In order to learn how to heat an outdoor classroom, we had to learn about alternative heat sources, specifically the sun. First, we explored light angles, the rotation of Earth, and the tilt of the axle.
To learn about how the angle affects the intensity and range of light, we designed flashlight experiments. Tilting the flashlight caused the lighted area to expand, but the outskirts of the light become less bright, and therefore less intense. It is less concentrated because the amount of energy from the light stays consistent, but the area it is lighting becomes broader and more spread out, thus giving off less light, heat, and energy.
Earth's axis is at a 23.5 degree tilt constantly. Because of this, the equator gets the most direct sunlight, causing that area of the globe to be much hotter, while the poles have the least direct sunlight, causing them to be much colder. The same principal applies to seasons. During the northern hemisphere's summer, it is the southern hemisphere's winter. This is because the tilt allows the northern hemisphere to have more direct sunlight, causing a hotter climate, while the southern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, causing it to have less direct sun, and colder weather. The northern hemisphere is interesting, because during our winter, we are actually closest to the sun due to our orbit and tilt.
Sun Angles for San Marin High School, calculated by the University of Oregon