Our Solar System: The Earth In Space

There are many misconceptions about how seasons occur, believing that because the Earth is closer to the Sun in the summer, thats why it is hotter (the same going for winter). However, that is not the case! Seasons happen because of the earth's movement around its orbit. When the vernal equinox is occuring, the sun is overhead of the equator, which is why the days are longer, as the earth is tilted more towards the sun in the Northern Hemisphere.

In the summer solstice, the sun moves overhead the Tropic of Cancer. In the autumnal equinox, the sun is directly overhead of the equator, making the days shorter since the sun is tilted further away from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere. 

In the winter solstice, the sun is located above the Tropic of Capricorn.
The vernal equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox, and winter solstice all make up the season marks which dictates the seasons that we experience on earth. 

Although it seems like the moon and earth are close together, the average distance between the two is approximately 30 times Earth's diameter, and getting farther and farther! 

The differences in day and night lays in the hands of the earths tilt. Earth, spinning the fastest out of all of the inner planets in our solar system, creates the phenomenon that is day and night. When the sun appears across the sky, the Earth is revolving around it on a 24 hour cycle that allows the suns heat to each us (or not reach us). This is essential, because if the earth was on an upright axis, the length of day and night would be entirely the same, but because it is tilted, the days and nights vary throughout the year. The changes axis also helps us dictate the cause in seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere, if it is tilted away from the sun, then we experience winter combined with short days and longer nights. When it is tilted towards the sun, we experience summer, with long dangs, short nights. (The reverse affect of this occurs in the Southern Hemisphere, which is why other countries experience winter at different times then the US does) 

The sun, moon, and earth are a great deal apart, but their motions and ability to work together is what allows us to have the harmony of the atmosphere we experience here on earth. By studying and creating models, scientists are able to determine and see the affects of these forces working together.





Your Turn!For this assignment, the students must form a group and pick to represent either Earth, the Sun, or the Moon.

Once they pick their rightful planet/star, they will complete the research to discover how it influences seasons, day/night cycles, and the moon motions.

After the research is gathered, the team can chose present their material in a few different ways
1) Create a presentation using poster board and other materials
2) Create a video podcast, as if they are scientists reporting the information
3) Act out the interactions between the planets while presenting their information
4) Create a lab report with the data found, explaining how each object helps the other to achieve its goal.

Conclusion
This learning activity , I created because I thought it would be fun and interactive. Especially when you're homeschooling, sometimes it can get boring starring at a computer screen all day, but by making a video or acting out the presentation, it allows the project to become more fun and creative, without it being too time consuming or difficult.

Works Cited

"Tilted Earth." - Science Updates. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 June 2014.

"Understanding the Summer Solstice." Summer Solstice for Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 June 2014.

"What Causes the Seasons?" :: NASA's The Space Place. NASA, n.d. Web. 04 June 2014. <http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons/en/>.