Earth's Rotation Experiment
Can you represent Earth?
Goal:
Goal:
The Reason for the Seasons
Refer to the experiment in the "Earth and Sun Concepts" lesson that explained Earth’s rotation around The Sun.
Materials:
washable markerstablelamp (with shade removed)globe
1. Use washable markers to mark the North and South Poles on the globe. Draw a circle around the middle of the globe to highlight the equator. These marks will help you see Earth's tilt and the two hemispheres more clearly.
2. Place a lamp without its shade on a table in the middle of a room. The lamp's light represents the sun. Turn off all lights in the room except for the lamp.
3. Face the lamp while standing about 2 to 3 feet away from it. Hold the globe at a slight tilt, and begin walking around the table. You are representing Earth's rotation around The Sun. As you move, focus your attention upon the tilt of Earth.
4. Keep the globe tilted as you move around the table so it is clear that the top half of the globe is tilted toward The Sun when it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and the bottom half is tilted away from The Sun when it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
5. Notice that The Sun shines directly on the Northern Hemisphere during the summer and indirectly on it during the winter.
6. Mark off the path around The Sun into quarters, and guess what season it is according to the tilt of Earth in relation to The Sun.