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Seasons
Name: Johnny Angel
Status: Educator
Age: 20s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
I'm trying to come up with a first grade explanation for
why it is cold in November though the sun is bright. I know how to
explain the earth's tilt and rotation to older students, but I was
wondering if you have a good six-year-old explanation for this. Thank
you!
Replies:
Johnny,
You might try talking about the reduction in the quality of the incoming
light by something simple. In a darkened room, have one student use a
flashlight to read a section of newsprint where the central beam from the
flashlight is not blocked and light from it is adequate to light to the
distance where the newsprint is placed. Then, use some cardboard to mask
off the central part and one side of the flashlight "active end" and try to
connect it to how the sun, appearing at a different angle and delivering
effectively less solar radiation to us, results in the coolness. In this
case, your newsprint, held at the same distance with only the smaller window
of light emanating from the flashlight, and have the same set of eyes
attempt to read a different passage of news. Though the temperature change
is not communicated, they will understand how the light from the flashlight
is 'weaker', and even though the difference is not apparently great, there
is a greater challenge to see. You will have to toy with the setup to
assure you can produce the results you seek. Assuming you can, you just
then have to teach them about how sunlight produces light and heat, and toss
in a discussion about day length and then effect of total incident light as
an energy source in summer vs. winter. Good luck.
Thanks for using NEWTON
Richard R. Rupnik
Internal Quality Auditor
Lucent Technologies
(610) 712-7152
rrupnik@lucent.com
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Update: June 2012
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