Reasons For the Seasons

In class we did a lab about seasons where we took a styrofoam ball as a model of the earth, and we're supposed to answer questions about it.
1. When it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, which areas on Earth get the most concentrated light? Which areas get the most concentrated light when it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere?
The most concentrated light is in the Southern Hemisphere, because the more concentrated light is, the hotter the weather will be. And while it is summer in the southern hemisphere, it has to be winter in the northern hemisphere.
2. Compare your observations of how the light hits the area halfway between the equator and the North Pole during winter and during summer.
During winter, light doesn't hit that area very much. As we saw in our experiment with the grids, the squares from the grid on the northern hemisphere looked like rectangles. This means that the light was less concentrated there.
During summer, the light is shining directly on the sphere, and the grids look like squares, not rectangles. This means that it is a higher concentration of light.
3. If the squares projected on the ball from the acetate become larger, what can you infer about the amount of heat distributed in each square?
That means that there's less heat distributed in each square.
4. According to your observations, which areas on Earth are consistently coolest? Which areas are consistently warmest? Why?
The North Pole and the South Pole are consistently coolest, because they are never directly in the sun. The equator is constantly warmest because it is in the middle and is always directly in the sun.
5. What time of year will the toothpick's shadow be longest? When will the shadow be shortest?
The shadow will be longest in summer, because the light is shining directly on it. In winter, the shadow will be shortest, because there is the least amount of light shining on it.
6. How are the amounts of heat and light received in a square related to the angle of the sun's rays?
The farther the light is angled away from the square, the less heat and the less light there is.
7. Use your observations of an Earth-sun model to write an explanation of what causes the seasons.
The seasons are basically caused by how the light of the sun is directed on the Earth. The more direct the sunlight is hitting the earth, the hotter and the lighter it is. This is when Spring and Summer come into play. The less direct the sun shines on a certain part of the Earth, the colder the season - this is when Fall and Winter come into play.