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Showing posts with label Planets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Planets. Show all posts

Wednesday, 25 November 2015

How do we have seasons?

I have written a short explanation to explain how earth has seasons.

Seasons are 4 divisions of a year like weather patterns which affects the temperature. These seasons are Winter, Autumn, Summer and Spring.

Winter is when coldness sweep in beneath our feet, Autumn is when all the summer leaves fall, Summer is when it is very hot and finally Spring is when the flowers and plants bloom.

Many people would say that earth’s axis is straight. That's where most people are wrong, earth’s axis is on a tilt. That exact tilt creates our seasons, “you never knew that, now you do.” So as earth tilts the hemisphere(north & south) closest to the sun gets Summer and the hemisphere facing away from the sun gets Winter. Spring and Autumn come when earth moves slightly 90 degrees anticlockwise (to be precise).

Earth, Uranus and Venus are the only planets tilted on its axis which mean they are also the only planets with seasons. Some last years others only last days.

Stardome Observatory

What a great day it was to go on a special trip to a Observatory based on our Inquiry topic. The sun was out, shining brightly just as the day started smoothly. That Thursday I expected to leave straight away to the Stardome Observatory but instead we stayed at school for Dance Fever until Ten O'clock.

As dance fever finished Room 7, 8 and 9 lined up. Miss Elia came into the hall to speak to us about having manners around the StarDome workers and around the public. Atlas we were sent one by one to the buses. In one bus was Room9 and 10 and in the other bus was Room 7 and 8. Then Finally we left to the Observatory, on the way we sang songs, pretended to sleep and some of us even read books. Also some students pretended to claim houses as if it were their own. But Finally as we headed towards One Tree Hill, I knew we were getting closer. As we rode by pass the Observatory and into the parking lot the view of the park was just amazing. Room 7 and 8 waited patiently in their seats, eager to run around outside but unfortunately we only had time to have morning tea before we had our session inside the observatory.

Later on we were seated along the park grounds to eat our morning tea. After we ate Room7 and 8 lined ready to go to our session inside Stardome. As we entered the Observatory, amazing displays were just sitting there ready for us to read information about them. But instead of visiting the displays we entered a classroom. Moments later our instructor entered the room, she seemed friendly and like a person who obviously knows a lot about planets and space. Inside the classroom we discussed why we have seasons, Why sea water doesn’t fall out space and Whether the Sun orbits Earth or do we orbit Earth. Well I know all the answers to these questions since I learnt about them in the Learning classroom. We also learnt about what the different colours of stars mean.

Afterwards all students were sent outside to where all the displays were so we can learn more information. I was very intrigued at all the displays but I was more intrigued in learning about the biggest planet in the solar system Jupiter. After we had a look at all the displays, our educator summoned us towards a large door. Moments later we walked into the other room to discover a mini theatre with the screen as the ceiling. Then we looked at the constellations in the sky and the the planets we can see in sunrise. Afterwards we watched a movie about seasons.

When the movie finished, it was our turn to play outside on the park. When we went outside, we ate our lunch. As we finished eating our lunch we rushed to the park and started playing. My favourite ride was the Octopus. After an hour it was time to go on the bus back to school.

I had a lot of fun and now can’t wait to share what I have learnt in my inquiry. I learnt that the reason why we seasons are because the earth is on a tilt.