World Wildlife Fund
Land of the Midnight Sun
From days of 24 hour sunlight, to endless nights that last for days, the Arctic is a very unique place to live. Examine the seasonal changes that occur in the northern-most reaches of the globe and the impact they have on the plants and...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Seasons
Use this during the season of teaching about the seasons! As Earth revolves around the sun, its tilt causes the weather to change. The graphics in this presentation show how Earth's position in space has an effect on the angle of...
California Academy of Science
Which Way is North?
Who needs a compass to find cardinal directions? Just place a stick in the ground and record the movement of its shadow over the course of a day. Then, measure the shadow lengths in order to determine a north-south line. A simple...
Curated OER
The Solar System and Beyond
Survey the solar system by viewing this PowerPoint. Amateur astronomers discover that gravity is responsible for Earth's orbit around the sun and the moon's orbit around Earth. They explore the moon's phases and Earth's seasons. This...
Curated OER
The Earth and Beyond
Photographs and graphics bring the solar system and Earth to life in this presentation. Viewers are taken on a virtual field trip, beginning with the sun and planet placement, and proceeding through both Earth and the moon's movements....
Curated OER
Orbits Worksheet #1
A diagram of Earth's path around the sun, including the position of the moon, is displayed at the top of the worksheet. Five multiple questions get astronomers to analyze the diagram considering what is going on in the solar system. Use...
Curated OER
Length of the Day
Students investigate how the Earth's rotation affect the length of day. In this earth science lesson, students construct a sighting apparatus and record their observations over a few days. They analyze data collected and formulate a...
Curated OER
Eclipses
In this eclipses worksheet, students are given diagrams of a solar and lunar eclipse. They fill in each diagram with given terms and color the diagram to indicate the process for each type of eclipse.
Curated OER
Planet Earth
In this Earth learning exercise, students review 13 terms associated with the Earth's rotation, revolution, and orbit. Students find the terms in a word search and then fill in the term next to its definition.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Our Restless Planet
Students examine the topic of the Earth's rotation, revolution, and orbit. They observe teacher-led demonstrations, explore various websites, write journal entries, conduct a demonstration of why Earth experiences day and night, and...
Curated OER
Earth, Sun, and Moon
Students participate in a demonstration and complete an online activity that illustrates the earth orbits the sun once a year, and that the moon takes approximately 28 days to orbit the earth.
Curated OER
Astronomy
Students explore space science by utilizing education software. In this moon cycles instructional activity, students discuss the importance of the moon and the different phases we observe from earth. Students demonstrate the earth's...
Curated OER
The Four Seasons - Earth's Axis
Young scholars discover that it is the tilt of the earth's axis that results in the seasons. They clarify common misconceptions about the earth's orbit around the sun.
Curated OER
How Does the Sun Affect the Earth?
In this sun worksheet, students brainstorm the different ways the sun affects the Earth. This worksheet is a graphic organizer.
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Earth Orbit Model
Nicolaus Copernicus developed the theory of Earth's orbit around the sun demonstrated in this science simulation.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Astronomy
Eight hands-on lessons module in which students explore the characteristics of planet Earth, its moons, the sun, the solar system, planets, and the difference between science fact and science fiction.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Reasons for the Seasons
Lesson plan addresses misconceptions about seasonal changes and Earth's orbit through a pre-lesson plan survey and follow-up experiments to scientifically study the answers to questions found in the survey. Includes great teacher...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Reasons for the Seasons
Why do some regions experience full-time heat while others are reckoning with frigid temperatures and snow? And why are the seasons reversed in the two hemispheres? Rebecca Kaplan explains how the shape of the Earth's orbit around the...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Earth in Motion: Seasons
This interactive activity from the Adler Planetarium explains the "reasons for the seasons." Featured is a game in which Earth must be properly placed in its orbit in order to send Max, the host, to different parts of the world during...
Utah Education Network
Uen: As the World Turns
Third graders use their bodies to act out the motions of earth.
Science U
Science U: Reasons for the Seasons
This webpage uses diagrams and video to explain the causes of the seasons.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Seasons
This activity is designed to assess a student's comprehension of a basic meteorological phenomenon.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Leap Year Explained
Every four years, we gain an extra calendar day. Neil deGrasse Tyson explains the science behind the leap year. [3:22]