Science: The Sun, Moon, and Earth: Understanding Day and Night
How Earth's rotation makes day and night
Science: The Sun, Moon, and Earth: Understanding Day and Night
How Earth's rotation makes day and night
Science - Grade 2-3
- 1
What object gives Earth most of its light during the day?
It is the star closest to Earth.
The Sun gives Earth most of its light during the day. - 2
Fill in the blank: It is daytime on the side of Earth that is facing the ____.
It is daytime on the side of Earth that is facing the Sun. - 3
Fill in the blank: It is nighttime on the side of Earth that is turned away from the ____.
Think about which object lights up Earth.
It is nighttime on the side of Earth that is turned away from the Sun. - 4
Earth spins like a top. What is this spinning motion called?
Earth's spinning motion is called rotation. - 5
About how long does it take Earth to make one full rotation?
Think about the length of one day on a clock.
It takes Earth about 24 hours, or one day, to make one full rotation. - 6
Why do we see the Sun appear to move across the sky during the day?
The Sun appears to move across the sky because Earth is rotating. - 7
In the morning, the Sun appears low in the sky. What usually happens to the Sun's position by noon?
Think about how the Sun seems to rise higher after sunrise.
By noon, the Sun usually appears higher in the sky than it did in the morning. - 8
A student says, "The Sun goes around Earth every day." Is this correct? Explain your answer.
Remember which object is spinning.
This is not correct. Day and night happen because Earth rotates, not because the Sun goes around Earth every day. - 9
Look at a model with a lamp as the Sun and a ball as Earth. If one side of the ball is bright, what would people on that side experience?
People on the bright side would experience daytime because that side is facing the light from the Sun. - 10
Look at a model with a lamp as the Sun and a ball as Earth. If one side of the ball is dark, what would people on that side experience?
The dark side is not getting direct light from the lamp.
People on the dark side would experience nighttime because that side is turned away from the Sun. - 11
Can the Moon sometimes be seen during the daytime? Write yes or no and explain.
Yes, the Moon can sometimes be seen during the daytime when it is in the sky and bright enough for us to see. - 12
Does the Moon make its own light like the Sun does? Explain your answer.
Reflects means light bounces off something.
The Moon does not make its own light. We see the Moon because sunlight reflects off its surface. - 13
Put these events in order: sunset, sunrise, daytime, nighttime.
One correct order is sunrise, daytime, sunset, nighttime. - 14
A town is having nighttime while another town on the opposite side of Earth is having daytime. Why can this happen?
Only half of Earth is lit by the Sun at one time.
This can happen because Earth is round, and only the side facing the Sun has daytime while the opposite side has nighttime. - 15
Write one sentence that explains why day changes into night.
Day changes into night because Earth rotates and the place where we live turns away from the Sun.