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The Seasons software from Riverside
Scientific in Minneapolis, Minnesota is a
modeling system that
allows you to change the Earth’s orbit and the tilt
of the Earth’s axis and then predict how these changes
will affect the seasons.
The program is available on a 30-day trial basis, beginning when the program
is first used. Students can see for themselves the effect of the tilt of
the Earth’s axis on seasons. The program also shows how the amount
of sunlight and temperature of different places on Earth affects the seasons.
(Web link requires an
Internet connection)
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The Seasons Software can be used in projection mode. It is recommended that a student or small groups of students be allowed to experiment with the software to run a variety of “what if” experiments.
The software interface is easy to grasp, with very little teacher instruction
necessary. The software allows exploration of the effect
on the seasons of changing tilt and orbit shape.
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This movie illustrates the movement
of the Earth around the Sun in the Seasons game.
Notice that as each student goes around the “Sun” the
Earth’s axis is pointed in a fixed direction in the
room. The orientation of the axis with respect to the Sun
changes (the cause of the seasons), but the Earth’s
axis always points to a fixed point in space. In this way
the Earth acts like a gyroscope or spinning top. The North
Pole of the Earth’s axis of rotation points to the
North Star, Polaris.
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