Science at key stage 3 (Year 7)
Unit 7L: The solar system and beyond
Section 6: a. What causes the seasons on Earth?
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Objectives |
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- to use a model to show that the axis of spin of the Earth is at an angle to its orbit round the Sun
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Activities |
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Outcomes |
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Children: |
- Ask pupils about any work carried out at key stage 2 on seasonal variation,
eg changing hours of daylight throughout the year. Ask them for an explanation of this. Help pupils model the idea of the tilt of the Earth. Ask pupils to suggest ways in which the seasons differ from each other,
eg position of Sun in the sky, climate.
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- describe that the axis of spin of the Earth is at an angle to the Sun
- identify on a diagram or model parts of the Earth which are experiencing different seasons, due to their relative position to the Sun
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Points to note |
- Work relating to the Earth's orbit will have been done in key stage 2. However, pupils will not have related this to the seasons. This provides the opportunity to refine their use of the Sun, Earth and Moon model. Many pupils experience difficulty in thinking about the Earth's spin and its orbit round the Sun at the same time. The use of video animation may help.
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This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of
activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by
moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
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