Why do we have seasons on Earth?
Find out the real reasons we have seasons (it isn’t the varying distance of the Earth from the Sun)! We’ll see seasonal changes in the skies from Cleveland, with additional views from other parts of the globe.
Teacher Guide
Objectives
- Identify planets visible to the unaided eye in the evening/morning sky.
- Name at least three constellations visible in the evening/morning sky.
- Explain the significance of the tilt of Earth's axis and orbit in determining seasons, and that different places on Earth have different seasons.
- Describe that, in the case of Earth, the varying distance of our planet from the Sun does not determine the seasons.
- Name other planets that have seasons, some caused by the tilt of the axes, some by the varying distance of the planet from the Sun.
Ohio's Learning Standards
Grade 5
Earth and Space Science – Cycles and Patterns in the Solar System
- The Sun is one of many stars that exist in the Universe.
- Most of the cycles and patterns of motion between the Earth and Sun are predictable.
Grade 6
Earth and Space Science – Matter and Motion
- There are two categories of energy: kinetic and potential.
- An object's motion can be described by its speed and the direction in which it is moving.
Grade 7
Earth and Space Science – Cycles and Patterns of Earth and the Moon
- The relative patterns of motion and positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun cause solar and lunar eclipses, tides, and phases of the Moon.
- Thermal-energy transfers in the ocean and the atmosphere contribute to the formation of currents, which influence global climate patterns.
