Name: ________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
Period: _____________________________
Is it the Distance from the Sun that causes the Seasons?
Hands-On Activity
In this activity, we will make a scale model of the distance the Earth is from the Sun during different
seasons of the year.
1. Use a meter stick to get a piece of paper tape that is 5 meters long. Be careful not to tear the
tape!
2. Lay the tape on your table and label one end with the word “Sun.”
3. On our model we will let 6 centimeters equal 2 million kilometers.
6 cm = 2,000,000 km
4. Starting at the Sun, measure 6 cm and label the model 2,000,000 km.
5. Continue to measure 6 cm distances and labeling the model increasing the number of kilometers
by 2,000,000 each time. (See diagram below.)
6. After you have numbered the entire tape, place two “Earths” on your model. The first “Earth”
should be 147,000,000 km from the Sun. The second “Earth” should be 152,000,000 km from
the Sun.
6,000,000 km
4,000,000 km
2,000,000 km
SUN
Use the model to answer the following questions:
7. Cite evidence to dispute the claim “Earth and Sun are always the same distance.”
8. How is aphelion related to perihelion? When are both of those events?
9. How much closer is the Earth to the Sun during certain times of the year?
(Show how you got the answer!)
10. To us here on Earth, 5 million kilometers sure seems big, but space is awfully big. And
compared to the distance in space, 5 million kilometers may not be so much. Think of it like
this: you walk 3 miles to a friend’s house and find out your friend has moved one block.
Walking 1 more block after walking 3 miles is not big deal. Look at your model. How does the
model help show that the Earth’s distance from the Sun during different times of the year
could not possibly be the reason the Earth has different seasons?
11. Answer the question by filling in the blanks below:
Sometimes during its _________________________ around the Sun,
Earth is 5 million kilometers closer to the Sun. Compared to
Earth's total distance from the Sun, this 5 million kilometer
difference is _________________________. This amount of distance
could not possibly be the reason our seasons show big differences in
_________________________
and
length
of
_________________________ and __________________________.
Earth's Revolution
Earth moves around the Sun in a motion called revolution. The path Earth travels around the Sun is
called an orbit. Earth's orbit, although nearly circular, is actually slightly oval in shape.
Earth’s Orbit
152 million km
Earth is closest to the
Sun about January 3
147 million km
Earth is furthest from the Sun about
July 4