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Earth rotates on an axis, which is not perpendicular to Earth’s orbit. During winter, the North Pole is tilted away from the Sun’s rays. As the Earth travels around the Sun, the tilt gradually causes the northern hemisphere to be illuminated more. By June, the North Pole is tilted towards the Sun and the days there become very long. Earth takes a year to orbit the Sun and it is the tilt which creates the seasons.

Students could use a globe which is tilted to the correct angle and a light bulb representing the Sun to demonstrate how the Earth orbits around it. At different points in its orbit students could note places that are in complete darkness throughout the day, as well as places that are experiencing constant sunlight. They could note the different seasons being experienced around the world, and note this on a diagram. Students could then focus on one point of the rotation and draw a picture of what life is like in different parts of world at that specific time of the year. This could include a wintry picture in Scotland, sunny day in Sydney and constant darkness in Longyearbyen in Norway.