The activity proposes the study of Science and Geography through playful and interactive resources, aiming to illustrate the climate differences between the polar regions and other regions on planet Earth during specific times and months. The main feature of this activity is its global approach, allowing students to compare the differences and similarities in seasons between hemispheres on our planet simultaneously, as consequences of Earth's rotation and revolution. Concretely, it can be demonstrated that during a given period, the seasons differ in each terrestrial hemisphere. Additionally, even in the same hemisphere, while experiencing the same season, the duration of day and night varies based on latitude. The intriguing phenomenon of the "midnight sun" in polar summers is also addressed. This activity employs maps and globes to compare the two ways of representing the planet and small puzzles to help students associate continents with representatives of their fauna, landscape, time, season, and whether it is day or night. The activity offers two options: covering all continents or focusing solely on the polar regions. This is a collaborative and non-competitive activity.
Authors:
Andersons Fraga da Cruz, Breno Soares Cardoso, Flavia Sant'Anna Rios, Letícia Mara Marca, Patrícia Arase, Sandra Freiberger Affonso.
Participants
8 groups
Goal
Understand that the seasons of the year are different in each terrestrial hemisphere, that the length of days and nights varies according to latitude, and how the rotation and translation of the Earth determine these differences.
Materials
Map(s) Mundi (option 1: one map / option 2: eight maps)
Month and time labels for maps:
4 JANUARY labels
4 JULY labels
2 labels 00:00
2 labels 3:00 am
2 labels 12:00
2 labels 3:00 pm
Coloring puzzles (option 1: all continents / option 2: polar regions) (templates attached to print)
8 boxes to store the puzzle pieces from each continent
Scissors
Colored pencils or pens
Results sheet (templates attached to print)
Results sheet - Template (templates attached to print)
terrestrial globe
Light source (lantern, lamp, lamp, lamp)
String