Kinesthetic Astronomy: Longer Days, Shorter Nights

California Academy of Sciences

This kinesthetic activity demonstrates to students that the earth's tilt is what is responsible for shifting light patterns and the change in seasons. In this activity students will learn that the Earth is tilted on a consistent axis and know the reason why the length of days differs throughout the year.

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Notes from our reviewers

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The teacher should be ready for the students to be moving around the classroom quite a bit and to get silly while mimicking the sun's axis, then transition back to worksheets. It's recommended that teachers include the video noted in the lesson, as it's helpful to establish the concepts being discussed- [link https://www.calacademy.org/educators/why-do-we-have-different-seasons]. If possible, try this activity out before teaching it in class. Make sure you're very familiar with the background information and prepared for students' questions. In addition to the video, it is recommended that teachers use the extra resources provided.
This lesson is a hands on experiment that demonstrates how the earth's rotation and axis work. Students use a lamp and a series of cut outs and other materials to model the earth's rotation around the sun, resulting in a good understanding of our orbit and seasons. This activity does an excellent job of addressing misconceptions about the process of shifting seasons and Earth's tilt. Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.
This is a kinesthetic activity using props to model the Earth's orbit and seasons. The activity has many elements and steps, and it requires the teacher to be very familiar with the concepts presented and to have strong classroom management skills. Teachers may want to prepare by trying out this activity with colleagues or friends beforehand. The three minute video is very helpful for helping to establish the concepts presented.