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Article: Here comes the Sun.(Science Shorts: Classic classroom activities that emphasize science-process skills)
- Article from:
- Science and Children
- Article date:
- September 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 National Science Teachers Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Time is an abstract concept for many elementary students. Add to that the idea that the position of the objects in the sky--Sun, Moon, etc.--changes over the course of the day, and you have a mix ripe for confusion and potential misconceptions. Activities like the one that follows, which develops the process skills of observation and the use of models, however, can go a long way in helping teachers making these abstract concepts understandable to young students.
Why does the number of daylight hours vary during the year (more hours of daylight in the summer, less hours of daylight in the winter)? The seasons are a result of the tilt of the Earth's axis. When the ...