Standard II

Standard: Students will understand how Earth’s tilt on its axis changes the length of daylight and creates the seasons.

Objective 1: Describe the relationship between the tilt of Earth’s axis and its yearly orbit around the sun.
Objective 2: Explain how the relationship between the tilt of Earth’s axis and its yearly orbit around the sun produces the seasons.

Student Literacy - PDF
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Strategies - PDF
TRB 6:2 - Activity 1 - Reasons for the Seasons
TRB 6:2 - Activity 2 - Tracking the Sun
TRB 6:2 - Activity 3 - Earth's Journey Around the Sun
Assessment - PDF, Web
Test Item Pool Service - Teacher Edition

Science Benchmark

The appearance of the lighted portion of the moon changes in a predictable cycle as a result of the relative positions of Earth, the moon, and the sun. Earth turns on an axis that is tilted relative to the plane of Earth’s yearly orbit. The tilt causes sunlight to fall more intensely on different parts of the Earth during various parts of the year. The differences in heating of Earth’s surface and length of daylight hours produces the seasons.