Learn about what causes the seasons.
Structure and features
Watch a diverse range of people trying to explain what causes seasons in this video.
Notice that there are many misconceptions on how we have seasons. Record some of the explanations from different people.
Following the video, explore the interactive model on why we have seasons. Afterwards, create responses to the different explanations in the video to show them why their theory is incorrect.
Links and files
Teacher notes
- Science understanding strand
- Earth and space science
- Year 7
- Seasons.
Students learn predictable phenomena on Earth, including seasons, are caused by the relative positions of the sun, Earth and moon.
Through watching the video they discover that it is a difficult concept as they watch people trying to explain what causes seasons.
Through using the interactive model on seasons, students:
- learn we have seasons because of the combination of the tilt of the Earth’s axis, as well as its rotation on that axis and revolution around the sun.
- consider the seasonal variation in connection with the angle of the sun, shadow length, and day length.
