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Investigation

Causes of Seasons

In these investigations, students will gather and analyze data to compare two proposed models of seasons. Students will compare climate data in different parts of the world and see that seasons are opposite in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Students will observe the path of the Sun in different locations to see how changes in day length and solar intensity cause temperature changes throughout the year. Students will then use their data to create a model of how Earth's tilted axis causes seasons to occur.

Lesson Options

Designed for Middle School Students

Series

Causes of Seasons: Training for Gold

In this multi-part investigation, students follow Arban, an Olympic-hopeful snowboarder in Mongolia, as he searches for the perfect year-round training plan. Students will explore climates in different parts of the world, learning that seasons in the Southern Hemisphere are the opposite of seasons in the Northern Hemisphere. Students will then gather data on day length, height of the Sun, and solar intensity to see how variations in these factors relate to seasonal temperature changes. Finally, students will compare two proposed models of seasonal changes, a distance model and a tilted axis model, and use their data to determine what causes seasons on Earth.

Standalone

Causes of Seasons: Summer Down Under

Noor is an exchange student who will spend the year in Sydney, Australia. When she gets there in June, she is surprised about how chilly the weather is! June is the start of winter in Australia, and Noor and her brother Ahmed are determined to learn why. In this standalone lesson, students will gather data on day length, solar intensity, and temperature in New York and Sydney, then compare two proposed models to determine why seasons in Australia are the opposite of seasons in New York.

Causes of Seasons: Mystery of the Midnight Sun

Ava is a university student from Miami who is studying climate and seasons in the Arctic. She is struck by how extreme seasons are in the Arctic compared to the much milder seasonal changes at home. In this standalone lesson, students will gather and compare data on day length and solar intensity in the two locations to explain why the Arctic experiences much larger seasonal changes than areas closer to the equator. Students will use a model of Earth's tilted axis to explain why some regions experience 24 hours of daylight in the summer and zero hours of daylight in the winter.

Lesson Materials

Causes of Seasons: Training for Gold

Teacher Guide Teacher Guide Scientific Background Scientific Background Key Vocabulary Key Vocabulary Usage Guide Usage Guide

Causes of Seasons: Summer Down Under

Teacher Guide Teacher Guide Scientific Background Scientific Background Key Vocabulary Key Vocabulary Usage Guide Usage Guide

Causes of Seasons: Mystery of the Midnight Sun

Teacher Guide Teacher Guide Scientific Background Scientific Background Key Vocabulary Key Vocabulary Usage Guide Usage Guide

Cell Energy Cycle

Explore the processes of photosynthesis and respiration that occur within plant and animal cells. The cyclical nature of the two processes can be constructed visually, and the simplified photosynthesis and respiration formulae can be balanced.

Flower Pollination

Observe the steps of pollination and fertilization in flowering plants. Help with many parts of the process by dragging pollen grains to the stigma, dragging sperm to the ovules, and removing petals as the fruit begins to grow. Quiz yourself when you are done by dragging vocabulary words to the correct plant structure.

Growing Plants

Investigate the growth of three common garden plants: tomatoes, beans, and turnips. You can change the amount of light each plant gets, the amount of water added each day, and the type of soil the seed is planted in. Observe the effect of each variable on plant height, plant mass, leaf color and leaf size. Determine what conditions produce the tallest and healthiest plants. Height and mass data are displayed on tables and graphs.

Plants and Snails

Study the production and use of gases by plants and animals. Measure the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in a test tube containing snails and elodea (a type of plant) in both light and dark conditions. Learn about the interdependence of plants and animals.