National Science Education Standards:

Content Standard C: Earth and Space Science – Changes in Earth and sky
Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives – Changes in environment

These activities help students understand the reason for seasons. Students will also observe the role of water in each of the seasons.

(BACKGROUND INFORMATION)
What do we already know about seasons?

• The Earth spins on a tilted axis about once every 24 hours to create what we know as day and night.
• This axis is an invisible line through the center of the Earth.
• In addition to rotating around its axis, the Earth revolves, or orbits around the sun about once every 365 days. As it revolves around the sun, the tilt of the Earth causes different sections of the Earth to point toward the sun.
• This causes different amounts of sunlight to reach the same surface area of the Earth throughout the year. The different amounts of sunlight lead to different weather at this location.

Activity One - Why are there seasons?

globe that rotates around a tilted axis, small table lamp, clay, toothpick, flexible ruler, paper, pencil

1. Carefully remove the shade from a small table lamp so that the bulb is exposed. Set the lamp in the center of a table. Turn the light on. The light represents the sun. Make the rest of the room as dark as possible.
2. Identify north in the room with a sign.
3. Identify where you live on the globe. Mark this spot with a small sphere of clay. Stick a toothpick in the clay on top of the location.
4. Put the globe on the table on the side opposite north. Try to arrange the lamp so that it is the same height as the middle of the globe. The north pole on the globe should tilt toward the sign you’ve used to identify north in the room. This is the summer position for the northern hemisphere.
5. Look at the toothpick. Measure the length of the shadow created by the toothpick.
6. Move the globe around the light to simulate the other three seasons. The tilt of the globe and north pole should stay towards north. Look at the toothpick’s shadow. During which season is the shadow shortest? During which season is the shadow the longest?
7. A short shadow indicates that the light is directly overhead. A long shadow indicates that the light is angled and scattered.
8. How would the angle of the sun affect the weather?

Extension:

Use another piece of clay and toothpick to mark a location opposite your home’s location. How would the weather and seasons compare for these two locations?

Activity Two - The Four Seasons of Water

magazines, paper plates, brads, scissors, glue, crayons

Pre-Lesson Instructions

1. Collect magazines that include pictures of the four seasons and water use.
2. Cut away a quarter of each paper plate (see the diagram below).
   

1. Review changes in seasons by watching the video newsbreak “Why are there seasons?” Ask students if we use water during just one season or during all seasons. Ask how water may change during the seasons.
2. Create a chart of the seasons. Ask students to describe each season and record ideas in the chart.
3. Distribute magazines. Ask students to find as many pictures as they can that involve the different seasons and the way we use water during each season. Display examples.
4. Have students cut out the pictures and organize them into piles according to seasons.
5. Distribute paper plates. Show students how to divide the plates into four sections. Tell them to glue their pictures into the four sections by seasons. Encourage them to exchange pictures they do not use with other students for pictures they may need.
6. Distribute the paper plate with the cut-away section. Encourage students to decorate this plate with drawings and the names of the seasons.
7. When students have completed their decorations, place the whole paper plate behind the cut-away plate. Puncture the center of each plate with the brad, fastening in the back. They now have a four seasons wheel to display.
8. Discuss how water is used in each season. Describe activities and sports for each season. Is there a season when we use more water? Why?

Extension:

Create clothing that would be appropriate for each season. How does water affect choices in clothing?