Read the following background information about the sun to prepare you for the activities in this lesson:
- The Sun is the source of all energy on Earth. Earth is tilted on its axis 23 ½ degrees (23.5°) and it rotates once every 24 hours, producing day and night.
- Earth revolves around the Sun in a yearly movement.
- This combination of tilt and revolution produces seasonal variation in the amount of energy different parts of Earth receive.
- This variation, along with other factors, produces global patterns of temperature and precipitation, the two key components of climate.
3-D image of the sun, NASA
The image above is a 3-D image of the sun taken by NASA's STEREO satellite. It doesn't look like what you imagined the sun would look like.
Let's answer a few questions to see how much you know already about Earth and Sun relationships.
Click on A and B to take a look at the climate in both regions and answer the question that follows:
Study the map below. Use what you have learned to answer the question below.
Polar Zone: The portion of the earth that forms a cap over the earth's poles. It is characterized by a frigid climate.
Temperate Zone: The portion of the earth's surface located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle in the Northern Hemisphere or between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by having a climate that is warm in the summer, cold in the winter, and a moderate climate during the spring and fall.
Tropical Zone: The portion of the Earth's surface between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. It is characterized by a hot climate.
CloseClimate Zones, Morris county USD 417
Look at the Climate Map & Vegetation Map:
Click through the 3 slides below and read about climate zones (Arctic, Temperate, and Tropic) and their effect on seasons.
The statements below describe the Artic/Polar, Temperate, or Tropic climate zones. Drag each statement to the correct climate zone.
