Name: __________________ Class Period ______________ Date ____________________

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?
_The more direct energy we get instead of shadows the more warm it
is._________________________________________________________________________
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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:
Equinox is when day and nights become equal while solstice gives has un hours of day and
night_____________________________________________________________________
___
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________ .
2. How many of each do we have each year? _____2________
Name them:
Solstices:
Equinoxes:
a. Winter
a. Spring
b. Summer
b. Fall
Click on Rotation
1. In which direction does the Earth spin on its axis? counterclockwise__________
Click on Solstices
2. In which direction is the Northern Hemispere tilted during mid-Spring and summer?
_____It faces the sun___________________________________________
3. How does this effect the amount of daylight we have during this time?
____gives more daylight
__________________________________________________________________
4. During what time of year does the North Pole experience 24 hours of sunlight?
_____spring-summer________________________________________________________
South pole?

___winter-fall_________________________________________________________

Click on Our Orbit

5. Draw and label the Earths position in relation to the sun during each of the 4 seasons:

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)
____________________________summer______________________________________
_____.
2. During what season (time of year) does the Sun have to travel through more atmosphere?
_______________________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!)
_____I would tell them to imagine the sun as a flash light and have a protective bubble around
the Earth. Since the earth is tilted on the axis it affects how much direct energy we get. So
during the summer solstice the northen hemisphere is toward the sun which means more direct
energy which = hotter temperuates. During winter solstice the southern hemisphere is toward
the sun which means the sun doesnt have lazer point rays on the earth instead it has to go
through more of the protective bubble because of the earths angle towards the sun.
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http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Sseason.htm