Why The Earth Has Seasons: Hemispheres

WHY THE EARTH HAS SEASONS
HEMISPHERES
The Earth is divided into two halves by the equator. The
equator is an imaginary line that runs around the middle
of the Earth. The top half of the Earth is called the
Northern Hemisphere. The bottom half of the Earth is
called the Southern Hemisphere.
SEASONS
The temperatures are not the same year round in the Northern and
Southern Hemispheres. Many places have four seasons each year. A
season is a period of time that has certain weather and
temperatures. The four seasons are: spring, summer, autumn or
fall, and winter. The seasons in the Northern Hemisphere and the
Southern Hemisphere take place at opposite times of the year. For
example, when it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it is winter
in the Southern Hemisphere.
TILT
The Earth circles once around the Sun each
year, or 365 days. The Earth is tilted on an
axis as it moves. The Northern Hemisphere
tilts toward the Sun for part of the year,
while it tilts away from the Sun the other
half. This tilt causes the seasons to change throughout the year.
SOLSTICES AND EQUINOXES

Winter and summer start at a solstice. A solstice happens when one
hemisphere faces the Sun most directly. Fall and spring each begin at
an equinox. This happens when the Northern and Southern
Hemispheres get the same amount of sunlight. The Sun is almost
directly over the equator at this time.
DAY AND NIGHT

Earth revolves around the Sun once per year.
It also spins on an axis once per day.
Different parts of Earth face the Sun at
©Teaching to the Middle
different times. This causes day and night. For example, when it is
nighttime in China, it is daytime in the United States. The seasonal
cycle affects the length of a day.
OPPOSITES
The amount of sunlight an area gets depends on how far north or
south it is from the equator. The amount of sunlight does not
change a lot near the equator. The amount of sunlight changes a
lot near the poles. The North Pole gets six months of sunlight
between March and September. The South Pole gets six months of
daylight during this time.
WET AND DRY SEASONS

The parts of Earth near the equator are called
the tropics. They do not have four different
seasons. They have wet and dry seasons instead.
The tropics get a lot of sunlight all year. It causes
heat, which makes water in the oceans evaporate.
This water turns into precipitation and falls in the
form of rain. There is more rain around the equator than
anywhere else in the world. The rain travels in bands. It causes a
wet season when it passes over an area. When it leaves, there is a
dry season. There can be one or two wet seasons and dry seasons
each year. A monsoon is a strong seasonal wind that often carries
heavy rains with it. Monsoons that come from the sea to land
create a rainy season. This happens because the monsoons carry a
lot of ocean water. Monsoons reverse during the dry season. They
blow toward the sea.
IMPACT
The yearly changes in weather have a huge impact on people,
animals, and plants around the world. Different crops grow better
at different times of the year and in certain climates. The seasonal
cycle affects many types of storms too. For example, hurricanes
must have warm ocean water to form. Many animals change
behavior with the seasons. Some, like birds, migrate when the
seasons change. Other animals hibernate, or rest,
through the winter. Germs and viruses change with the
seasons too. Some spread more easily during certain
seasons. The seasonal cycle also affects energy use
because of the temperatures and amount of daylight.
This also impacts the clothing people wear throughout
the year. The seasonal cycle never stops. The seasons

affect people’s lives in many ways.
Name_________________________________________________

IDENTIFY: Use the word bank to identify each description.
monsoon solstice hemispheres
season equator equinox
tropics migrate axis
1. A period of time that has certain

weather and temperatures
2. Halves of the Earth
3. When the hemispheres get the same

amount of sunlight
4. Parts of Earth near the equator
5. An imaginary line that runs around the

middle of the Earth
6. A strong, seasonal wind that often

carries heavy rains with it
7. Earth spins on this once per day
8. When one hemisphere faces the Sun

most directly
9. Some animals do this when the seasons

change
MULTIPLE CHOICE: Choose the best answer.
10. Which two seasons start at a solstice, when one hemisphere

faces the Sun most directly?
A. Fall and Spring
B. Winter and Summer
C. Spring and Summer
11. Where does the amount of sunlight change the most?

A. The poles
B. The equator
C. The Northern Hemisphere
12. What part of the Earth has wet seasons and dry seasons?
A. Near the equator
B. Near the poles
C. Near the Arctic
13. How did the author mainly organize the passage?

A. He compared and contrasted the four seasons.
B. He described the order of the seasons in chronological order.
C. He described the different seasons and why the Earth has them.
114. What season is it in the Northern Hemisphere when it is winter in

the Southern Hemisphere?
A. Summer
B. Winter
C. Spring
15. What is it called when the Northern and Southern Hemispheres

get the same amount of sunlight?
A. Solstice
B. Equinox
C. Tilt
16. “The rain travels in bands.”

