Chapter 1 of our book discusses earth-sun relationships. These are key concepts in understanding climate and the changing of the seasons, so it is essential that you understand how the sun and the earth interact.
For this assignment, you will read your book and also watch this short video about earth-sun relationships: Reasons for the seasons – Rebecca Kaplan
Imagine you are with your family or friends, and someone asks about why we have dramatic seasonal differences in climate in Utah, but that Pacific Islands don’t change too much. Your task is to explain these differences based on earth-sun relationships.
1. What is the latitude of Utah (pick a city) and how does it compare to the latitude of the Pacific Islands (pick an island)?
2. How does the tilt of the earth on its axis impact how much energy from the sun a place receives during the year?
3. How does the tilt of the earth on its axis impact the angle of sun that a place receives?
4. How does the earth’s revolution around the sun impact how much energy from the sun a place receives?
5. How does day length in Utah and the Pacific Islands compare during June and December?
Make sure answers are complete and robust to show me that you understand the concepts!
Also, this video does a good job explaining earth-sun relationships to kids. I found it useful, and so might you!
Earth’s Rotation