Contextualization

Introduction

The seasons of the year are significant periods in everyone's life and something we all experience, regardless of where we live. But have you ever wondered why we have seasons? Why, in some parts of the world, the differences between them are so noticeable, while in others, the changes are almost imperceptible?

The seasons of the year are not whims of nature, but rather the result of precise and predictable astronomical phenomena. They are caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis and the way the Earth moves around the Sun. The Earth's translational movement, which is when our planet follows a path or orbit around the Sun, combined with the tilt of our rotation axis, is what gives us the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

To complete a full orbit around the Sun, the Earth takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours. It is this movement that defines our year. During this period, depending on the Earth's position in relation to the Sun, we receive different amounts of sunlight, which defines the seasons of the year.

Contextualization

The seasons of the year have a direct influence on our lives, dictating, for example, the clothes we wear, the food we eat, and even our daily activities. For the agricultural sector, the seasons are fundamental because they determine the planting and harvesting periods of various crops. In medicine, the variation of the seasons influences, for example, the spread of some diseases.

In an increasingly globalized world, understanding how the seasons of the year work is essential for all of us. Whether it's to plan a trip to another country, understand why some places on the planet are hotter or colder at a certain time, or even to comprehend the impacts of climate change on our planet.

To delve into the topic, here are some suggestions for reliable resources that can be used:

1. Solar System - Seasons of the Year | Futura
2. Why do we have seasons? | Manual do Mundo
3. Seasons of the Year | Sua Pesquisa

These are basic references, in Portuguese, that offer didactic and reliable content for understanding the concepts involved in the topic.

Practical Activity

Activity Title: "Journey through the Seasons of the Year"

Project Objective:

Building a simple model that illustrates the Earth's movement around the Sun and explains the causes of the seasons of the year.

Detailed Project Description:

Students, in groups of 3 to 5, will research, discuss, and based on what they have learned, create a three-dimensional model representing the Earth's position in relation to the Sun in the four seasons of the year.

At the end, each group must present their model to the class, explaining the characteristics of the seasons of the year and why they occur. Finally, each group will write a detailed project report.

Required Materials:

• Styrofoam balls or any other material that can represent the Earth and the Sun
• Barbecue stick
• Cardboard (to serve as a base for the model)
• Colored pencils, pens, paints (to color and mark the Earth and the Sun)
• Tape or glue
• Ruler
• Scissors

Detailed Step-by-Step for the Activity:

1. The first step involves research. Groups will need to research about the seasons of the year, the Earth's movement, its tilt, and how these factors affect the climate on our planet.

2. Once the groups have acquired a good understanding of the concept, they can start building their model. The Sun can be placed in the center of the cardboard base, secured with tape or glue.

3. Then the groups should represent the Earth and its movement around the Sun. To do this, they can use a barbecue stick and a Styrofoam ball to represent the Earth. The barbecue stick should be inserted into the Styrofoam ball (but not completely through it). The ball will represent the Earth and the barbecue stick, the Earth's rotation axis.

4. Next, they should position the Earth at four points around the Sun: one for each season. They should mark these points on the cardboard base.

5. The students should now tilt the barbecue stick representing the Earth's axis at an angle of 23.5 degrees in relation to the vertical. This is a very important detail, as it is the tilt of the Earth's axis that causes the four seasons. To ensure this angle is precise, they can use a smartphone app with a bubble level tool.

6. Finally, the groups should mark and color the different seasons on the Earth, depending on its position in relation to the Sun.

Project Delivery:

After completing the model, each group must present it to the class, detailing the characteristics of the seasons of the year as demonstrated by their model. After the presentation, each group must submit a detailed project report, which should include:

• Introduction: Contextualizing the theme and its relevance, and explaining the project's objective.
• Development: Describing the theory behind the seasons of the year, explaining in detail how the activity was carried out, the methodology adopted, and discussing the results obtained.
• Conclusion: Summarizing the main points of the work, explaining the learnings obtained, and drawing conclusions from the project.
• Bibliography: Indicating the sources used to support the work.

Remember, this is not just a project to assess your understanding of the topic, but also your collaboration and teamwork skills. Therefore, all group members must be involved and contribute to the project's completion and report elaboration.