ESS2.1 Day 2 2025/26

​EQ:

How does the uneven heating of earth create convection patterns in the ocean and atmosphere?

​Engage:

Why is the equator hot and the poles cold even though they are on the same planet with the same sun?

On the next slide, you will observe Earth's air and ocean currents.

​Explore: Fill out the explore part of your notes!

​Explain

The Sun doesn’t heat the Earth evenly. The equator gets more direct sunlight than the poles. Land heats up faster than water, and surfaces with different colors (like snow vs. dark soil) absorb different amounts of heat.

​The main idea:
The Earth is unevenly heated because of its shape, tilt, and surface features — not every part of Earth gets the same amount of sunlight.

​1. Earth’s Curved Shape

• The Earth is round, so sunlight doesn’t hit all parts equally.

• Near the equator, sunlight shines directly (straight on), so it’s stronger and hotter.

• Near the poles, sunlight hits at a slant, spreading over a larger area, so it’s weaker and cooler.

2. Earth’s Tilt

• Earth is tilted about 23.5°, and that tilt causes seasons.

• When one hemisphere tilts toward the Sun, it gets more direct sunlight (summer).

• The other hemisphere tilts away, getting less sunlight (winter).

​Why It Matters...

Because Earth is unevenly heated, we get winds, ocean currents, and weather patterns. Warm air rises, cool air sinks — and that movement drives convection currents in the atmosphere and oceans!