We have begun our newest investigation into the Sun and Earth interaction. The guiding question is "How does the Sun and Earth interaction cause the seasons?"
In class we have used several different objects to model the Earth and Sun: dodgeballs, globes, lamps and balls on sticks. Our expert Ana Dodgen began our modeling last wednesday, and each day since students have taken turns walking the orbit of the Earth.After some reading and writing down our ideas about solstices and equinoxes, we added those to our Earth orbit models. Students have identified that the Earth's tilt never changes, equinoxes are the moments when there is an equal amount of day length from the North to South poles, and Solstices are the shortest and longest days of year depending on which side of the equator you are on.
With much discussion, some writing, and a few online Earth orbit simulators, students put their knowledge together in their own Earth Orbit picture. Labeling the solstices, equinoxes, and seasons.
