Benchmark(s):

SC.4.E.5.3, SC.4.E.5.4, and SC.4.E.5.1 Rotation and Revolution SC.4.E.5.3: Recognize that Earth revolves around the Sun in a year and rotates on its axis in a 24-hour day. SC.4.E.5.4: Relate that the rotation of Earth (day and night) and apparent movements of the Sun, Moon, and stars are connected. SC.4.E.5.1: Observe that the patterns of stars in the sky stay the same although they appear to shift across the sky nightly, and different stars can be seen in different seasons. SC.4.N.3.1: Explain that models can be three dimensional, two dimensional, an explanation in your mind, or a computer model. NOTE: It is essential that Grade 4 students master these concepts because they are not taught in Grade 3 or Grade 5 but are annually assessed on Grade 5 FCAT 2.0. This lesson works in conjunction with The Earth/Moon System, another lesson in the SC.4.E.5.4 benchmark folder. By mastering the concepts presented in both lessons, all parts of both of these benchmarks will be mastered.

Prior Knowledge:

Guiding Questions:

Learning Objective(s):

In 5th grade, students learn about solar systems as a whole. Understanding the Sun/Earth/Moon system is an essential foundation concept for what the students will be expected to do in Grade 5. The students will be able to: • Explain the difference between rotation and revolution. • Explain the effect of rotation on what we can see from Earth. • Explain the effect of revolution on what we can see from Earth. Guiding questions are broad questions that the teacher can use to “guide” the student learning process and can be revisited at any point in the lesson. • How does the motion of the Earth (both rotation and revolution) affect the apparent movement of the objects in the sky? • Do we see the same stars in the sky every night of the year? • Why do the objects in the sky appear to move across the sky? In Grade 3, students learned that the Sun appears so bright because it is the closest star to Earth. They also learned about other stars in the universe. Students may confuse rotate and revolve due to common usage of the word rotate. In primary classrooms, students may have been told to rotate through centers, when they are actually revolving. The ENGAGE activity should help deal with the confusion.

Submitted by: Wendy Shelden, Brevard Public Schools Page 1 of 5

SC.4.E.5.3, SC.4.E.5.4, and SC.4.E.5.1 Rotation and Revolution

Engage:

Materials:

Classroom Management:

The ENGAGE section of this lesson can be done outside as part of your daily PE requirement. The majority of this lesson must be done in a darkened room with only a single lamp for light. It can be broken up into several days. Before you begin, draw some patterns of stars on several index cards. They don’t have to be an actual constellation, just a pattern of stars on each card, but make up a name for each star pattern and write in large letters on the card. Hang the cards around the classroom at eye level. You’ll need them for the end of the Explore section and also for the Elaboration section. Try to have 10-12 star patterns.  lamp or light socket /bulb with extension cord long enough to reach from outlet to center of classroom  10-12 index cards made into star pattern cards (see Classroom Management section)

Play the following game. 1. Have students form a large circle in the classroom or outside where they have room to move. 2. Explain that the Earth moves in two ways: it rotates and it revolves. First we’re going to rotate. 3. Explain that Earth has an imaginary point that it rotates, or spins, around. That point is called an axis. In our demonstration, the students will be Earth, and one leg will be the axis. Model standing on one leg. 4. The other leg will be used to put our Earth’s in motion. Model how to push yourself around in a circle, keeping your ―axis‖ planted on the ground—no hopping Earths! 5. Tell students that Earth rotates counterclockwise. Face the center of the circle; put out your left hand, palm up. Stick out your thumb—that’s the direction you move.) 6. Rotate! Have the students call our ―Rotate‖ as they move. Check to make sure the students are moving correctly. 7. Stop the rotation. Now tell the students we are going to revolve. Explain that revolving means following a path around another object—in this case the Sun. That path is called an orbit. 8. Have students face center of the circle and put their right arm straight out to the side and point— that’s the direction everyone will walk. Stress that there is no rotating; only revolving! Tell students to stop when they reach the point they started at (one complete revolution). 9. With the teacher as the Sun, have the Earths revolve around in the orbit, calling out, ―Revolve!‖ as they move. 10. When they have completed a revolution, ask the students how long does it take for Earth to complete one revolution? (365 days or 1 year). Have them complete another revolution cycle, then tell them that they are one year older (in our model system). 11. Reinforce the new vocabulary by calling out "revolve" and "rotate" as students perform the correct movement. As they get more proficient with the movements, make your calls quicker to increase the challenge. 12. Repeat this activity throughout the year as a quick body/kinesthetic review and lesson break.

