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Grade 6 (age 11-12)

Seasonal Changes

Seasonal Changes

Why do spring, summer, autumn, and winter take turns? The cause is not the distance to the Sun but Earth's 23.5° tilt: the side leaning toward the Sun gets long, warm summer days, and the far side gets winter. Switch the month and season to see the Sun's height, day length, and temperature shift.

Why Do Seasons Change?
6
🌍 Why Seasons Change
①Earth orbits the Sun tilted 23.5°
②Tilt toward Sun → Summer (more sunlight)
③Tilt away from Sun → Winter
④Earth orbits once a year — seasons repeat
Sun Altitude & Temperature
☀️ Sun Altitude & Temperature
①High sun altitude: light concentrated → warmer
②Low sun altitude: light spreads out → cooler
③Summer: high altitude + long days → hot
④Winter: low altitude + short days → cold
Features by Season
Key to Seasons
Axis tilt (23.5°) + revolution → seasons
Earth orbits the Sun while tilted
Sun Altitude Effect
Altitude ↑ → temp ↑, day length ↑ → summer
Higher altitude concentrates energy
🍂 Seasonal Features
①Spring: temp rises, days lengthen, sprouts appear
②Summer: highest altitude, longest days, hottest
③Autumn: temp falls, days shorten, leaves color
④Winter: lowest altitude, shortest days, coldest
Summary
Cause of Seasons
Earth axis 23.5° tilt + revolution = seasons
Seasons exist because Earth is tilted
🎯 Key Points
①Cause: 23.5° axis tilt + revolution
②Summer: high altitude + long days → high temp
③Winter: low altitude + short days → low temp
④Southern hemisphere: opposite seasons
⑤Tilt is the cause, not distance to Sun
Examples and Unit Test
Example 1
What is the real cause of the seasons changing? (the changing Earth-Sun distance / the tilt of the axis)
1
Earth orbits the Sun with its axis tilted about 23.5°.
2
The tilt makes the Sun's altitude and the day length differ by season, so the seasons change. Distance is not the cause.
▸ Because Earth orbits with its axis tilted 23.5° (not the distance)
The cause of the seasons is the axial tilt, not the distance to the Sun.
Example 2
Explain why summer is hot using the Sun's noon altitude and the length of the day.
1
In summer the Sun's noon altitude is high, so the same light is concentrated on a smaller area and heats it more.
2
The day is also longer, so the ground receives sunlight for more hours and the temperature rises.
▸ High Sun altitude and a long day (energy is concentrated and received longer)
Summer: high altitude, long day → hot / winter: low altitude, short day → cold.
Unit-test style
Which statement about the changing seasons is correct?
①The seasons change because of the Earth-Sun distance
②In summer the Sun's noon altitude is high and the day is long
③Seasons occur even without an axial tilt
④In winter the Sun's noon altitude is high
⑤When the Northern Hemisphere has summer, so does the Southern Hemisphere
▸ ② In summer the Sun's noon altitude is high and the day is long
1
In summer the Sun is high so energy is concentrated, and the day is long, so it is hot.
2
Seasons come from the axial tilt (①③), in winter the Sun is low (④), and when the North has summer the South has winter (⑤).
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