It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Answer the following questions in your notebook:
- What is the summer solstice? What is the winter solstice? What holidays/myths revolve around this particular part of the year?
- What is the position of the Earth in relation to the sun during the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice? Winter Solstice?
- What is an equinox? What is the autumnal equinox? The vernal equinox? What holidays/myths revolve around this particular part of the year?
- What are the major factors that change with the Earth's seasons
- Explain how the tilt of Earth's Axis and Earth's movement cause the season.
- Hypothesize how the seasons would change if we increased the angle of the earth versus decreased the angle of the tilt of the Earth.
- Explain why the calendars we have today have leap years.
- Describe why we use daylight savings time. What is the history behind it? Do you think we should continue using daylight savings time?
- Compare and contrast the season of the different planets in our solar system (including Pluto.)
- How can it be that Earth is at the perihelion during wintertime in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Describe the relationship between the incoming rays from the sun and surface temperature.
- Are there regions on Earth that consistently receive more light energy than others? Where are these regions? Why would this be?
- What are the three factors that cause the amount of solar energy to vary over the Earth's surface?
Feelin' Hot Hot Hot!
- What are two factors that are used to describe climate?
- Explain how latitude determines the amount of solar energy received on Earth.
- Describe how latitude determines wind patterns.
- Describe how the different rates at which land and water are heated impact the climate.
- Describe what is the cause for El Nino and La Nina occur.
- What are some conditions that will cause a monsoon.
- Explain how elevation impacts climate.
- Describe what is a rain shadow, and how it impacts the climate and the wind patterns.
- On a mountain, are you likely to find more vegetation on the side facing the prevailing winds, or the side facing away from the wind? Explain your answer.
- Why will you find mountain in Hawai'i that have snow when it is so close to the equator?
- How do city climates differ from a rural climate?
- What is a heat island? what would you propose to solve the problem of a heat island?
- What are four different ways in which scientists use to study climate?
- What are four factors that may cause climate change?
- How do changes in the orbit of the plant impact the climate?
- Ho do changes in the carbon dioxide level impact global temperatures?
- What are some negative impacts of global climate change?
- What are some ways that countries can work together to reduce the impact of global climate change?
- What can you do in your life to reduce your impact on global climate change?
- How would the melting of the polar ice caps impact the sea level? Explain your answer.
You're Hot When You're Cold
Create a poster with a partner that describes how Earth has the different seasons for both the southern and the northern hemisphere. You should have brief bullet points and pictures to explain the principles of the seasons.
Below is the rubric for the poster.
Below is the rubric for the poster.