Earth’s Tilt and the Seasons

Show students why the two halves of Earth have opposite seasons with this one-page worksheet! Students read three short cards about June, December, and March and September, then decide which hemisphere is having summer.

The page opens by explaining that Earth's tilt gives the Northern and Southern Hemispheres opposite seasons. Three picture cards walk through the year. In June, the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun, gets direct sunlight and long days, and has summer while the Southern Hemisphere has winter. In December, the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun, so it has winter while the Southern Hemisphere has summer. In March and September, neither hemisphere tilts toward the Sun, so day and night are about 12 hours each everywhere. A note reminds students that Texas is in the Northern Hemisphere, while Australia and Argentina are in the Southern Hemisphere. In the first activity, students read six clues, such as kids in Australia swimming at the beach in December, and write N or S in the box for the hemisphere having summer. In the second activity, students answer two questions about day length in March and why summer is warmer. The sheet is written to Texas TEKS 6.9A and also fits NGSS MS-ESS1-1.

What's inside:

• Three season cards with simple doodles
• 6 Northern or Southern Hemisphere letter boxes
• 2 multiple choice questions
• A visual answer key

How teachers use it:

• As a follow-up to the Why We Have Seasons worksheet
• For bell work, stations, or an exit ticket
• As homework or sub plans, with no prep needed

It takes about 10 minutes and prints clearly in black and white. This worksheet is part of our Reading in Science series on the Sun, Earth, and Moon.