# Seasons ## expand\_more ## On This Page [Seasons Preview Video](#preview) [Curriculum Guide](#guide) [Instructional Media](#media) [Activity Sheets](#sheets) [Demo Videos for Modeling](#demos) [Additional Resources](#resources) - **Recommended Grade Level:** 6-8 - **Estimated Time:** 8 forty-five minute sessions - **Objective:** *Seasons* is a free and innovative 8-day unit that provides interactive videos, hands-on activities, lesson plans, and student worksheets to explore the causes behind Earth’s seasons. The curriculum uses a combination of Earth- and space-based visualizations and models to address common misconceptions and strengthen students’ spatial reasoning skills. Seasons is aligned with standards for middle school Earth and Space Science (NGSS MS-ESS1-1). The program covers the Sun’s apparent motion in Earth’s sky; Earth’s motion around the Sun; Earth’s tilt; the tilt’s relationship to the seasons; and energy transfer from the Sun to Earth. Join us as we use WorldWide Telescope to journey around the solar system to better understand the causes of seasons on Earth! ## Seasons Preview Video Watch this short video for an introduction and demonstration of the Seasons curriculum in practice. ## Curriculum Guide This Curriculum Guide provides educators with all the necessary materials for each day of the 8-day ThinkSpace Seasons curriculum. You will find included: daily lesson plans; student activity sheets; classroom activities; and (on most days) interactive instructional videos. All of the materials provided on this webpage (other than the Additional Resources) can be found within this Instructional Guide. #### [Seasons | Curriculum Guide (standard)](https://zenodo.org/record/3265231/files/2019%20ThinkSpace%20Seasons%20Standard%20Curriculum.pdf?download=1) pdf Alternate version of the Curriculum: Little Bits is a fun enhancement if your classroom has a budget for it. Curriculum built around these light sensors helps model how the angle of the Sun's rays affect temperature. #### [Seasons | Curriculum Guide (alternate, with littleBits)](https://zenodo.org/record/3265231/files/2019%20ThinkSpace%20Seasons%20Alternate%20Curriculum%20(with%20littleBits).pdf?download=1) pdf Sort ![Students studying Seasons with WorldWide Telescope](/sites/g/files/omnuum9076/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/wwtambassadors/files/img_1091.jpg?itok=9E0470u2) ![img_1056.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum9076/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/wwtambassadors/files/img_1056.jpg?itok=YGV2OKm8) ## Instructional Media In order to run the Seasons curriculum in your classroom, you will need to use the Seasons multimedia content as well. You have two options here. You can either (1) run a collection of videos on a classroom projector, or (2) [download and use](https://wwtambassadors.org/seasons#resources) the interactive Seasons WorldWide Telescope file (you will need to download the WorldWide Telescope application to your computer as well). Open all sections Close all sections ### Session 1 Video expand\_more [Session 1 | Rotation & Revolution](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/828064/h66485/open/anonymous) ### Session 2 Video expand\_more [Session 2 | SunTracker Setup](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/841537/h66485/open/anonymous) *Choose one date below (closest to today's date when you cover this session)* [Session 3 | Sun on March 21](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/827884/h66485/open/anonymous) [Session 3 | Sun on June 21](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/827905/h66485/open/anonymous) [Session 3 | Sun on September 21](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/827874/h66485/open/anonymous) [Session 3 | Sun on December 21](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/827804/h66485/open/anonymous) ### Session 3 Video expand\_more [Session 3 | Sun on March 21](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/827884/h66485/open/anonymous) [Session 3 | Sun on June 21](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/827905/h66485/open/anonymous) [Session 3 | Sun on September 21](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/827874/h66485/open/anonymous) [Session 3 | Sun on December 21](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/827804/h66485/open/anonymous) *Optional (but very useful)* [Session 3 | Comparison of Sun Paths](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/827917/h66485/open/anonymous) ### Session 4 Video expand\_more [Session 4 | littleBits Demo](https://api.playposit.com/go/listcode/2558/302013/0/3/ThinkSpace-Seasons-Day-4--littleBits) ### Session 5 Video expand\_more [Session 5 | Earth's Tilted Axis](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/851939/h66485/open/anonymous) ### Session 6 Video expand\_more [Session 6 | Models](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/826098/h66485/open/anonymous) ### Session 7 Video and WWT Links expand\_more [Session 7 | Daylight Hours](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/838662/h66485/open/anonymous) *Daylight vs. Darkness (interactive