Why We Have Seasons

Start with the orbit diagram so students see that the axis always points the same way. Then have them plot the daylight data and find June and December on their finished line.

Label solstices and equinoxes on Earth's orbit, then explain how direct rays and tilt cause seasons. The directions on the page read: Read the text. In the box linked to each Earth, write June solstice, September equinox, December solstice or March equinox. Then answer the questions. An answer key is included.

Yes, both. We made it for 6th Grade Earth and space, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with seasons. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

No. Distance from the Sun does not cause seasons. Earth is closest to the Sun in early January, during northern winter, and the 23.5 degree tilt of its axis is what matters.

Direct rays pack their energy into a smaller area, so each spot gets more energy and heats up more. Slanted, indirect rays spread the same energy over a larger area.

At the June solstice the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun and the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away, so the south has winter. In December it is the other way around, and December has the Southern Hemisphere's longest day.