Students explore patterns of observable phenomena, specifically duration of daylight and seasonal changes in the northern and southern hemispheres, to consider how the Earth–Sun relationship results in those observed patterns.

With the use of informational text, data, diagrams, and videos, students recognize a relationship between the observed seasonal patterns and a tilted Earth in orbit. By the end of the lesson, which follows a 5E instructional model, students will be able to articulate that the orientation of Earth’s tilt relative to the Sun changes across the year, using seasonal patterns as evidence.

This resource was developed through WGBH’s Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms project, in collaboration with NASA.