Unit Plan 4 (Grade 6 Science): Eclipses & Seasons
Grade 6 unit using Earth–Sun–Moon models to explain seasons from Earth’s tilt and orbit, and rare solar/lunar eclipses from precise alignment.
Focus: Use models of the Earth–Sun–Moon system to explain how seasons and eclipses (solar and lunar) arise from tilt, orbit, and alignment, building on prior work with rotation and phases.
Grade Level: 6
Subject Area: Science (Earth & Space Science — Earth in Space • Scientific Modeling)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students extend their understanding of the Earth–Sun–Moon system to explain why we have seasons and why eclipses happen only under certain conditions. They investigate how Earth’s tilt and revolution around the Sun change the angle and intensity of sunlight, causing seasonal differences in temperature and daylight. Using models and diagrams, they compare solar and lunar eclipses, emphasizing that eclipses require special alignments and do not occur every month. Students continue to develop and critique MS-ESS1-1 models and connect earlier learning on rotation and phases to these larger-scale patterns.
Essential Questions
- How does Earth’s tilted axis and revolution around the Sun create seasons?
- Why are summer and winter opposite in different hemispheres?
- What is the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse, and why don’t they happen every month?
- How can models of the Earth–Sun–Moon system help us explain seasons and eclipses, and what are the limits of these models?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Use models to describe how Earth’s tilt and revolution change the angle and concentration of sunlight, producing seasonal patterns in daylight and temperature.
- Explain why seasons are opposite in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres using the Earth–Sun model.
- Develop and use models of the Earth–Sun–Moon system to distinguish between solar eclipses and lunar eclipses, including which body’s shadow falls on which.
- Explain why eclipses are rare events, using the idea that the Moon’s orbit is tilted and perfect alignment doesn’t happen every month.
- Evaluate the strengths and limitations of their Earth–Sun–Moon models for explaining phases, eclipses, and seasons within MS-ESS1-1.
Standards Alignment — 6th Grade (NGSS-based custom)
- MS-ESS1-1 — Develop and use a model of the Earth–Sun–Moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses, and seasons.
- In this unit (eclipses & seasons focus): students use models to describe how tilt and orbit create seasonal cycles, and how specific alignments create solar and lunar eclipses.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can explain how Earth’s tilt and orbit cause seasons, not just distance from the Sun.
- I can use a model or diagram to show why summer and winter are opposite in different hemispheres.
- I can describe a solar eclipse (Moon’s shadow on Earth) and a lunar eclipse (Earth’s shadow on Moon).
- I can explain why eclipses don’t happen every month, even though we have new and full moons.
- I can name at least one strength and one limitation of our models for explaining these patterns.