Demonstrate the Seasons
Use your newfound knowledge of the seasons to demonstrate what you've learned. Perhaps you can demonstrate to a parent or a younger sibling, or maybe a classmate. You could even make a video of your demonstration and offer it as a tutorial to other students. Sometimes the best way to learn is to teach!
Goal:
Goal:
Activity
- Your task is to demonstrate using a model how the four seasons happen on Earth. Before you get started, take a look at the rubric to get tips on what a good demonstration will look like.
- Use the following objects: Inflatable globe, a lamp, and a marker.
- Plan and rehearse your demonstration. You can use this information to guide you.
- Use the lamp to represent the sun.
- Make a mark on your Earth model to represent your location.
- Place the lamp on a table and hold the ball a few feet away from the lamp.
- Hold your model of Earth with two fingers: one where the North Pole would be and the other where the South Pole would be.
- Tilt your Earth model slightly to represent the 23.5° tilt of Earth.
- Move your model in a horizontal circle around the lamp, keeping the tilt constant throughout its trip.
- As you move your Earth around the sun, watch how the amount of light that reaches your home changes at various points in the revolution. Rotate your Earth on its axis to see how day and night change in your area through the seasons.
- When you reach the point where the North Pole points directly toward the sun, that's the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (but it's winter in the Southern Hemisphere).
- When you reach the point where the North Pole points directly away from the sun, that's the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (but it's summer in the Southern Hemisphere).
- When you reach a point in between two solstices (where the North pole doesn't point either toward or away from the sun), that's an equinox. If you just came out of the winter solstice, then it's the spring equinox. If you just came out of the summer solstice, then it's the autumnal equinox.
- At the solstice and equinox points, look carefully at the difference in the amount of light that falls on the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
- Find two people: one to take digital pictures while you demonstrate and the other to be your student.
- Perform your demonstration while your assistant take pictures.
- Ask your student if he or she has any questions about your demonstration. Refine your demonstration as necessary to make sure your student understands the process.
- Post the pictures of your demonstration on the classroom discussion board. Include a short paragraph describing how the experience went. Did your student understand right away? Was it easy to explain the process? Do you have a better understanding of the process as a result of this exercise?