Changning of Seasons

Season changes are still an area of confusion for my middle school students. They know the seasons change, are aware it has “Something to do with the Sun”, but struggle to make the connecti... See More

Season changes are still an area of confusion for my middle school students. They know the seasons change, are aware it has “Something to do with the Sun”, but struggle to make the connection with the relationship. I used this article with my Honors middle school students that needed to be challenged at a higher level. The vocabulary alone provided students with the opportunity to engage at a higher level of understanding. When they began using Equatorial-Based Star Chart with coordinate positions, they began to have an understanding of how the stars they see are the same each year if they are in the same spot. A bonus was when they began to make connections with coordinate points in their Math classes and how coordinates worked. When asked to determine if other planets had seasons, they used logical reasoning that orbital paths and the position of the Sun was important in determining their responses. Within the article, Riddle provides a chart with orbital eccentricity, which really got the kids thinking. They had to do some research to figure out how they could use that to their advantage. Watching them work through the research step to figuring out its importance to them was fascinating. They grew leaps and bounds as students through this project.

Do Other Planets Have Seasons?

Most students know the traditional response about the Earth and seasons. On Earth we also equate seasons with changing weather, at least up North. For other planets the word seasons does n... See More

Most students know the traditional response about the Earth and seasons. On Earth we also equate seasons with changing weather, at least up North. For other planets the word seasons does not apply to temperature changes but rather to that planets position in its orbit with respect to the sun. Perhaps this is a little confusing. Reading about this will clear the air.