using a shoebox, flashlight, and drawing tools to view the sun's progression. Second, learners take to the kitchen to bake mooncakes and...

Sixth graders review the relationship between the Sun and the Earth. In groups, they use a globe and flashlights to show the shadows on the Earth during the different seasons. To end the lesson, they write in their journals about their...