MS-ESS1-1
Seasons Lesson - Teacher Slides
Seasons Lesson - Teacher Slide
MS-ESS1-1 Develop and use a model of the Sun-Earth-Moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the Sun and the Moon, and seasons. [Clarification Statement: Examples of models could be physical, graphical, or conceptual.]
Season Lessons - Teacher Slides
Day 1: Engage by using data to identify patterns and ask questions
Day 2: Explore 1 by investigating the relationship between position of the sun and amount of energy received
Day 3: Explore 2 by using models and data to determine the validity of different claims
Day 4: Explain by using evidence to support a claim about what causes the seasons
Day 5: Elaborate by using models and data to investigate seasons in the Southern Hemisphere and Evaluate by revising models
MS-ESS1-1
Seasons Lesson - Student Slides
What patterns do you see in the data?
Analyze the data of average temperatures in Salt Lake City, UT.
What patterns do you see in the data?
Phenomenon
In Utah, it is cold in December and warm in July.
What do you think? Make an initial model to explain why we have winter in December and summer in June in Utah.
What questions could we investigate to figure out what causes the temperature to be cold in December and hot in July?
How does the length of the day and location of the sun change throughout the year?
The daylight duration data shows the number of hours of daylight we have each day of the year in Salt Lake City.
The location of the sun pictures show where the sun is in the sky at noon on the 21st day of each month.
Record your observations from both data sets in the “evidence” column of your T-chart.
How does the amount of daylight and location of the sun affect the temperature?
What patterns do you notice in the data? Use the temperature, length of daylight, and location of the sun data to identify patterns.
How do you think the position of the Sun in the sky affects the temperature in an area?
What causes it to be hot in July and cold in December?
After exploring the relationship between the angle of a light source and the concentration of light on the ground, start making sense of what all of your observations/evidence mean.
Interpret the evidence you recorded, and write your interpretations in the right column of your T-chart.
What causes the seasons?
Claim 1: The distance between the Earth and Sun changes, causing the seasons. When the Earth is closer to the Sun, it is summer, and when the Earth is far away from the Sun, it is winter.
Analyze the images of the apparent size of the Sun. These images were taken from a telescope on Hawaii on different days of the year. Measure the diameter of the Sun in each image.
Based on your measurements of the images:
On what date is the Earth closest to the Sun? _______
On what date is Earth farthest from the Sun? _______
What is the shape of Earth’s orbit? How do you know?
What causes the seasons?
Claim 2: The tilt of the Earth causes the seasons.
The Earth is tilted 23.5o on its axis. As Earth orbits the Sun, the North Pole always points in the same direction, towards the North Star. Could the tilt of the Earth cause the seasons?
What causes the seasons?
Make observations of your globes in each model. How does the tilt of the Earth affect the energy we get from the Sun?
Model 1:
Make the globe orbit your light source with a vertical axis (no tilt). As the globe revolves around the light, you can also rotate the globe to see day and night.
Model 2:
Make the globe orbit your light source with a 23.5° tilt. Be sure your globe is always tilted to the north, no matter where you are in the orbit. As the globe revolves around the light, you can also rotate the globe to see day and night.
What causes the seasons?
Which claim is better supported by the evidence?
Claim 1: The distance between the Earth and Sun changes, causing the seasons. When the Earth is closer to the Sun, it is summer, and when the Earth is far away from the Sun, it is winter.
Claim 2: The tilt of the Earth causes the seasons.
Review all of the evidence you have collected. Which claim does each piece of evidence support? Why?
What causes the seasons?
Draw a model and use captions to show what causes the seasons in Utah.
Your model should:
How are the seasons different in the Southern Hemisphere?
Analyze the data of average monthly temperatures in Queenstown, New Zealand.
What patterns do you notice?
How does the data for New Zealand differ from the data for Utah?
How are the seasons different in the Southern Hemisphere?
Use the globe and a light source to develop a model that explains why the seasons are opposite in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Return to the model you created to explain what causes the seasons. Revise your model so that it includes the seasons in the Southern Hemisphere.
Driving Question: In Utah, why is it cold in December and hot in June?
Your task is to develop a model and construct an explanation to answer the driving question.
Model: Show the position of the Earth and Sun in December and June. Label the model and add explanatory details.
Explanation: Write a paragraph to explain the reason that Utah experiences different temperatures in December and June.