Day and night
I can explain why we have day and night and what lines of longitude are.
Day and night
I can explain why we have day and night and what lines of longitude are.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Day and night result from Earth's rotation in relation to sun, which appears to rise in the east and set in the west.
- Lines of longitude are all the same length, and give our position in degrees east or west of the Prime Meridian.
- The Prime Meridian (0˚longitude) runs through London; the Antimeridian (180˚ longitude) runs through the Pacific Ocean.
Keywords
Globe - A globe is a map of Earth on a sphere.
Rotation - A rotation is a complete circular movement of an object around a fixed point or an axis.
Longitude - Lines of longitude are imaginary lines on Earth showing position east or west of the Prime Meridian, measured in degrees.
Latitude - Lines of latitude are Imaginary lines on Earth showing position north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees.
Axis - An axis is an imaginary straight line through Earth which rotates around it.
Common misconception
Children may not know that light travels in straight lines, this mans they would not understand why half of the Earth is always in darkness.
Use a globe and torch in a dark room to demonstrate that only the side of the globe facing the torch will receive light. The other half remains in darkness.
Equipment
Devices to access digital map on the internet or an atlas.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
a map of Earth on a sphere
an imaginary straight line through Earth which rotates around it
a complete circular movement of an object around a fixed point