Summary
Explores the real cause of seasons — Earth's axial tilt — and explains why the Northern and Southern Hemispheres experience opposite seasons at the same time. Pairs well with Episode 8.1.
Viewer safety
All ages
Common Sense Media — not yet ratedIMDb Parents Guide — not yet rated
Our rating is a quick teacher-to-teacher guide — preview before showing.
Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
- What causes the seasons? (Hint: it is NOT distance from the sun.)
- Why is it winter in the Northern Hemisphere when it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere?
- At what time of year does the Northern Hemisphere receive the most direct sunlight?
- What would seasons be like if Earth's axis were perfectly straight up and down?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: tilt, axis, hemisphere, direct sunlight, season, solstice.
Try it: Hold a flashlight directly above a piece of paper — observe the bright circle. Now tilt the paper away — the circle stretches. This is how tilt changes the intensity of sunlight on Earth's surface.