Do Now
• On the Maps: –Locate the Prime Meridian,
Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Artic Circle, Antarctic Circle –Locate the Continents, Oceans, and
Poles on each map
Special Names on a Globe
Hemispheres map
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Capricorn
Equator
Artic Circle
Antarctic CirclePrime Meridian
Crash Course on the Solar System
Basics you know!!!
• Space is filled with stars, stars create clusters called galaxies
• We live in Milky Way galaxy• In the Milky Way there are planets
and moons• Moons orbit a planet• The sun and its planets are called the
solar system
Rotation, Revolution, and Tilt
• Most of Earth’s energy comes from the sun (Solar Energy). There are three relationships b/w the Earth and Sun that control the amount of solar energy
• Rotation, Revolution, and Tilt
Rotation• Imagine the Earth on a
stick – This is the Earth’s axis
• One complete spin is the rotation- takes 24 hours
• Rotates in a west to east direction– Sun rises in the east and
sets in the west
• Creates day and night
Revolution• Goes around the Sun-takes 365 ¼ days• Creates 1 year• Leap Year- To account for the ¼ day
every four years there is a February 29.
Tilt• The Earth is tilted on
its axis• Axis points toward the
same spot in the sky• North Pole points
toward the North Star• Tilt affects the amount
of solar energy that different places receive during the year
Solar Energy and Latitude• Different places get different amounts of solar
energy• Places around the equator receive a lot of
solar energy (that’s why it is warm there) – These places near the equator are called tropics
• Places around the North and South Poles receive very little solar energy (hence it’s cold)– These places near the poles are called polar regions
• Places between the tropics and polar regions are called the middle latitudes. Can be both warm and cold
• The amount of solar energy that a place gets relates to the angle at which the Sun’s rays strike Earth
• When North Pole points toward the sun, direct rays strike Northern Hemisphere, temperatures are warmer and days are longer
When the North Pole points away from the Sun, the most direct rays strike the Southern Hemisphere, the S.H. is warmer and days are longer
Seasons- Times of lesser and greater heat
• Summer- Sun’s energy is the strongest, days are longer
• Winter- Sun’s energy is weaker, days are shorter
• Spring and Fall- Sun’s energy is more evenly distributed, days and night are closer in length
• Lets see why this is true……….
Solstices• Happens twice a
year• Earth’s poles tilt
toward or away from the Sun at their greatest angle
• December 21 and June 21
• Northern Hemisphere• Fewest Daylight hours• First day of winter• North Pole constant
darkness
• Southern Hemisphere• Greatest Daylight
hours• First day of summer• South Pole gets
constant sunlight
Equinoxes• Happens twice a year • Earth’s poles are not
pointed toward or away from the Sun
• Direct rays of the Sun strike the equator
• Both hemispheres receive an equal amount of sunlight
• March 21 and September 22
• Northern Hemisphere
• Beginning of Spring
• Southern Hemisphere
• Beginning of Fall
The Earth System• Complex system where the parts of Earth
interact with one another to form the whole
• Viewable as separate but interact constantly
• Divided into four major parts:– Atmosphere– Lithosphere– Hydrosphere– Biosphere
• Atmosphere:– Gases around Earth– Gravity holds atmosphere around planet– 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen– These gases sustain life on Earth and protect the
planet from Sun’s radiation
• Lithosphere: – Solid crust of the planet– Rocks and Soils– Forms the continents, islands, and ocean floors
• Hydrosphere:– Earth’s water– 70% of the Earth’s surface– Liquid (oceans) , solid (ice) , and gas forms– Essential to all organisms
• Biosphere: – All life forms- plants and animals– Overlaps the other spheres
• Spheres are interconnected and each affects the other!– Example: the hydrosphere provides water for all organisms and
the hydrosphere also breaks down the lithosphere (rocks and soils) when it rains.