Introducing the seasons
I can explain Earth’s movement and how the Sun gives us night and day and the seasons.
Introducing the seasons
I can explain Earth’s movement and how the Sun gives us night and day and the seasons.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- We have seasons because Earth is tilted on its axis as it orbits the Sun each year.
- Each season has its own weather patterns and we can use weather data to talk about this.
- When the North Pole is tilted away from the Sun, UK days have fewer hours of daylight, are colder, and it’s winter.
- When the North Pole is tilted towards the Sun, UK days have more hours of daylight, are warmer, and it’s summer.
Common misconception
Earth orbits the Sun and does not rotate on its axis at the same time.
Earth rotates on its axis, one full rotation is 24 hours. While it rotates on its axis it orbits the Sun. This takes 365 1/4 days, or one year.
Keywords
Axis - An axis is an imaginary straight line through Earth which rotates around it.
orbit - An orbit is the regular route in space that one object takes around another, for example, the path Earth takes around the Sun.
Cycle - A cycle is something that happens from start to finish, usually before it starts again and repeats.
The Sun - The Sun is a star around which Earth orbits. It is the source of light and heat for our planet.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
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