The spinning Earth
I can describe the motions of Earth to explain day, night and a year, and describe the motion of the Moon to explain why it appears to change shape.
- Year 7
The spinning Earth
I can describe the motions of Earth to explain day, night and a year, and describe the motion of the Moon to explain why it appears to change shape.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Earth is a planet. It is a sphere that spins once every 24 hours.
- Earth's spin explains day and night.
- Earth orbits the Sun, with each orbit taking 365.25 days (1 year).
- Earth orbits the Sun in an almost perfect circle.
- The Moon orbits the Earth about once per month (27.3 days), this explains why the Moon appears to change shape.
Keywords
Sphere - A sphere is the shape of a ball.
Spin - Spinning objects are rotating.
Day - One day is the time taken for Earth to complete one spin (24 hours).
Orbit - An orbit is the movement of one object in a loop around another object.
Year - One year is the time taken for Earth to orbit the Sun (365.25 days).
Common misconception
Pupils can find it challenging to see how the movements of Earth as seen from the perspective of space (looking back at Earth) give rise to the observations experienced from Earth's surface.
Model the motions of objects in space with pupils as part of the model (i.e. representing Earth, moving as Earth moves) and with pupils observing the model. This enables them to experience how the same motion appears from both perspectives.
Equipment
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the best description of the shape of Earth?
Q2.Starting with the smallest, put these objects in order of increasing size.
Q3.How long does it take for Earth to spin once on its axis?
Q4.Which statement correctly explains why we have day and night.
Q5.Which is the correct statement about Earth, the Moon, the Sun and the stars?
Q6.Which is the correct explanation for why stars seem to move across the sky?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which is the best description for the shape of Earth?
Q2.What is the name of the imaginary line about which Earth spins?
Q3.In which direction does the Sun travel during a day?
Q4.In winter in the UK, (northern hemisphere) the constellation Orion is visible in the night sky. Which two statements correctly explain why?
Q5.Put these seasons in the correct order, starting with summer.
Q6.How long does it take for the Moon to orbit Earth?
