Reason for the SEASONS ACTIVITY: Graph Sun Angle and Length of Day

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Inquiry-based activity! Provide middle school students a deeper understanding of Earth’s seasons through the analysis of a student-generated graph. Clear worksheet instructions, easy-to-graph data, and a nice analysis section combine to make a really worthwhile activity!

Objective: Graph the relationship between the seasons and angle of sunlight, as well as the seasons and length of daylight hours.

In this activity, students will:

• GENERATE A GRAPH that shows both the angle of sunlight and the hours of daylight over two years. (This is great for a paired activity!)
• ANSWER follow-up analysis questions, including some in the Claims/Evidence/Reasoning format. Students will be able to make a correlation between the position of the sun in the sky and the season as well as the number of hours of daylight and the season.

Teacher Notes:

• INCLUDES ANSWER KEY.
• Please note that this resource is not editable.
• NGSS Standard: MS ESS1-1
• NGSS Science & Engineering Practice: Analyzing and interpreting data
• NGSS Science & Engineering Practice: Using mathematics and computational thinking
• NGSS Science & Engineering Practice: Engaging in argument from evidence
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Related Standards:

• NGSS MS-ESS1-1: Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses, and seasons.