The Real Reasons for Seasons

Teri Estrada

Assessment Plan

Assessment is incorporated within discussion and survey of the student’s knowledge of the cause/s for seasons. Students will in addition to answering survey, include a brief explanation as to why they chose their answers so that teacher will have a foundation of the students understanding, including misconceptions.

Activity 3: Trip to the Sun & Activity 4: What Shape is Earth’s Orbit?

Assessment: The goal is for students to understand the vast distance between the Earth and the Sun with the scale activity. The student will draw and investigate ellipses, and will understand that the Earth’s orbit around the Sun is very near circular. Discussion with these two activities should help students understand “that the orbit does not affect distance in a significant way.”(p106) Having student write a brief explanation after their activities to see if they understand the significance of their findings will assess their progress.

Activity 5: Temperatures around the World

Assessment: The graphing requirement will be the assessment for this activity. Along with a brief explanation in writing or presentation where student will share observations and patterns found while graphing.

Activity 6: Days and Nights around the World

Assessment: The graphing requirement will be the assessment for this activity. Along with a brief explanation in writing or presentation where student will share observations and patterns found while graphing.

Activity 7: Tilted Earth

Assessment: Students use a model to see the distribution of light during the rotation of the Earth. The goal is for students to notice the tilt of the Earth on its axis. And that this causes differences in the duration of days and nights. The assessment will include discussion along with brief explanation in writing and or presentation to explain what effects the rotation and tilt of the Earth may have on seasons. This will help teacher guide students to correct explanations.

Activity 8: Seasons Unraveled/The Angle of Sunlight

Assessment: “Students will use a sun angle analyzer to consider the effect of the Sun’s apparent height in the sky and learn that when the light is more concentrated, the ground gets hotter.”(p106) This final activity will wrap up the guide and a look back at original answers to survey will be reevaluated and discussed. A final short review and assessment over guides main ideas will be given.