Reason for the seasons

Seasons deserve to be celebrated.  I loved reading that Mary Beth (of Salt and Chocolate) and her family celebrate with an Autumnal Equinox tea.  What a great idea!  Some residents complain that Houston doesn't have any seasons, but longtime Houstonians understand that seasons are just a little more subtle here. 

In our class, we celebrate the start of fall by modeling how the tilt of Earth's axis, as the Earth revolves around the sun, causes the seasons.  This is something of a personal crusade.  Years ago, I saw a news report that included interviews with Harvard graduates who were unable to accurately explain what causes us to experience seasons.  Since then, I have worked hard to be sure that no child who passes through my classroom will make the same mistake.  They will understand that when the earth travels into position such that the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, we experience summer (and yes, we discussed that having a sun smaller than the earth--and so close to the earth--makes a very poor model!).  As we continue our path around the sun and find ourselves tilted away from the sun, we experience winter, with cooler temps and longer hours of darkness.  At the same time, countries in the Southern Hemisphere experience summer . . . and this is how I end up explaining that Santa wears shorts in Australia.


There's a Book for That!
Sunshine Makes the Seasons by Franklyn Branley
What Makes Day and Night by Franklyn Brandley