Arctic Seasons Model

Build a Sun-Earth model to explore how changing seasons affect the Arctic. Arctic regions experience extreme changes in daylight throughout the year, from almost 24 hours of daylight on the summer solstice to almost 24 hours of darkness on the winter solstice. Learn how Indigenous cultures living in Arctic environments live with these dramatic changes in sunlight. Changes in sunlight determine the availability of resources such as plants, animals, and ice-free rivers. These resources guide the seasonal calendar and how people survive. For the Dené (Athabascan) peoples, the traditional lifestyle was mobile and depended on moving with seasonal changes and hunting opportunities. This activity includes printable templates for the model.