Lesson 5 of 6
Days, years and seasons
Goal: Explain day length and the seasons using the Earth’s tilt.
The Earth spins on a tilted axis as it orbits the Sun. The spin gives us day and night. The tilt gives us the seasons.
- One day is one spin. The Earth turns once on its axis every 24 hours. The half that faces the Sun has day, and the other half has night.
- One year is one orbit. The Earth takes about 365 days to travel once round the Sun.
- The axis is tilted, and it always leans the same way. In June the north of the Earth leans towards the Sun, and the UK has summer. In December the north leans away from the Sun, and the UK has winter.
- Summer is warmer for two reasons. The Sun climbs higher in the sky, so its light is more concentrated. The days are also longer.
It is not the distance. Summer does not come because the Earth is nearer the Sun. The Earth is in fact closest to the Sun in early January.
Your turn
Check yourself
Knowledge organiser
This lesson on one page. Tap it to make it bigger.
Key words in this lesson
Orbit The path of a planet, moon or satellite around a larger body
Axis The imaginary line through the poles that the Earth spins around
Day The time the Earth takes to spin once on its axis
Year The time the Earth takes to orbit the Sun once