What is the meaning of bands in the quote?
A. Groups who make music

B. Something that binds two things together
C. Something that moves together
HEMISPHERES
The Earth is divided into two halves by the equator. The
equator is an imaginary line that runs around the middle
of the Earth. The top half of the Earth is called the
Northern Hemisphere. The bottom half of the Earth is
called the Southern Hemisphere.
SEASONS
The temperatures are not the same year round in the Northern and
Southern Hemispheres. Many places have four seasons each year. A
season is a period of time that has certain weather and
temperatures. The four seasons are: spring, summer, autumn or
fall, and winter. The seasons in the Northern Hemisphere and the
Southern Hemisphere take place at opposite times of the year. For
example, when it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it is winter
in the Southern Hemisphere.
TILT
The Earth circles once around the Sun each
year, or 365 days. The Earth is tilted on an
axis as it moves. The Northern Hemisphere
tilts toward the Sun for part of the year,
while it tilts away from the Sun the other
half. This tilt causes the seasons to change throughout the year.
SOLSTICES AND EQUINOXES

Winter and summer start at a solstice. A solstice happens when one
hemisphere faces the Sun most directly. Fall and spring each begin at
an equinox. This happens when the Northern and Southern
Hemispheres get the same amount of sunlight. The Sun is almost
directly over the equator at this time.
DAY AND NIGHT

Earth revolves around the Sun once per year.
It also spins on an axis once per day.
Different parts of Earth face the Sun at
different times. This causes day and night. For example, when it is
nighttime in China, it is daytime in the United States. The seasonal
cycle affects the length of a day.
OPPOSITES
The amount of sunlight an area gets depends on how far north or
south it is from the equator. The amount of sunlight does not
change a lot near the equator. The amount of sunlight changes a
lot near the poles. The North Pole gets six months of sunlight
between March and September. The South Pole gets six months of
daylight during this time.
WET AND DRY SEASONS

The parts of Earth near the equator are called
the tropics. They do not have four different
seasons. They have wet and dry seasons instead.
The tropics get a lot of sunlight all year. It causes
heat, which makes water in the oceans evaporate.
This water turns into precipitation and falls in the
form of rain. There is more rain around the equator than
anywhere else in the world. The rain travels in bands. It causes a
wet season when it passes over an area. When it leaves, there is a
dry season. There can be one or two wet seasons and dry seasons
each year. A monsoon is a strong seasonal wind that often carries
heavy rains with it. Monsoons that come from the sea to land
create a rainy season. This happens because the monsoons carry a
lot of ocean water. Monsoons reverse during the dry season. They
blow toward the sea.
IMPACT
The yearly changes in weather have a huge impact on people,
animals, and plants around the world. Different crops grow better
at different times of the year and in certain climates. The seasonal
cycle affects many types of storms too. For example, hurricanes
must have warm ocean water to form. Many animals change
behavior with the seasons. Some, like birds, migrate when the
seasons change. Other animals hibernate, or rest,
through the winter. Germs and viruses change with the
seasons too. Some spread more easily during certain
seasons. The seasonal cycle also affects energy use
because of the temperatures and amount of daylight.
This also impacts the clothing people wear throughout
the year. The seasonal cycle never stops. The seasons

affect people’s lives in many ways.
Name_________________________________________________


2. Halves of the Earth

amount of sunlight
4. Parts of Earth near the equator

middle of the Earth

7. Earth spins on this once per day

most directly

change

A. Fall and Spring

A. The poles
B. The equator
A. Near the equator
B. Near the poles
C. Near the Arctic


A. Summer
B. Winter
C. Spring

A. Solstice
B. Equinox
C. Tilt


Name____KEY_____________________________________________


season
hemispheres 2. Halves of the Earth

equinox
amount of sunlight
tropics 4. Parts of Earth near the equator

equator
middle of the Earth

monsoon
axis 7. Earth spins on this once per day

solstice
most directly

migrate
change

A. Fall and Spring

A. The poles
B. The equator
A. Near the equator
B. Near the poles
C. Near the Arctic


A. Summer
B. Winter
C. Spring

A. Solstice
B. Equinox
C. Tilt


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WHY THE EARTH HAS SEASONS

SOLSTICES AND EQUINOXES

DAY AND NIGHT

WET AND DRY SEASONS

the year. The seasonal cycle never stops. The seasons