Skills lab: A "Moonth" of Phases

Guiding question: What causes the phases of the moon

Skill Focus: Making models, observing, drawing conclusions

Materials
-Floor lamp with a 150-watt bulb (normal flashlight)
-Pencils 
-Plastic foam balls

Analyze and conclude
1) In my model the earth is represented as the big foam ball, the moon as the smaller foam ball and the sun (suns rays) as the flashlight and its brightness.
2) We did four circles around the earth instead of 8 and figured out that you always see have of the moon that's bright or visible
3) Iv done this problem in my notebook. 
4) Iv only seen half of the lighten part of the moon after each turn
5) Once again only half of the surface was lit up while the other half was dark because it was facing the opposite direction. I don't think that the new moon was cause by the eclipse but yet the sun itself. when the suns rays are not on shining on the moon
6)Having the model next to me was a big advantege because i could actually see how this was happening in real life, although an disadvantage of using a model is that it of course isn't accurate enough. But all in all it was a big of a help. 

Guiding question: How does the tilt of the earth axis affect the light received by Earth as it revolves around the sun?

Skill focus: Making models, observing, inferring, predicting 

Materials: 

-flashlight

-Paper

-Pencil

-Protractor

-Toothpick

-Foam ball marked with poles and equator

-Acetate sheet with thick grid lines drawn on it

    

    Analyze and Conclude:

   1)When its winter in the norther hemisphere the equator and the southern hemisphere get more direct sunlight and heat then the northern, when its summer in the northern hemisphere then the northern has the most concentrated sunlight thus making the south have less.

    2) During the sumer the light of the sun is more concentrated on the equator (the exact middle of the earth} and is less concentrated and spread out during the winder. And you can see this easily with the squares activity we got to do to answer this question

    3) It would mean that the sun is further away from an area, therefore there would be no area which the suns light is the most concentrated on, making colder

     

    4) Both the poles (north and south) are the coldest places on earth while the hottest are the ones closest to the equator because that where the sun rays are most concentrated on. Thats why greece, and serbia are so hot during the summer.

     

    5) Shadow of the tooth pick is the longest in the summer because the earth is tilted on the other side making the shadow longer therefore making it that in winter that the shadow are shorter.

     

    6) If the heat is less it means that the squares will spread out and if the heat is more direct and concentrated the squares would be in the shape of squares and not rectangles, because like i said the sun is concentrated on that spot.

    

    7) The seasons are caused by the suns position toward the earth and the way that the earth is titled, either on the far side making it winter or on the closest side to the sun making it simple enough summer.