Less Sunlight in Winter

We go outside and enjoy the outdoors all year, but the amount of daylight we have changes as the months go by. Investigate why the amount of daylight changes throughout the year.

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Madison County

Iowa Core Standard

1-ESS1-2

Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year

Driving Question

Why does it get dark earlier in the winter and later in the summer?

Probing Questions

What have you noticed about the amount of light when you are going to bed?
Why do you think it stays light longer in the summer?
What other differences do you notice about the amount of daylight during the year?

Classroom Suggestions

Students could:

Make a graph of when the sun goes down and comes up daily for a few months and discuss their findings.
Use a model of the sun and a globe, "act out" the rotations of each and discuss when the sun shines on a specific location.

Resources

Generation Genius | Four Seasons and Day Length: This website includes a video and lesson activities centered around the video.
PBS LearningMedia | Sunrise and Sunset Summer and Winter: This video shows the amount of daylight throughout the year.

Contributors

Phenomena submitted by Janet Riordan.