The Third Grade Investigates the Reasons for the Seasons

The third graders explored how the tilt of the Earth towards or away from the Sun affects seasons, and that as the seasons change so do our shadows. The students investigated this phenomena using a flashlight to represent the Sun, and graph paper affixed to a book to model Earth’s tilt and surface. They used colored pencils to draw around the outline of the light on graph paper, and counted the number of squares inside for each degree of tilt. They were able to compare the differences by referring to both their drawings and their calculations. Students  also  tracked the way shadows, at a given location, and time of day, change throughout the seasons using a motion simulator.