Name:
Student Exploration: Seasons: Why do we have them?
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions
... [Show More] and prompts in the orange boxes.
Vocabulary: direct sunlight, Earth’s axis, equator, indirect sunlight, northern hemisphere, North Pole, season, solstice, southern hemisphere, South Pole, summer solstice, winter solstice
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. At what time of day is sunlight strongest – in the early morning (when the Sun has just risen) or at noon (when the Sun reaches its highest point)?
2. At what time of year does the noon Sun rise highest in the sky?
3. At what time of year does the noon Sun rise highest in the sky?
4. Based on your answers, why is it warmer in summer than in winter?
Gizmo Warm-up
The reasons for seasons have a lot to do with the angle at which the Sun’s rays hit Earth. To see why, select the PLATE tab on the Seasons: Why do we have them? Gizmo. The image shows a solar panel (Plate M) facing the Sun. Check that the Axis angle is set to 0˚.
1. Click Fire to release 100 “rays” of sunlight. Look next to “Number of hits” below the plate.
How many of these rays hit Plate M?
2. Click Reset. Change the Axis angle to 40˚, and click
Fire. How many rays hit Plate M now?
3. Which do you think will warm up the plate more quickly? ( Highlight the answer.)
A. Direct sunlight (sunlight that hits the plate at a 90° angle)
B. Indirect sunlight (sunlight that hits the plate at an angle of less than 90°)
Activity A:
Sunlight on a plate Get the Gizmo ready:
● Click Reset.
Question: How does the angle of sunlight affect the amount of energy that is absorbed?
1. Form hypothesis: How do you think the angle of the plate will affect how much sunlight hits the plate?
2. Collect data: Set the Axis angle to -80° and click Fire. Record the Number of hits. Repeat for each angle and fill in the tables below. You can use the slider or type the number into the text field directly and click Enter on your keyboard. (Note that “0°” appears in both tables.)
3. Analyze: What is the relationship between the axis angle and the number of solar rays that hit the plate?
4. Interpret: Select the GRAPH tab. What does the graph show? [Show Less]