Subject: Earth Science/ Earth- Sun Relationships

Teacher: Leticia Arambula

Objective:

Date: February, 6 2015

School: Cal State Dominguez Hills

Students will describe the relationship between Earth and the Sun.
Students will describe and distinguish weather and climate.

Learning Targets: Students will be able to describe the cause of the seasons.
Students will be able to state why Earth rotates at a tilt directing
The amount of radiation striking the Earths surface.

Terms:

Weather: the daily conditions of the atmosphere at a particular place.

Climate: statistical average of temperatures over a long period of time.
Solar Radiation: the amount of solar energy striking the outer edge of
the atmosphere.
Intensity of Radiation: refers to the angle at which the suns rays are
striking the surface of the earth.
Duration of Radiation: refers to the length of daylight.
Equator: the intersecting line on Earths surface in between the North
Pole and the South Pole. Dividing the Earth into a Northern Hemisphere
and a Southern Hemisphere.
Tropic of Cancer: the north parallel latitude, marking the northern limit
of the Suns vertical rays.
Tropic of Capricorn: the southern parallel latitude, marking the southern l
limit of the Suns vertical rays.
Equinox: the time or date that occurs twice a year in which the sun
crosses the celestial equator. On this day the day and night are equal in
length.

Activity:

Students will be asked to describe the weather conditions of every

season. Students will then be asked why weather conditions change.
Instructor will hand out a worksheet where students will illustrate and
explain their observations.
Using a basketball students will wrap tape around ball to create an
equator. Students will label a Northern Hemisphere, and the Southern
Hemisphere. Without tilting the basketball students will point the
flashlight directly to the basketball. Students will then tilt the basketball
and illustrate their observations.

Reflection:

Students will be asked to consider how the weather conditions differ

from the northern to southern hemisphere in pairs students will research
average temperatures for a location position in the north and south of the
hemisphere. Students will record their data and explain how
the tilt in the Earths axis contributes to seasonal changes.

Assessment:

Students will be asked to consider if the Earth was not tilted.

What would weather conditions be like?
How would life be affected?
What do seasons contribute to life on Earth?

Materials: Globe, ball, pencil, paper, flashlight, tape