Science HW #

SEASONS Use the paragraphs below and your knowledge from class to answer the following questions. Write the

paragraph that helped you answer each question next to the question.

1 The Earth's seasons are not caused by the differences in the distance from the Sun throughout the year

(these differences are extremely small). The seasons are the result of the tilt of the Earth's axis.

2 The Earth's axis is tilted from perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic by 23.5°. This tilting is what

gives us the four seasons of the year - spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter. Since the axis is tilted,

different parts of the globe are oriented towards the Sun at different times of the year. However, since it is in

the middle of the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere, the weather at the equator stays

similar all year.

3 Summer is warmer than winter (in each hemisphere) because the Sun's rays hit the Earth at a more

direct angle during summer than during winter and also because the days are much longer than the nights

during the summer. During the winter, the Sun's rays hit the Earth at an extreme angle, and the days are very

short. These effects are due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. When it is winter in one hemisphere it is summer in

the opposite hemisphere.

1. Why do globes tilt sideways?

a. To allow them to spin easier

b. To demonstrate the tilt of the earth’s axis

c. To demonstrate the passing of the seasons

d. To demonstrate the effects of gravity

2. What causes the seasons to change?

a. The earth’s distance from the sun

b. The warming and cooling of the earth’s core

c. The earth’s tilt in relation to the sun

d. The earth’s rotation on its axis

3. What happens when the area in which you live

tilts away from the sun?

a. It’s summer in your area

b. It’s spring in your area

c. It’s fall in your area

d. It’s winter in your area

4. What happens when it’s spring in the Southern

Hemisphere?

a. It’s fall in the northern hemisphere

b. It’s spring in the northern hemisphere

c. It’s summer in the northern hemisphere

d. It’s winter in the northern hemisphere

5. How are winters in the Northern Hemisphere

different from winters in the Southern

Hemisphere?

a. Winter days are short in the Northern

Hemisphere and long in the South.

b. Northern Hemisphere winters are cold;

Southern Hemisphere winters are hot

c. In the Northern Hemisphere, winter lasts

from December to March; in the South it

lasts from June to September

d. In the Northern Hemisphere, winter lasts

from June to September; in the South, it

lasts from December to March

6. Why does the area around the equator stay the

same temperature year round?

a. It remains the same distance from the sun

year round

b. It receives the same amount of direct

sunlight year round

c. Its days are more than 18 hours long year

round

d. The equator rotates slower than the poles

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Pan balances!

Teacher example: Look at how Ms. Ervin used RUBIES to answer this question from our 1st

IA.

The pans in this balance are at the same height. What is the mass of the rock on the balance? Record and

bubble in your answer on the griddable to the right.

Student Practice. Use RUBIES to answer the following questions.

1. In the picture below, the pans on the balance are at the same height. What is the mass of the water on

the balance? Record and bubble your answer on the griddable to the right.

2. In the picture below, each circle is equivalent to 20g. The pans on the balance are at the same height.

What is the mass of the box on the balance? Record and bubble your answer on the griddable to the

right.

rock

KEY

= 20g