Title: What Causes Seasons?
1What Causes Seasons?
2We know that the reason we have day and night is
because the Earth
rotates.
Rotate means
to turn.
The Earth rotating on its ______ gives
us day and night.
axis
Earths axis is
the imaginary line that goes through the center
of the Earth.
3But guess what! Rotating isnt the only way the
Earth moves in space!
The Earth also revolves.
Revolve When one object moves around another
object
4How long does one revolution take?
It takes the Earth one year, or 365 ¼ days to
orbit the sun.
Does anyone know what orbit means?
Orbit -
The path that an object follows as it revolves
around another object.
5All over the world, people experience the four
seasons.
6Winter
7Spring
8Summer
9and fall.
10But why do we have four seasons?
Its because the Earths axis is tilted.
Take a good look at our globe. Its not tilted
like that because it looks nice. No way. Thats
the way the Earth is tilted in space.
That tilt gives us seasons!
11Look at this diagram. Notice how the Earth is
always tilted in the same direction. As the
Earth __________ the part of Earth tilted toward
the sun changes.
revolves
12During part of the year the North Pole tilts
towards the sun. This season is ________.
summer
13During another part of the year, the North Pole
points away from the sun. This season is ______.
winter
14When the North Pole is tilted toward the Sun, the
Sun travels higher overhead in the sky. The
Suns rays shine straighter down on that part of
the Earth. It is summer in that part of the
Earth.
Its like pointing a flashlight at a piece of
paper. When you hold the flashlight straight
above the paper, the rays from the flashlight
shine down straighter.
15When the North Pole is tilted away from the Sun,
the Sun stays lower in the sky. It is then
winter in that part of the Earth.
If you point your flashlight at a piece of paper
at an angle, the rays from the flashlight spread
out.