Students discover that day and night happen because Earth spins — turning us toward the Sun for day and away into the dark for night — even though it looks like the Sun is moving.
Students will be able to…
Every day the Sun seems to rise, cross the sky, and set. But what is really moving — the Sun, or us?
Project this and spin the Earth. Watch your spot turn toward the Sun (day) and away into the dark (night) — the Sun stays still!
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
The Sun rises and sets each day — but is it really moving?
Students investigate.
Teacher explains.
Apply.
Three quick checks.
Aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core literacy. State-standard crosswalks available on request.
Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.
Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.
Represent data to reveal daily changes caused by Earth’s rotation.
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students shine a flashlight (the Sun) on a spinning globe and find when their spot has day or night. A printable day-night lab sheet is in the Science library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.