1. Seasons Interactive Name: ______________________
Earth Science B Date: _______________________
Have you ever wondered how other parts of the world may be the same or different from us in terms of climate. How does a cities
position on the globe effects its seasons? To answer these questions, you will use the following Internet site as a resource:
http://www.sepuplhs.org/students/iaes/simulations/SEPUP_Seasons_Interactive.swf
The Seasons Interactive Internet site provides a simulation of the earth-sun system. After reading the Seasons Introduction, click on
“Continue to Interactive.” The window shows the rotating earth in compared to the sun in January. You can use the simulation to
collect data for each month.
Use the Interactive to complete the following data table:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Temperature (°F)
Anchorage,
AK
Chicago,
IL
Quito,
Ecuador
Melbourne,
Australia
Daylight Hours
Anchorage,
AK
Chicago,
IL
Quito,
Ecuador
Melbourne,
Australia
Use your data to prepare two line graphs:
• Graph 01: The first graph will be month versus Temperature. Plot all four cities on this graph, select a separate color for
each city.
• Graph 02: The second graph will month versus Daylight Hours. Again, plot all four cities using separate colors.
After you finish your graphs, attach them to this handout. Answer the following questions:
1. Out of the list of cities, which hemisphere had the greatest temperature extremes?
2. Describe the seasonal temperatures of a location near the equator.
3. For Chicago, IL, determine the difference in the length of day between winter and summer.
4. Which location had nearly the same length of daylight throughout the year? How is this related to the city’s location?
5. In the Seasons Interactive display set the “Tropics/Equator” function to “show.” In which months is the sun overhead at the
Tropic of Cancer? Tropic of Capricorn? Equator?
6. List the least and greatest distances between the earth and sun.
7. Use “Select Earth’s Tilt” and change earth’s tilt to 0°. What effect does this have on the climates for each city?