Name: Taryn Revoir Class Period: 1 Date September 11

SEASONS WEBQUEST
Click on the following link to answer the following questions:
http://www.astronomy.org/programs/seasons/
1. During which season is the earth closest to the sun, summer or winter? Winter
Scroll down to the Direct Energy vs. Indirect Energy picture of the flashlights.
2. Direct energy always produces short shadows while indirect energy creates long shadows.
3. Why is this important to how warm we feel?
We would feel much warmer when the sun is directly on top of us. When the sun is lower or
coming from a different angle, there is less energy therefore less heat.
Click on the following link to answer more questions.
http://vortex.plymouth.edu/sun/sun.html

Click on Why are there seasons?
1. Explain the difference between an equinox and a solstice:
An equinox is when the day is exactly as long as the night. This would be 12 hours. It
happens twice a year in between the solstices. Solstices are the longest and shortest days of
the year.
2. How many of each do we have each year?2 of each
Name them:
Solstices: Equinoxes:
a. June 21 a. September 21
b. December 21 b. March 21

Click on Rotation
1. In which direction does the Earth spin on its axis? Counterclockwise if you are
over the north pole.
Click on Solstices
2. In which direction is the Northern Hemispere tilted during mid-Spring and summer?
Toward the sun.
3. How does this effect the amount of daylight we have during this time?
We have more daylight hours.
4. During what time of year does the North Pole experience 24 hours of sunlight?
During the summer solstice.
South pole? During the winter solstice.
Click on Our Orbit
5. Draw and label the Earths position in relation to the sun during each of the 4 seasons:

http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/151843/
Click on Temperatures

1. During what season does the Northern Hemisphere receive more concentrated energy
from the sun? (look at the flashlight example for a clue)
During the summer.
2. During what season (time of year) does the Sun have to travel through more atmosphere?
During the winter.
If you were having to explain the reasons for the seasons to a 5
th
grader who is convinced that
seasons come from being closer or further away from the Sun explain how you would do it
below: (Include at least 3 things you learned from these sites!)
The seasons of the sun depends on the axis of our Earth. The axis is an imaginary line that Earth
tilts from. When the earth is tilted away from the earth we have winter. Because it is tilted away
from the Earth there is less direct energy which means less heat. When we are tilted towards the
sun it is summer, this is because the sun is hitting at a direct angle and has less atmosphere to go
through.