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SCIENCE
Quarter 4 – Module 4:
Effect of Earth’s Tilt and Revolution
on Seasons

Self-Learning Module

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 7

Science
Quarter 4 Module 4
Week 4

Effect of Earth’s Tilt and

Revolution on Seasons

Department of Education
Mandaue City Division

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LEARNING COMPETENCIES:

Using models, relate:

1. the position of the Earth in its orbit to the height of the Sun in the sky
2. the height of the Sun in the sky to the amount of energy received
3. the latitude of an area to the amount of energy the area receives
4. tilt of the Earth and the seasons
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Infer the effect of the Earth’s tilt and revolution on seasons

• Discover that the seasons change because the Earth is tilted, and it
revolves around the Sun.
• Relate the tilt of the Earth to why seasons change

INTRODUCTION

In Grade 6, you have learned about the major members

of our solar system. Like the other planets, the Earth moves
mainly in two ways: it spins on its axis and it goes around the
Sun. As the Earth revolves around the Sun, the Moon is also
revolving around the Earth. Even if we do not actually see the
Earth or Moon moving, we can observe the effects of their
motion. For example, because the Earth rotates, we experience
day and night. As the Moon goes around the Earth, we see
changes in the Moon’s appearance.

You know that there are two seasons in the Philippines: rainy
and dry. There are months of the year when it is cold and months
when it is hot. The seasons follow each other regularly and you can
tell in advance when it is going to be warm or cold and when it is
going to be rainy or not. But can you explain why there are
seasons at all? Do you know why the seasons change?

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 What I Know?

Pre-Assessment

Direction: Choose the letter of the correct answer.

1. What is the correct tilt of the Earth?
A. 50 degrees C. 98.6 degrees
B. 20.5 degrees D. 23.5 degrees

2. In which month is the North Pole tilted toward the Sun?

A. March C. September
B. June D. December

3. When the Northern Hemisphere is titled toward the Sun, it will experience
__________ season.
A. summer C. spring
B. winter D. fall

4. In December, which hemisphere receives direct rays from the Sun?

A. Northern Hemisphere C. Tropics
B. Southern Hemisphere D. Equator

5. In the temperate regions, how many seasons are there?

A. 1 C. 3
B. 2 D. 4

6. If it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere, what is the season in the

Northern Hemisphere?
A. summer C. fall
B. spring D. winter

7. How many seasons are there in the Philippines?

A. 1 C. 3
B. 2 D. 4
8. What is the main cause of the Earth’s seasons?

A. the Sun C. Earth’s axial tilt B. the moon D.

Earth’s orbit

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9. Which is the reason for the warm season in the tropics?
A. Sun’s rays hitting the ground directly.
B. Sun’s rays hitting the ground indirectly.
C. The ground receives lesser amount of solar energy.
D. All of the above.

10. Which best describes a year?

A. The amount of time it takes the moon to revolve around the Earth.
B. The amount of time it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun.
C. The amount of time it takes for the Sun to revolve around the Earth.
D. The amount of time it takes for the Earth to rotate on its axis.

What I Need to Know?

Activity 1:
Why do the seasons change?

Objective
After performing this activity, you should be able to give one reason why the
seasons change.

What to use

Figures 1 to 5

What to do

1. Study Figure 1 carefully. It shows the Earth at different locations along its orbit around the
Sun. Note that the axis of Earth is not perpendicular to its plane of orbit; it is tilted. The letter
“N” refers to the North Pole while “S” refers to the South Pole.

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Q1. In which month is the North Pole tilted toward the Sun– in June or December?

Q2. In which month is the North Pole tilted away from the Sun– in June or December?

2. Study Figure 2 carefully. The drawing shows how the Earth is oriented with respect to
the Sun during the month of June.

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Q3. In June, which hemisphere receives direct rays from the Sun– the Northern
Hemisphere or Southern Hemisphere?

3. Study Figure 3 carefully. The drawing shows how the Earth is oriented with respect to the
Sun during the month of December.

Q4. In December, which hemisphere receives direct rays from the Sun- the
Northern Hemisphere or Southern Hemisphere?

Q5. Is the axis of the Earth perpendicular to the plane of its orbit?

Q6. What is Earth’s axial tilt?

Q7. What is the effect of this tilt?

Q8. But the Earth is not stationary. The Earth goes around the Sun. What happens when
the Earth has moved to the other side of the Sun?

Q9. Which part of the Earth receives the direct rays of the Sun in December? What is its
effect on the season of that area?

Q10. Which part of the Earth receives the direct rays of the Sun in June? What is its effect
on the season of that area?

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 Look at Figure 1 again. Note that the axis of the Earth is not
perpendicular to the plane of its orbit; it is tilted from the vertical by
23.5 degrees. What is the effect of this tilt?

