Demonstrate the Seasons Assignment

Use your newfound knowledge of the seasons to demonstrate what you've learned. Perhaps you can demonstrate to a parent, a younger sibling, or 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!

Before you begin, click the Activity button to fill out the assignment as you go, and click the Rubric button to make sure you know how to create an excellent model.

Activity

1. Your task is to use a model to demonstrate how the four seasons happen on Earth.

2. Collect the following objects: Inflatable globe, a lamp, and a marker.

3. Plan and rehearse your demonstration. You can use this information to guide you.

1. Use the lamp to represent the sun.

2. Mark the spot where you live on your Earth model.

3. Place the lamp on a table and hold the ball a few feet away from the lamp.

4. Hold your model of Earth with two fingers: one at the North Pole and the other at the South Pole.

5. Tilt your Earth model slightly to represent the 23.5° tilt of Earth.

6. Move your model in a horizontal circle around the lamp, keeping the tilt constant throughout its trip.

7. As you move your Earth around the sun, watch how the amount of light that reaches your home changes at various points in the orbit. Rotate your Earth on its axis to see how day and night change in your area through the seasons.

8. When you reach the point where the North Pole points toward the sun, that's the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (and the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere).

9. When you reach the point where the North Pole points away from the sun, that's the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (and the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere).

10. When you reach a point in between two solstices (where the North Pole doesn't point 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.

11. At the solstice and equinox points, look carefully at the difference in the amount of light that falls on the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

4. Find two people: one to take digital pictures while you demonstrate and the other to be your student.

5. Perform your demonstration while your assistant takes pictures.

6. 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.

7. Post the pictures of your demonstration on the classroom discussion board. Include a short paragraph describing the experience. 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?

At the end of the lesson, submit the completed Activity page to your teacher for a grade.