Today is rung 4 of 4 on this topic
Earth, moon, sun and the seasons
Can do: Explains day and night, moon phases and seasons using a model, not a memorised list.
Why it matters
The seasons are the most confidently misexplained topic in school science — most adults say "we're closer to the sun", which is wrong.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Attributes seasons to distance from the sun, and can't explain why the hemispheres are opposite.
⏱️ Two-minute check
"Why is it hotter in summer? Why is it winter in Australia when it's summer here?"
Solid looks like: Axial tilt and the angle of sunlight, not distance.
The full activity for this topic · 25 minutes
Torch and Globe
- 1Tilt the globe and shine a torch from a fixed point. Carry the globe around the torch.
- 2Watch which hemisphere gets direct light at each position.
- 3Show the same light spread over a bigger area when it hits at an angle — that's the whole explanation.
- 4Use a smaller ball as the moon and orbit it to make the phases.
- 5Check moonrise times for the week and predict the phase, then look up and verify.
If it's too hard
Day and night with the torch and a rotating globe.
If it's too easy
Explain eclipses, and why they don't happen every month.
Say this
"Same torch, same distance. Watch what happens to the light when the surface tilts away."