In June, the North Pole is tilted toward the Sun. Naturally, the
Northern Hemisphere will also be tilted toward the Sun. The Northern
Hemisphere will then receive direct rays from the Sun (Fig. 2). When
the Sun’s rays hit the ground directly, the place will become warmer
than when the rays are oblique (Figures 4 and 5). This is why it is
summer in the Northern Hemisphere at this time.

But the Earth is not stationary. The Earth goes around the Sun.
What happens when the Earth has moved to the other side of the Sun?

After six months, in December, the North Pole will be pointing

away from the Sun (Figure 1). The Northern Hemisphere will no longer
receive direct rays from the Sun. The Northern Hemisphere will then
experience a time of cold. For temperate countries in the Northern
Hemisphere, it will be winter. In tropical Philippines, it is simply the
cold season.

Which part of the Earth receives the direct rays of the Sun in
December? As you can see in Figure 3, it is the South Pole that is tilted
toward the Sun. This time the Sun’s direct rays will fall on the Southern
Hemisphere. It will then be summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
Thus, when it is cold in the Northern Hemisphere, it is warm in the
Southern Hemisphere.

After another six months, in June of the following year, the Earth
will have made one full trip around the Sun. The Sun’s direct rays will
fall on the Northern Hemisphere once more. It will be warm in the
Northern Hemisphere and cold in the Southern Hemisphere all over
again. Thus, the seasons change because the direct rays of the Sun shift
from one hemisphere to the other as the Earth goes around the Sun.

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What’s the angle got to do with
it?

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 To summarize, the warm season is brought on
What Is It? by the direct rays of the Sun. But since the Earth is
tilted, only one hemisphere receives direct rays at any
one time and that hemisphere will experience summer
at that time. Since the Earth goes around the Sun, there
will come a time when the other hemisphere will receive
the Sun’s direct rays and that hemisphere will
experience summer at that time.

When one hemisphere of the Earth is

experiencing summer, the other hemisphere
experiences winter. We do not experience winter in the
Philippines because we are too near the equator. But
we are happy nonetheless to experience a cold
December, January and February.

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What’s More?

Activity 2:
Summer and Winter?

The Earth's position in relation to the Sun in the Northern Hemisphere's

summer and winter is shown below. Provide the name of the season (summer
or winter) shown on the lines below each diagram and provide the names of the
imaginary lines of latitude on the Earth using the following:

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What I Have Learned?

Let’s find out if you’ve learned something!

Try to answer the following exercises.

POST - ASSESSMENT
Test I. Read the paragraphs below carefully and fill in the blanks with the correct
answer. Choose your answers from inside the box.

Southern Hemisphere moon rotates cold

summer direct Northern Hemisphere
equator indirect winter revolves Sun

When the direct rays of the Sun hit the Northern Hemisphere, it will be
1.__________ there. At exactly the same time, it is 2._________ in the other
hemisphere, the 3.___________________. But since the Earth moves around the
4.________, the Earth will soon reach the other side of its orbit. There, it will be the
Southern Hemisphere which will receive the 5._________rays from the Sun. This time
it will be the Southern Hemisphere which will experience 6.____________, and the
7.______________________ will experience 8.__________.

We do not experience winter in the Philippines because we are too near

the 9.___________. But we are happy nonetheless to experience a
10.___________ December, January and February.

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Test II. Answer the following questions carefully.

1. Study the globes below. They represent the Earth as seen from the direction of the Sun. In the
left photo, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun. In the right photo, the Northern
Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun. The ‘Philippines’ is inside the black square. Which
photo shows the Philippines during summer?

A B

2. Study the photos below. The arrows represent the rays of the Sun. Explain why
it is warmer in April than in December?

_______________________________________________________________________

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 References

Printed:

K to 12 Curriculum Guide Science 7

K to 12 Learning Manual Science 7

Denecke. Edward Jr. J. (2009). Let’s Review: Earth Science The Physical Setting. 3rd ed.
New York: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.

Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (1983). Earth Science: The
Philippines in Focus. Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.

Tarbuck, Edward J.; Lutgens, Frederick K. (2004). Earth Science. 10th ed. Singapore:
Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd.

Electronic Sources:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/u/1/d/1jMT0maiw8vowWpp8_LJnpIORhW7DlDjiOA-
KOy4ec54/htmlpresent
http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html

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 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
REGION VII
Division of Mandaue City
Mandaue City, Cebu

NIMFA D. BONGO, Ed.D., CESO V

Schools Division Superintendent

ESTELA B. SUSVILLA, Ed.D.

Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

JAIME P. RUELAN, Ed.D.

Chief, Curriculum Implementation Division

ISMAELITA N. DESABILLE, Ed.D.

Education Program Supervisor – LRMDS

RUFINO T. TUDLASAN Jr., Ed.D.

Education Program Supervisor -Science

CHYRREL B. ENCONTRO
Writer

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 For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:
Department of Education – Division of Mandaue City
Plaridel St., Centro, Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines 6014
Telephone Nos.: (032) 345 – 0545 | (032) 505 – 6337
E-mail Address: mandaue.city001@deped.gov.ph
Website: https://depedmandaue.net

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