First Day of Fall - Activity and Fun Facts

Today is the first day of Fall, this might be a great day to incorporate the Science of what that means...yes, students know that Fall is a season but do they know why it happens on Sept 22 or 23 of every year?  

Here is some interesting facts about Fall (Autumn):

Autumn begins when the center of the sun crosses Earth’s equator. As Earth continues its path around the sun, days become shorter and nights become longer.

The Earth’s orbit around the Sun has very little effect over the Seasons on Earth. Instead, it the tilt of Earth’s rotational axis, which is angled at around 23.5 degrees, that creates seasons.

earth orbit

Autumn is derived from the French, which came from the Latin autumnus, the Roman name for this season.

While Americans typically use the word “fall,” the British use the word “autumn,” though both terms date around the 16th century. Before these terms, the period was called “harvest.”

If you have other fun facts about Fall or Autumn - or activities you have planned - please share out.  I look forward to your ideas!