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
Teaching approaches
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1 approach
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?
Use the idea of the Earth's rotation to explain day and night and the apparent movement of the sun across the sky
Learning resources
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4 before · 3 after
Before
This concept
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