Science Space Systems & Earth's Historyusually ages 11–12

Why We Have Seasons

Explain that the seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth's axis during its orbit around the Sun, distinguishing this from the common misconception that seasons are caused by changing distance from the Sun

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Explains that Earth's axis is tilted at about 23.5° relative to its orbit
Describes how the tilted axis causes one hemisphere to receive more direct sunlight in summer and less in winter
Refutes the misconception that distance from the Sun causes seasons by noting Earth is actually slightly closer to the Sun in January

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Try this together

If your child was asked why the UK is hot in summer but Australia is cold at the same time, could they explain that it's not about being closer to the Sun but about which half of the Earth is tilted towards the Sun?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Earth & Space Vocabularyages 8–11Explaining seasons through axial tilt requires 'axis', 'tilt', 'orbit', 'solstice', and 'equinox' vocabulary

Earth's rotation and day/nightages 9–11Explaining seasons via axial tilt builds on understanding Earth's rotation and the orbital geometry of Earth around the Sun

The solar system (age 11+)ages 11–12Knowing the solar system's structure and Earth's orbital path provides context for understanding axial tilt and seasons

Why We Have Seasonsthis skill · ages 11–12

Unlocks

Nothing on the map depends on this yet.

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Candidate matches to official curriculum codes — machine-suggested, unreviewed (v0.1).

Show candidate curriculum codes · 1 ACARA · 1 VIC

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

AC9S6U02medium confidenceYear 6 · Science understanding

describe the movement of Earth and other planets relative to the sun and model how Earth’s tilt, rotation on its axis and revolution around the sun relate to cyclic observable phenomena, including variable day and night length

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes & levels only

VC2S6U07medium confidenceScience · Levels 5 and 6 · Science Understanding strand

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

Phases of the Moonages 11–12 The solar system (age 11+)ages 11–12 Galaxies and the universeages 12–13 Shadowsages 10–11

All Space Systems & Earth's History skills →