1. Seasons
What are they?

2. Sun and Earth How does the Sun affect the Earth?
The combination of the Earth’s tilted axis and the Sun’s rays create the different seasons we experience. The Earth orbits the Sun at a speed of about km/sec (107,244 km/h) on an elliptical orbit; this orbit is almost a circle, but not quite. Earth rotates on its axis at a speed of 1,670 km/h, once every 24 hours.
The average distance between the Sun and Earth is 150 million km. When the planet is closest to the sun, it is in the point of orbit called the perihelion. At this point, the Earth is approximately 147 million km from the sun.
At the Aphelion point, the planet is located farthest from the sun. For Earth, this would occur in July; the planet would be about 152 million km from the sun as this point.

3. Seasons How does this affect the seasons on Earth?
Because Earth’s axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees, each hemisphere is either tilted toward or away from the Sun for almost half of the year. When a portion of the planet is tilted toward the sun, the angle of solar radiation hitting the surface is greater and we see the sun rise higher in the sky. The tilt of the Earth causes the different seasons we experience.
If the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, the season will be summer. At the same time, the opposite will be true for the Southern Hemisphere. This hemisphere will be tilted away from the sun, so it will experience winter.
As the hemispheres begin to tilt away from the sun, they will begin to experience different seasons. If the Northern Hemisphere is tilting away from the sun, it will experience autumn. As the Southern Hemisphere begins to tilt toward the sun, it will experience spring.
Because solar radiation strikes the equator most constantly, the changes in seasons are not as pronounced as those in a location farther from the equator. Latitude lines measure the distance from the equator.

4. Seasons For Northern Hemisphere
Vernal Equinox The Sun is overhead at the equator. As the Northern Hemisphere tilts further toward the sun, days become longer. Summer Solstice The sun is overhead at the Tropic of Cancer. This day is the longest for the Northern Hemisphere. Autumnal Equinox The sun is overhead at the equator. As the Northern Hemisphere tilts further away from the sun, days become shorter. Winter Solstice The sun is overhead the Tropic of Capricorn. This day is the shortest for the Northern Hemisphere.

5. Day and Night
Earth’s tilted on its axis at 23.5°. Rays from the sun always illuminate half of the Earth. As Earth rotates, day turns to night and night turns to day. The amount of this daylight varies by the seasons. The Northern Hemisphere is more illuminated for a longer period in a 24-hour day during the summer season. Areas between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, experience little variation in seasons because of the constant, direct rays of the sun. The Artic Circle is at 66.5° North latitude. During the first day of summer for the Northern Hemisphere, locations beyond the Arctic Circle experience 24 hours of daylight. On days after this, the sun only sets for a few minutes each day. The sun sets for longer periods of time each day until the next season. The Antarctic Circle is at 66.5° South latitude. During the first day of summer for the Northern Hemisphere, locations beyond the Antarctic Circle experience 24 hours of darkness. On days after this, the sun rises and sets within minutes each day. The sun rises for longer periods of time each day until the next season.

6. Earth and Moon
The moon’s orbit around Earth is similar to the orbit of Earth around the sun. It moves in an elliptical orbit around Earth with an average distance of 384,401 km. The moon’s orbit is tilted at a 5° angle from the ecliptic plane. Apogee: point in the moon’s orbit where it is farthest from Earth - 406,700 km Perigee: point in the moon’s orbit where it is closest to Earth - 356,400 km

7. Activity
Please match the correct answer with the sentence given. Words provided: a. Vernal Equinox. b. Summer Solstice, c. Autumnal Equinox, d. Winter Solstice, e. Equator. 1. When the Sun is overhead at the equator and the Northern Hemisphere begins to tilt toward the sun, the _________ is occurring. 2. When the sun is overhead the Tropic of Capricorn and the Northern Hemisphere experiences shorter days, the ___________ is occurring. 3. When the sun is overhead at the equator and the Northern Hemisphere begins to tilt away from the sun, the ____________ is occurring. 4. The area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn that has minimal seasonal changes is the _________. 5. When the sun is overhead the Tropic of cancer and the Northern Hemisphere experiences longer days, the __________ is occurring.

8. conclusion
I chose to create an activity that involves the different seasons earth experiences. By having students match the correct answers to the sentences, they are using the knowledge they learned in the lesson. This activity allows those who have read the lesson to use their knowledge to fully understand the lesson more. It puts them to the test; a person who paid attention and understands the material will easily be able to solve the activity.

9. Sources Used
Earth Space Science. Orange County Virtual School, Web. 4 Mar cclelland3*slt=hjkNHlfhxJOm.*3290