This is easier to think about and visualise in terms of shadows. If you stand in the Sun in summer at midday, the Sun is high in the sky, your shadow is very small, and you feel very warm. The difference in heat received from the Sun is caused by the angle that the sunlight has when it hits the ground. This means that for part of the year the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth is tilted towards the Sun, and for part of the year the Southern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun. The north end of this stick always points towards the North Star (also known as Polaris). Imagine the axis of the Earth as a long stick passing all the way through the Earth, going in at the South Pole and coming out at the North Pole. Like a spinning top in motion, the axis of the Earth’s spin does not change as it moves in its orbit. As it spins on its axis, it is also moving in a circular orbit around the Sun. The Earth spins on this axis, just like an Earth globe does. The Science: The Earth has an axis, an imaginary line which runs through the Earth between the North and South Poles. When we have warm weather and ice cream in the UK, Australia has rain and frosty mornings. When we have snow and ice, Australia has sunshine and warm weather – they spend Christmas on the beach! Different places on the Earth have the different seasons at different times of the year. No, in June, July and August it is winter in Australia. (Hold up Earth model and point to the UK.) In the UK it is summer during June, July, August. In summer when the Sun is high in the sky your shadow is short. In winter, when the Sun is lower in the sky, your shadow gets longer and longer. Have you noticed what happens to your shadow as the seasons change? In winter, the Sun is much lower in the sky at lunchtime. What about in the winter, how high is the Sun then? In summer, the Sun is high in the sky at lunchtime. Imagine you are standing in the playground at lunchtime in summer. It is very cold, sometimes it snows, there are no leaves on the trees, no flowers. It gets a bit colder, leaves turn brown and start to fall from the trees, insects start to disappear, some animals go into hibernation and birds start to migrate to somewhere warmer.Īnd what is the weather like in the winter? The trees still have their leaves, lots of plants flower, there are lots of insects, bees, butterflies, etc. Leaves grow on the trees, daffodils grow in the garden, birds build nests, etc. The seasons are all different, there are different plants, different animals, different weather, they all have their own special character. Who knows the names of the different seasons? The Science Story: Optional: use a standard Earth globe on a stand to illustrate the tilt of the Earth. Key words: season, axis, tilt, hemisphere, equator, orbit, spin, North Star, angle Key concept: The seasons occur because the tilt of the Earth changes the amount of sunlight we receive.

Suggested linked stories: Shingbiss and the Winter Wind Which is stronger, Summer Sun or Winter Wind? Spring Defeats Winter How Fisher went to Skyland īrief summary: The seasons are easily observed over a school year, and the different plants and insects that are active at particular times are easy to spot. The seasons are caused by changing amounts of sunlight that reach the ground, determined by the height of the Sun in the sky and the length of the shadows, which in turn is determined by the tilt of the Earth’s axis.

Science Question: Why do we have seasons?.

UK Primary Curriculum Link: Earth and Space.UK Primary Curriculum: Key Stage Two (upper).

Towards the stars and then the shadows