ScienceSpace Systems & Earth's HistoryAges 9–11
Earth's rotation and day/night
Use the idea of the Earth's rotation to explain day and night and the apparent movement of the sun across the sky
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Check understanding
- Explain that the Earth rotates (spins) on its axis once every 24 hours
- Describe how this rotation causes day (facing the sun) and night (facing away)
- Explain that the sun appears to move across the sky because we are rotating, not the sun
“Can your child explain that the sun doesn't actually move across the sky — it's the Earth spinning that makes it look like it does, and that's what causes day and night?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Space Systems & Earth's History
- Age range
- Ages 9–11
Standards
ngss-k5:5-ESS1-2uk-nc-2013:Y5.Sci.ES.4