Week of January 11, 2010

This week in Science class we took the placement test for honors science. It was two days long. When we weren't taking the test we were learning about seasons. We came up with four hypothesis' for why we have seasons:

1.) Mark- depending on how long the sun is out during the day.

2.) Mickey- depends on where we are around the orbit compared to the sun (if we are close to the sun it is summer)

3.) Emily- it has to do with the tilt of the earth.

4.) Jackie- it depends on the direct and indirect rays.

One by one we tried to prove them wrong. We used the simulation to discover that when the earth is farthest away from the sun it is summer. So Mickey's hypothesis is wrong. We thought about Mark's hypothesis and concluded that his was wrong because the seasons changing is the cause and the change in how long the sun is out is the effect. He had it the other way around. So that left Jackie and Emily. Their hypothesis' were correct. The final answer to the question WHY DO WE HAVE SEASONS?is:

We have seasons because the angle of the tilt of the earth makes direct and indirect light and we are revolving and rotating around the earth, so different parts of the earth get different kinds of light and that is what makes the seasons change.

We also learned five important facts about seasons;

1.) The earth is tilted and stays in that one tilt.

2.) We are revolving and rotating around the sun.

3.) The hemispheres face the sun at different times.

4.) The light is direct and indirect.

5.) Some places don't get much light at all. (Alaska)