Name: Marisa Ponge Class Period: First Date: 9/11/14

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 body should maintain a steady temperature to achieve homeostasis, otherwise the body
will take on certain actions to achieve homeostasis.
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:
An Equinox is a perfectly equal day, where its day for 12 hours and night for 12 hours,
where a solstice is either the shortest or longest day of the year depending which solstice
youre referring to.
2. How many of each do we have each year? Two of each
Name them:
Solstices: Equinoxes:
a. Winter (December 21) a. Vernal (March 21)
b. Summer (June 21) b. Autumnal (September 21)

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?
Toward the sun
3. How does this effect the amount of daylight we have during this time?
Causing us to have longer hours of daylight.
4. During what time of year does the North Pole experience 24 hours of sunlight?
Mid Spring through mid summer, right around the summer solstice
South pole? Right around the winter solstice
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!)
The Earth travels around the sun in an ellipse (show them what that is if needed) and the
Earth spins around at a tilt(axis) when we are tilted more towards the sun, that gives us
Summer, and when we are tilted farther away from the sun, we get winter. This is because
when we are tilted towards the sun, the Earth receives more concentrated energy, and doesnt
have to travel through a lot of air or atmosphere to get to us, where in winter the energy is
more scattered, and there is more air or atmosphere to travel through to get to us.