Name: ___________________ Class Period ______________ Date ____________________

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?
Because we can only survive in a certain temperature before we die of heat or the cold. If we
dont die, then perhaps the plant life will, thus greatly affecting our food resources.
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:
A equinox is when it is a equal night at both poles, a solstice is when a day or night is at its
longest.
2. How many of each do we have each year? _____2________
Name them:
Solstices: Equinoxes:
a. Summer a. Vernal
b. Winter b. Autumnal

Click on Rotation
1. In which direction does the Earth spin on its axis? _______right_________ Click on
Solstices
2. In which direction is the Northern Hemispere tilted during mid-Spring and summer?
Towards the sun
3. How does this effect the amount of daylight we have during this time?
Makes days longer
4. During what time of year does the North Pole experience 24 hours of sunlight?
Mid-spring to mid-summer
South pole? Mid-fall to mid-winter
Click on Our Orbit
5. Draw and label the Earths position in relation to the sun during each of the 4 seasons:

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/images/helions.jpg

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!)
Actually it depends on the tilt of the axis as well as the fact that the ellipsis the earth moves in is
not that far from a circle. It also depends on how the heat hits the sun, because its indirect when
it is winter and direct when its summer.