NAME:____________________________________________________________ PERIOD:_________
Reason for the Seasons Worksheet
 We are going to compare the brightness of the light on the globe at Point Barrow, Alaska; Portland, Oregon;
Quito, Ecuador; Santiago, Chile; and Tierra del Fuego.
 Notice that the globes have a tilt. Do not move the globes so that the tilt will stay the same.
 Start with any of globes at the four stations.
 Record your observations in questions 1 and 2 about the brightness of the light falling on the five locations.
 Once you have observations for all four globes, return to your seat and work on answering the questions.
 When you are done with answering questions 1 - 7, work on some of the follow-up questions. These are not
required questions, but you are required to work on science the entire period.
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN COMPLETE SENTENCES:
1.
Compare the brightness of the light for all five locations between Globe 1 and Globe 3. You can answer
using a table or short sentences or even symbols. Include a key if using symbols. [10 points]
City
Point Barrow
Portland
Quito
Santiago
Tierra del Fuego
1 = Dimmest
2.
Globe 1
1
2
5
4
3
Globe 3
3
4
5
2
1
5 = Brightest
Compare the brightness of the light for all five locations between Globe 2 and Globe 4. You can answer
using a table or short sentences or even symbols. Include a key if using symbols. [10 points]
City
Point Barrow
Portland
Quito
Santiago
Tierra del Fuego
1 = Dimmest
Globe 2
2
3
5
3
2.5
5 = Brightest
Globe 4
2
3
5
3
2.5
3.
Why do you think there was a difference in the brightness of the light at Portland, Oregon between Globe 1
and Globe 3? [1 point]
Due to the Earth’s 23 degree tilt, as the Earth revolves around the sun, Portland receives more direct or
perpendicular sunlight in the Globe 3 position of the orbit.
North
Axis
Globe 1
Summer
4.
Sun
Globe 3
Winter
This is the way Globes 1
and 3 by Ms. Haines desk
were actually set up
Which globe number would represent winter, spring, summer, and fall for Portland, Oregon? [4 points]
Winter is Globe 1
Spring is Globe 2 or Globe 4 (can’t really tell from the way the lab was set up)
Summer is Globe 3
Fall is Globe 4 or Globe 2 (can’t really tell from the way the lab was set up)
5.
When it is summer in Portland, Oregon, where might it be winter? [1 point]
Anywhere in the southern half of the Southern Hemisphere, like southern Australia or South America.
6.
Are the seasons in other parts of the United States different from the seasons in Portland, Oregon? Why or
why not? [2 points]
Yes. The seasons will vary in intensity as the distance form the equator increases. Point Barrow is going
to be mostly winter throughout the year while southern Florida and Hawaii will be mainly summer
throughout the year. But, they are not totally opposite seasons like comparing Portland to New Zealand.
7.
If you traveled to Australia right now, what season would is be? Explain why. [2 points]
Southern Australia is the closest similar distance south of the equator as we are north of the equator. Since
we are in late spring or early summer, southern Australia will be in late fall or early winter.
IF YOU FINSH QUESTIONS 1 – 7 BEFORE THE PERIOD IS OVER, EXPLORE ONE OR MORE OF THE
QUESTIONS ON THIS PAGE. YOU CAN PICK ANY OF THE OPTIONS AND IN ANY ORDER. YOU
HAVE TO WORK ON SCIENCE WHILE IN SCIENCE CLASS.
A. Are there seasons on other planets? Pick one planet and explain why the planet does or does not have
seasons.
If a planet’s axis of rotation is tilted, the planet will have seasons. The more tilted the axis, the more
pronounced the seasons. You can look up the degree of axial tilt for the various planets in the Solar system
to see which ones would have seasons or not.
B. If your planet has seasons, explain why any possible difference between summer and winter might be more
or less extreme than the variation between summer and winter on Earth.
The more tilted the axis, the more pronounced the seasons. If the planet has a greater axial tilt than the 23
degrees for Earth’s axis, than the other planet’s seasons will be more extreme or pronounced. This ignores
the influence that water and an atmosphere can have on seasons or the distance from the sun to a different
planet.
C. The seasons on Earth are used in many works of literature, art, and music. Find an example that uses the
seasons as a major part of the work, explain why you picked the work, and describe what you enjoyed most
about the work.
D. Create a simple and safe experiment that quantifies the change in the amount of energy that hits the surface
of the Earth as you move from the equator to the poles. Before you start any experiment, it MUST be
approved by the teacher.
E. Come up with your own idea for exploring the Earth’s seasons. Talk about your idea with the teacher
before starting anything.