content on online WWT app)* [Session 7 | June 21](http://worldwidetelescope.org/webclient/default.aspx?tourUrl=https://wwtambassadors.org/sites/g/files/omnuum9076/files/wwtambassadors/files/cps_seasons_-_day_7_june_21_091718.wtt) [Session 7 | December 21](http://worldwidetelescope.org/webclient/default.aspx?tourUrl=https://wwtambassadors.org/sites/g/files/omnuum9076/files/wwtambassadors/files/cps_seasons_-_day_7_december_21_091718.wtt) [Session 7 | September 21](http://worldwidetelescope.org/webclient/default.aspx?tourUrl=https://wwtambassadors.org/sites/g/files/omnuum9076/files/wwtambassadors/files/cps_seasons_-_day_7_september_21_091718.wtt) [Session 7 | March 21](http://worldwidetelescope.org/webclient/default.aspx?tourUrl=https://wwtambassadors.org/sites/g/files/omnuum9076/files/wwtambassadors/files/cps_seasons_-_day_7_march_21_091718.wtt) ### Session 8 Video expand\_more [Session 8 | Misconceptions](https://www.playposit.com/listcode/840734/h66485/open/anonymous) ## Activity Sheets In this section you'll find the Activity Sheets that your students will need for every day of this curriculum. Open all sections Close all sections ### Full Course expand\_more #### Full Seasons Curriculum, Standard Complete sets of [Activity Sheets](/file_url/992) || [Answer Keys](/file_url/866) (color) | [Answer Keys](/file_url/867) (b&w) #### Full Seasons Curriculum, Alternate (with littleBits) Complete sets of [Activity Sheets](/file_url/991) || [Answer Keys](/file_url/868) (color) | [Answer Keys](/file_url/869) (b&w) #### additional materials [Key Terms and Concepts](/file_url/727) [Extension Questions](/file_url/990) ### Session 1 Sheets expand\_more #### Session 1: Space-Based Perspectives [Activity Sheet](/file_url/803) || [Answer Key](/file_url/804) (color) | [Answer Key](/file_url/805) (b&w) ### Session 2 Sheets expand\_more #### Sessions 2-3: Apparent Path of the Sun in the Sky [Activity Sheet](/file_url/807) || [Answer Key](/file_url/808) (color) | [Answer Key](/file_url/809) (b&w) #### additional materials [Cardinal Directions Signs](/file_url/763) (for the classroom) ### Session 3 Sheets expand\_more #### Sessions 2-3: Apparent Path of the Sun in the Sky [Activity Sheet](/file_url/810) || [Answer Key](/file_url/811) (color) | [Answer Key](/file_url/812) (b&w) #### additional materials [Cardinal Directions Signs](/file_url/763) (for the classroom) ### Session 4 Sheets expand\_more #### Session 4: Sun Angle and Energy Standard: [Activity Sheet](/file_url/813) || [Answer Key](/file_url/814) (color) | [Answer Key](/file_url/815) (b&w) littleBits: [Activity Sheet](/file_url/816) || [Answer Key](/file_url/818) (color) | [Answer Key](/file_url/819) (b&w) #### additional materials Square Counting: [square-gridded paper](/file_url/851) ### Session 5 Sheets expand\_more #### Session 5: Earth's Tilted Axis [Activity Sheet](/file_url/820) || [Answer Key](/file_url/821) (color) | [Answer Key](/file_url/822) (b&w) #### additional materials [Model Place Mat](/file_url/728) [Seasons Signs](/file_url/741) (for the classroom) ### Session 6 Sheets expand\_more #### Session 6: Tilted Axis and Sun Angle [Activity Sheet](/file_url/823) || [Answer Key](/file_url/862) (color) | [Answer Key](/file_url/863) (b&w) #### Bonus Questions [Questions Sheet](/file_url/826) || [Answer Key](/file_url/827) (color) | [Answer Key](/file_url/829) (b&w) ### Session 7 Sheets expand\_more #### Session 7: Tilt and Day Length [Activity Sheet](/file_url/830) || [Answer Key](/file_url/856) (color) | [Answer Key](/file_url/857) (b&w) #### additional materials [Extension Questions](/file_url/987) ### Session 8 Sheets expand\_more #### Session 8: Earth's Orbit [Activity Sheet](/file_url/834) || [Answer Key](/file_url/864) (color) | [Answer Key](/file_url/865) (b&w) ## Demo Videos for Modeling In this section you'll find videos to demonstrate how to conduct various modeling activities in your classroom (as well as some common mistakes students make that you should look out for). Open all sections Close all sections ### Session 1 | Modeling Day & Night expand\_more ### Session 5 | Modeling Earth's Tilted Axis expand\_more ### Session 5 | Common Mistakes Students Make expand\_more ## Additional Resources ### Seasons on WorldWide Telescope All of the Seasons videos were made using WorldWide Telescope (WWT), a free, interactive software that models our universe and allows users to record *tours* of their explorations. WWT requires Windows, so the tours are converted into videos for accessibility. However, if you would like the (optional) fully-interactive experience, follow the steps below to install and run WWT. #### Download the [Seasons WorldWide Telescope tour file](https://zenodo.org/record/2368427/files/ThinkSpaceSeasons_2018.wtt?download=1) (.wtt) from Zenodo. #### How do I run a WWT tour on my computer? You will need to download WorldWide Telescope to your Windows computer to run a WWT tour file. 1. Download WWT (for free) from [worldwidetelescope.org](http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Use/). 2. Download the Seasons WorldWide Telescope tour file (.wtt) above. 3. Double-click the .wtt file to open and run the Seasons tour.