Changing Seasons Unit
Test Study Guide
Day and Night:
The Earth rotates on its axis counterclockwise. The Earth takes one day to
rotate on its axis. It is the Earth’s rotation on its axis that causes day and
night.
Changing Seasons:
The Earth is tilted on its axis at 23 ½ degrees. It is this tilt on the axis that
causes the changing of the seasons. As the Earth’s movement around the
sun is known as a revolution or an orbit and as it orbits around the sun
different portions of the Earth are tilted towards the sun. If the northern
hemisphere is tilted towards the sun the southern hemisphere is tilted away
causing summer in the north and winter in the south.
 It takes 1 year or 365 days to revolve or orbit around the sun.
There are 4 seasons: Fall, Winter, spring, Summer
Fall: Has equal amounts of day and night.
Winter: Has long nights and short days.
Spring: Has equal amounts of day and night.
Summer: Has long days and short nights.
Phases of the Moon:
The moon reflects the light from the sun. It does not create its own light.
There are 8 phases of the moon.
The New Moon – Waxing Crescent – First Quarter – Waxing Gibbous – Full
Moon – Waning Gibbous – Last Quarter – Waning Crescent.
Waxing: Increasing of light.
Waning: Decreasing of light.
Illumination: Lit up