Day/Night, Seasons, and Ocean Tides

Seasons, Day/Night, Tides

Earth, Sun, and Moon system

Earth’s Movements

Rotation

The Earths spins once every 24
hours on its axis.

Revolution

The Earth travels around the
sun once every 365.25 days.

Multiple Choice

The revolution of Earth is when...

• The Earth moves around the Sun

• The Earth spins around once

• The moon makes a trip around Earth

• Earth completes a Lunar cycle

Multiple Choice

The rotation of Earth on its axis causes...

• Day and Night

• Seasons

• Tides

• Lunar Cycle

Day & Night Cycle

Rotation of the Earth causes the...

Day and Night is caused by the rotation of the
Earth

As the Earth rotates or spins on its axis, only the half of the
Earth facing the sun will be receiving sunlight. This is what
causes daytime. The half of the Earth facing away from the

sun is in night time. This cycle takes 24 hrs, or 1 day!

Open Ended

The North and South poles have periods of time when they are in constant 'daytime' and constant 'nighttime'. Why do you think this happens if the Earth is constantly rotating causing day & night in all other places on Earth?

The revolution of the Earth around the
Sun is (part of) the

reason for the Seasons.

Earth's TILT is another contributing factor!

Direct and Indirect Sunlight

Earth’s tilt causes the Sun to strike the Earth in two different ways, they are called...

Direct and Indirect Sunlight

Direct Sunlight occurs in
the hemisphere tilted
toward the Sun. This
focuses the sun’s heat and
energy.

Indirect Sunlight occurs in
the hemisphere tilted
away from the Sun. This
spreads out the sun’s heat
and energy.

Direct Sunlight

Indirect Sunlight

Indirect Sunlight

23.5 degree tilt

Multiple Select

Select the answers that show DIRECT sunlight.

The hemisphere tilted to the Sun is experiencing summer.

The hemisphere tilted away from the Sun is experiencing winter.

When neither hemisphere is tilted toward or away from from the Sun, both

hemispheres are experiencing spring or fall.

The Northern and Southern hemispheres are always experiencing opposite

seasons.

Multiple Choice

Which Season is the Southern Hemisphere experiencing?

• Spring

• Summer

• Fall

• Winter

Multiple Choice

Which Season is the Northern Hemisphere experiencing?

• Spring

• Summer

• Fall

• Winter

Multiple Choice

Which Season is the Northern Hemisphere experiencing in position 1?

• Spring

• Summer

• Fall

• Winter

Multiple Choice

Which Season is the Southern Hemisphere experiencing in position 3?

• Spring

• Summer

• Fall

• Winter

Equinoxes and Solstices

There is 1 day in each season that is unique. These days are called Equinoxes and
Solstices, they are the first day of each season. Spring and Fall both contain an equinox while Summer and Winter contain a solstice.

An equinox is a
day where Earth
receives 12 hours
of daytime, and
12 hours of night
time.

A solstice is a day
where Earth has
either the
longest (in
summer) or
shortest (in
winter) amounts
of daytime!

Days getting longer

Days getting longer

Days getting shorter

Days getting shorter

Earth’s Seasons are caused by the 23.5° tilt of the Earth on
its axis and its movement around the sun.

The seasons are caused by the different angles at which
the sunlight hits earth.

Open Ended

From the animation, when were the tides the HIGHEST? (You can use the moon phases to help you describe!)

Tides and the Moon

• The Moon does more than just change how it looks in the sky.

• The Moon's gravity pulls the oceans on the Earth towards itself.

• When the Moon pulls the oceans, it creates "tidal bulges" of water, or what we call "tides"

• While the Sun also has a smaller effect on the tides, the Moon is the main cause.

Multiple Choice

What is the main force that pulls the oceans on Earth to cause the "tidal bulges"?

• The Moon's gravity

• The Earth's gravity

• The Sun's gravity

High Tide

High tide is the period of time where the ocean levels rise.

High Tide ALWAYS follows the location of the Moon, and the opposite side of the Earth.

The water in Earth's oceans is being pulled by the gravity of the moon causing a "tidal bulge". The opposite side of Earth also has a tidal bulge due to the Moon pulling the Earth itself toward the moon.

Multiple Choice

High tide is always...

• only on the side facing the moon

• only on the sides not facing to the moon.

• on both the side facing the moon and the opposite side of Earth

Low Tides

Low tides happen due to the water moving to the tidal bulges facing the moon or on the opposite side.

Notice the areas on the sides of the Earth that are not facing the moon or opposite of the moon, these are low tides.

There is a constant shift between high and low tides that usually takes around 6 hours between each change.

Multiple Choice

If there is currently a high tide, about how long will it be until the next high tide?

• 6 hours

• 12 hours

• 18 hours

• 24 hours

The Sun and Tides

• Although the Sun does not have the largest effect on the tides, it does still play a part in two special types of tides.

• Spring Tides - occur at Full and New Moons

• Neap Tides - occur at First and Last Quarter Moons

Spring Tides

Spring tides occur during our Full Moon and New Moon phases.

Spring tides are the highest high tides, and lowest low tides. The water in Earth's oceans is pulled to extremes because the Moon and the Sun's gravity works together during these periods.

Neap Tides

Neap tides occur during 1st and Last Quarter Moons.

Neap tides happen when the Sun and Moon's gravity work against each other in opposite directions, or perpendicularly.

These tides are the lowest high tides, and the highest low tides. Or in other words: the least difference between the high and low tides.

Multiple Choice

When the Sun and Moon's gravity work together in the new and full moon phases they create...

• Spring Tides

• Neap Tides

• No tides

Multiple Choice

When the moon is in the 1st and 3rd quarter phases, _________ tides occur. (are the moon and sun's gravity working together or against each other?)

• Spring Tides

• Neap Tides

• No Tides

Multiple Choice

Answer the question in the picture.

• F

• G

• H

• J