Year 7 - Science
Seasons on Earth
Our solar system and beyond
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores gravity as the force between masses, including weight calculation using gravitational field strength. It covers the relationship between Earth, the Moon, and the Sun, the concept of light years, and seasonal changes due to Earth's tilt.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how and why the seasons change, and why some countries do not have summers and winters.
Key Notes
- The seasons change because of Earth's tilted axis, which does not change direction as Earth orbits the Sun.
- In June, the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun so has summer, and the southern hemisphere has winter.
- In December, the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun so has winter, and the southern hemisphere has summer.
- The seasons that occur at a place on Earth can be explained by the different angles made to the sun's rays over a year.
- Countries near the Equator do not experience summers and winters as they stay close to 'face-on' to the Sun all year.
Vocabulary To Learn
- summer: Summer is the warmest season, when the Sun is highest in the sky and there are more hours of daylight.
- winter: Winter is the coldest season, when the Sun is lowest in the sky and there are fewer hours of daylight.
- hemisphere: A hemisphere is half a sphere.
- tilt: Something is tilted if it is at an angle to the horizontal or vertical.
- orbit: An orbit is the path one object takes around another object.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The seasons are caused by Earth moving closer or further from the Sun, the Sun being hotter or colder, or Earth's tilt changing as it orbits the Sun.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
The seasons change because of Earth's tilted axis, which does not change direction as Earth orbits the Sun. In June, the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun so has summer, and the southern hemisphere has winter.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'summer'
Summer is the warmest season, when the Sun is highest in the sky and there are more hours of daylight. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: The seasons are caused by Earth moving closer or further from the Sun, the Sun being hotter or colder, or Earth's tilt changing as it orbits the Sun. Correction: Remind pupils that the Sun's output is constant and also that there is strong evidence for Earth's orbit of the Sun being almost a perfect circle. Seasonal change happens because the direction of Earth's tilt doesn't change as it orbits the Sun.
More Lessons In This Unit
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