Earth Rotation
Readiness
TEKS Objective
The student is expected to demonstrate that Earth rotates on its axis once approximately every 24 hours causing the day/night cycle and the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky.
Essential Understanding
The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among the Sun, Earth, and Moon system.
Science Background
The Earth’s Rotation: Windows to the Universe (website) - Simple diagrams and text explain Earth’s rotation and the length of the day.
The Earth’s Rotation
Windows to the Universe, www.windows2universe.org
Earth’s Rotation: Polaris Project North Star (website) - Details about the rotation of the Earth, including an explanation of sidereal time.
Earth’s Rotation
Polaris Project North Star, Iowa State University, www.polaris.iastate.edu
Earth Rotation: NASA (website) - A collection of questions about the rotation of Earth, answered by a NASA scientist.
Signature Lesson
Modeling Night and Day: BioEd Online (website) – Students create their own models to demonstrate Earth’s 24-hour rotation and the day/night cycle.
Modeling Night and Day
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org
Reason for the Seasons: BioEd Online (PDF) – Use part 3 of this lesson, Sun Tracking Boards, to enable students to demonstrate and record the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky.
- Supporting Lessons
- Extensions
- Assessment Ideas
- Literature Connections
- Related
TEKS - Additional Resources
Supporting Lessons
What Makes Day and Night: Project First (website) - A kinesthetic modeling of day and night allows students to experience the spinning Earth and the day/night cycle.
What Makes Day and Night
Project First, Eye on the Sky, www.eyeonthesky.org
Kinesthetic Astronomy, Sky Time: Space Science Institute (website) - This lesson teaches basic astronomical concepts (meaning of the day, year, and seasons) through choreographed bodily movements and positions that provide educational sensory experiences.
Kinesthetic Astronomy, Sky Time
Space Science Institute, www.spacescience.org
Elaboration Lessons and Extensions
How Do We Track the Space Station’s Location? Challenger Center for Space Science Education (Zip Archive) - Students learn the science behind the International Space Station’s orbit, and how it is tracked from Earth.
Assessment Ideas
Have students draw diagrams to explain and illustrate “day” and “night.”
Literature Connections
Sun Up, Sun Down: The Story of Day and Night, Bailey J. (ISBN: 978-1404811287)
Where On Earth Am I? , Gardner, Robert (ISBN: 0-531-11297-7)
Earth and the Sun, Kalman, Bobbie (ISBN: 0-778-73212-6)
Come See the Earth Turn, Mortensen, Lori (ISBN: 1-582-46284-4)
The Day the Earth Stood Still, Thomas, Isabel (ISBN: 1-410-91961-7)
Additional Resources
Cities at Night, The View from Space: NASA Earth Observatory: (website) - Photos of several global cities several cities, as seen from space.
Cities at Night, The View from Space
NASA Earth Observatory, earthobservatory.nasa.gov
TEKS Navigation
Grade 5
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