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Students should be able to develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe predictable phenomena observable on Earth, including seasons, lunar phases, and eclipses of the sun and moon

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How the Movement of the Earth and Sun Cause the Days, Seasons and Years

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How the Movement of the Earth and Sun Cause the Days, Seasons and Years

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How the Movement of the Earth and Sun Cause the Days, Seasons and Years

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Interactive site demonstrating interactions of Sun, Moon, and Earth

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Interactive site demonstrating interactions of Sun, Moon, and Earth

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Science Strands:

ES1, ES3, BW7,

NoS Strands:

NoS3, NoS4 , NoS5,

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Interactive Games, Activities and Resources

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Interactive Games, Activities and Resources

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It's all about Earth's tilt!

Many people believe that Earth is closer to the Sun in the summer and that is why it is hotter. And, likewise, they think Earth is farthest from the Sun in the winter.

Although this idea makes sense, it is incorrect.

It is true that Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle. It is a bit lop-sided. During part of the year, Earth is closer to the Sun than at other times. However, in the Northern Hemisphere, we are having winter when Earth is closest to the Sun and summer when it is farthest away! Compared with how far away the Sun is, this change in Earth's distance throughout the year does not make much difference to our weather.

There is a different reason for Earth's seasons.

Earth's axis is an imaginary pole going right through the center of Earth from "top" to "bottom." Earth spins around this pole, making one complete turn each day. That is why we have day and night, and why every part of Earth's surface gets some of each.

Earth has seasons because its axis doesn't stand up straight.

But what caused Earth to tilt?

Long, long ago, when Earth was young, it is thought that something big hit Earth and knocked it off-kilter. So instead of rotating with its axis straight up and down, it leans over a bit.

By the way, that big thing that hit Earth is called Theia. It also blasted a big hole in the surface. That big hit sent a huge amount of dust and rubble into orbit. Most scientists think that that rubble, in time, became our Moon.

As Earth orbits the Sun, its tilted axis always points in the same direction. So, throughout the year, different parts of Earth get the Sun's direct rays.

Sometimes it is the North Pole tilting toward the Sun (around June) and sometimes it is the South Pole tilting toward the Sun (around December).

It is summer in June in the Northern Hemisphere because the Sun's rays hit that part of Earth more directly than at any other time of the year. It is winter in December in the Northern Hemisphere, because that is when it is the South Pole's turn to be tilted toward the Sun.

Earth's lopsided orbit

Earth's perihelion (point closest to Sun) = 91,400,000 miles from Sun

Earth's aphelion (point farthest from Sun) = 94,500,000 miles from Sun

While that is a difference of over 3 million miles, relative to the entire distance, it isn't much.

And, believe it or not, aphelion (when Earth is farthest from the Sun) occurs in July, and perihelion (when we are closest) occurs in January. For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere where it's summer in July and winter in January, that seems backwards, doesn't it? That just goes to prove that Earth's distance from the Sun is not the cause of the seasons.

Related Resources for Educators

Seasons (Educator Guide to go with Seasons Spotlite video)
Seasons (Nearpod Lesson to go with Seasons Spotlite video)
Our World: Sun's Position
Sun's Position (Educator Guide to go with Sun's Position Spotlite video)
Sun's Position (Nearpod Lesson to go with Sun's Position Spotlite video)

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Learning Intentions from lesson (60 minutes): 

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Learning Intentions from lesson (60 minutes): 

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STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

Describe what are the seasons.

Investigate the distance between the Sun and the Earth during the winter and summer.

Evaluate how the tilt of the Earth affects the angle at which the Sun’s rays hit the Earth, and therefore justify why when its summer in Ireland, it is winter in Australia.

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How the temperatures have change in each season in the past 130 years.

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How the position of the Earth and Sun and tilt of the Earths axis affects Seasons

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How the position of the Earth and Sun and tilt of the Earths axis affects Seasons

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space and seasons; info gathered from Exploring Science text book and website below; https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons/en/

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Links to Key Skills and Important Principles

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Links to Key Skills and Important Principles

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Seasons Interactive

Each year on Earth, we observe patterns of changing temperatures, daylight hours, and seasons. In this activity, you will use a computer simulation to model Earth's orbit around the Sun to help understand why we observe these patterns.

Resources

Student Book Pages and Student Sheets

Interactive

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Each year on Earth, we observe patterns of changing temperatures, daylight hours, and seasons. In this activity, you will use a computer simulation to model Earth's orbit around the Sun to help understand why we observe these patterns. Student Book Pages and Student Sheets

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Tips for Internet Researching Junior Cert Science (for when students are researching information during activity 1 and 2 in lesson PowerPoint)

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Tips for Internet Researching Junior Cert Science (for when students are researching information during activity 1 and 2 in lesson PowerPoint)

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Explaining why the earths atmosphere is warmer at the equator

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Important Poster about Safety in the Lab when carrying out experiments

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Important Poster about Safety in the Lab when carrying out experiments

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These can be given to acedemically stronger students in the class to keep them engaged in the material

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E&S Earth, Sun & Moon | Junior Cycle Science | Studyclix

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All the junior Science past exam questions listed by topic with solutions. Find revision notes, videos as well information on the coursework B and mandatory experiments.

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Links to Other Strands and Learning Outcomes

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Links to Other Strands and Learning Outcomes

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This Journal discusses what teaching science was like between 1860 and 1970. It describes how far science education has developed in history.

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John Dewey discusses education and experiences of how people learn best, and what affects learning, acknowledging both traditional and progressive education

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Paper by Regina Kelly and Sibel Erdurana, discussing how the Irish education system aims to secondary school students' knowledge of science through the introduction of nature of science within the new Junior Cycle

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Model that students could build to demonstrate a solar/lunar eclipse 

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Model that students could build to demonstrate a solar/lunar eclipse 

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image from google

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Demonstrating the affect of the Earths tilt and the Sun (and the seasons)

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Demonstrating the affect of the Earths tilt and the Sun (and the seasons)

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Outlined in the lesson PowerPoint. Information gathered from Exploring Science textbook, and website; https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons/en/

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Phases of the Moon: Astronomy and Space for Kids - FreeSchool

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Eclipses for kids - What an eclipse is and how many types there are - Solar and Lunar Eclipse

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case study based on heat waves, jet streams, climate change, etc. can be given to students as part of a jigsaw exercise, or if a student finished work early, this article can be given along with a set of questions.