• This video shows how Earth's axial tilt causes sunlight to reach the Northern and Southern Hemispheres differently, depending on the time of year. 
• It also discusses long-range changes in the tilt of the Earth (Milankovich cycles) that can affect Earth's climate and the differences in the amount of energy or heat available in the atmosphere during different times of the year in different locations. 

Positives

• The video illustrates the positional relationship between the Sun and the Earth from a variety of viewpoints.
• A full transcript of the video is available.

Additional Prerequisites

• This is one of a series of videos about the orbit and tilt of the Earth. 
• There is a season simulator that students can watch and pause to see animated graphs and images to help students visualize the changes.

Differentiation

• Earth science classes could work in groups to make a diagram, a computer simulation, or a three-dimensional model of the Sun and the Earth to show how sunlight reaches different parts of the Earth at different places in the Earth's orbit.
• Physics classes could investigate why the atmosphere reflects some of the Sun's radiation and the connection between the angle of sunlight and the surface area on Earth receiving the Sun's radiation.
• Biology classes could use this resource for lessons about global cycles, wind patterns, biomes, and the distribution of life on Earth.
• Other resources on this topic include this interactive presentation on solar radiation in Earth's atmosphere, this Khan Academy video that explains how the oceans keep the Southern Hemisphere from experiencing more severe temperatures, and this interactive database on temperature anomalies.
  

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.