Day 2: Revolution and the seasons
Objectives:
- The students will be able to differentiate between the rotation and revolution of the Earth.
- The students will recall their knowledge of the seasons and apply the previous day's information about the tilt of Earth's axis to recognize the relationship between the angle of the Earth and the seasons.
- The students will be able to differentiate between the rotation and revolution of the Earth.
- The students will recall their knowledge of the seasons and apply the previous day's information about the tilt of Earth's axis to recognize the relationship between the angle of the Earth and the seasons.
Materials:
- Globe, flashlight, Foldable printout, a ball or other object to represent the sun, Sunshine Makes the Seasons by Franklyn Branly
- Globe, flashlight, Foldable printout, a ball or other object to represent the sun, Sunshine Makes the Seasons by Franklyn Branly
Procedure:
- Perform a quick review of yesterday's lesson. Ask about rotation, axis, the length of a day, day/night, etc.
- Point out that the Earth's rotation is independent of the sun. Either place a ball or the flashlight to represent the sun. Elicit from the students what action the Earth performs in relation to the sun (it moves around it). Introduce the terminology for revolve/revolution while moving the globe around the "sun".
- Have students stand up. Tell them to spin around in place as "rotation". Have them slowly walk in a circle around their groups of desks to demonstrate revolution. If your class is well-behaved, play a quick game of Simon Says using only "revolution" and "rotation."
- Discuss Northern and Southern Hemispheres. With lights dim, hold globe at correct angle to demonstrate the flashlight shining on the Northern Hemisphere. Ask students "What kind of temperature do you think the Northern Hemisphere gets to be, with so much sunlight shining on it? Hot, or cold? What about the Southern Hemisphere?" Then move the globe to the opposite apex of revolution, so that the Northern Hemisphere is pointed away from the light. Ask the same questions. During this time, you can introduce the length of revolution (365 days/1 year), to illuminate how slowly the Earth revolves in comparison to its rotation.
- Use these connections to have students guess that it is summer/winter, depending on which Hemisphere is aimed at the Sun. Continue in this fashion to demonstrate the other seasons, filling in the gaps in your students' knowledge. This is a great time to have individual students come up and place the globe in a particular season, as a formative assessment.
- Hand out Foldable materials. (Instructions here) Have students cut out the 4 pictures of the Earth and the labels, making sure to color the axis on each. Have them glue "sun" in the center, and draw a sun. On the inner flaps, they will glue the Earths. On the outer flaps, they will glue the corresponding season labels in correct order.
- Read Sunshine Makes the Seasons, but try and have the students provide information they have learned.
Differentiation: Same as for Day 1 - the pacing of this lesson should make it very accessible.
Assessment:
Formative: Have children position globe in correct place for a particular season. Have them demonstrate awareness of revolution/rotation with their body or with a globe. Quiz them on their foldable.
Summative: See how much information they can provide during the reading of Sunshine Makes the Seasons
Formative: Have children position globe in correct place for a particular season. Have them demonstrate awareness of revolution/rotation with their body or with a globe. Quiz them on their foldable.
Summative: See how much information they can provide during the reading of Sunshine Makes the Seasons
Resources: Foldable printout (Same as linked above) Instructions