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Explore:

SC.4.E.5.3, SC.4.E.5.4, and SC.4.E.5.1 Rotation and Revolution Once the students understand the difference between rotation and revolution, it is time to introduce them to the impact that has on the Earth system. 1. Put the lamp (without the lampshade) in the center of the room. It works best if the lamp bulb is about eye-level. 2. Have the students stand in a circle around the lamp, facing it. 3. Tell the students that their bodies are the Earth. They are standing on ―Mt. Nose‖ (the tip of the nose). Have them put their fingers on their noses. 4. Tell them that the lamp is the Sun. The light from the Sun is radiating out in all directions. Where the sunlight is shining on a part of Earth, it is daytime. Where the sunlight is not shining, it is nighttime. 5. Ask the students: Is it daytime or nighttime on Mt. Nose? (daytime) How do you know? (The Sun is shining on Mt. Nose). 6. Have the students rotate counterclockwise until the back of their heads are getting the light. Ask the students: Is it day or night on Mt. Nose? (night) How do you know? (The sunlight is not reaching them; they are in the dark). 7. Have the students slowly rotate back to the point where Mt. Nose is facing the Sun. Ask the students: Is it daytime or nighttime on Mt. Nose. (daytime) 8. Now have them rotate completely around until they are facing the Sun again. Ask how much time has passed on the Earth since they were in the same spot in the cycle (Mt. Nose facing the Sun around to Mt. Nose facing the Sun again). (24 hours) 9. Ask the students if they had revolved at all. (No.). So what is the only movement that is responsible for day and night? (rotation) 10. Have the students rotate through several more day/night cycle while focusing their eyes on Mt. Nose. Hopefully, a student will realize that he/she can see sunrise (as you turn from night to day, you can start to see the light, then the Sun appears to rise) and sunset (as you continue to turn from day to night, the Sun appears to set). If a student doesn’t see that, point it out. Have all the students go through the cycle, looking for sunrise and sunset. As they do that, they start to see the Sun moving in a path across the sky. This is an important part of this benchmark concept. Spend some time focusing the students’ attention on the concept that the Sun appears to be moving across the sky, but it’s actually the Earth’s rotation that causes that effect. 11. Focus the students on the cards with the items surrounding them on the outer walls. Have them try to spot a ―constellation.‖ Tell the students, that in the entire universe, there are only 2-3 celestial bodies (stars, planets, moons, etc.) that are positioned between the Sun and Earth—Can they name them? (Mercury, Venus, and sometimes the Moon). Everything else is beyond Earth’s orbit. This helps students understand that the stars they see at night are beyond the Sun, not between us and the Sun. NOTE: Students may also say asteroids or comets. These objects are not constantly positioned between the Earth and Sun. They may occasionally move into the area, but they also move out of the area. 12.

Now have them rotate, focusing on the apparent movement of the star patterns across the sky. Can they see the stars at night? (No.) Are they still there? (Yes.) At this time, you can move to the Elaboration activity, or wait until the next class meeting.

Submitted by: Wendy Shelden, Brevard Public Schools Page 3 of 5

Elaborate:

Explain:

SC.4.E.5.3, SC.4.E.5.4, and SC.4.E.5.1 Rotation and Revolution Q&D –  At each position in the day/night cycle have students explain to each other what time it is and why it is that time. They should relate the position of Earth to the sun as they do this activity.  Does the moon have anything to do with causing day and night? (No, the moon reflects light from the Sun.)  Discuss the rotation of Earth and day/night. Students should understand the concept that the rotation of Earth causes us to have night and day. Revolution has nothing to do with day and night!  Are day and night caused by the motion of the sun or the motion of Earth? (Earth) Stress this— many students have a preconception that the Sun is what is moving in this system. Even if they answer ―Earth,‖ they may still be thinking, ―But the Sun is what I see moving.‖  Discuss "models" and how they aren’t perfect. What type of model have we constructed? (a three dimensional model) How is our model different from the real Sun/Earth system? (Answers might include: scale is wrong, things look different; accept all reasonable answers.) This question addresses benchmark SC.4.N.3.1. NOTE: A student may ask why we sometimes see the Moon during the day. This is better addressed with the lesson Lunar Lollipops in the folder SC.4.E.5.1. NOTE: This activity specifically addresses benchmark SC.4.E.5.1. It could be done immediately following the Explore activity, but is recommended for the following day. 1. If you are doing this on the same day as previous activity, turn the light off to allow students to see all around the room. Have them look at the constellations around the room. Can they see them all? Skip step 2. 2. If you are starting on another day, return to the lamp set-up (leave the lamp off for the moment). Focus the students on the items surrounding them on the outer walls. Have them try to spot a ―constellation.‖ Tell the students, that in the entire universe, there are only 2-3 celestial bodies (stars, planets, moons, etc.) that are positioned between the Sun and Earth—Can they name them? (Mercury, Venus, and sometimes the Moon). Everything else is beyond Earth’s orbit. This helps students understand that the stars they see at night are beyond the Sun, not between us and the Sun. NOTE: They may also say asteroids or comets. These objects are not positioned between the Earth and Sun. They may occasionally move into the area, but they also move out of the area. 3. Turn on the lamp. Have the students rotate until Mt. Nose is in nighttime. Ask the students to name the constellations they can see. You should get different answers. Ask the students why they are seeing different things. (They are at a different point in the orbit of the Sun). Now, have the students rotate toward daylight. Are they able to see all the constellations all the way around the room? (No.) Why not? (The Sun is too bright, so the constellations on the far side of the Sun can’t be seen.) Are those stars still there? (Yes—we just can’t see them because they are not as bright as the Sun.) 4. Now have the students revolve to a new point in the orbit. Remind them that months are passing as they revolve. Have them stop when 6 months have passed (they should stop halfway around the circle. 5. Repeat step 2. Do they see different constellations than they did 6 months earlier? (Yes.) Why? (They are on a different side of the Sun.) Can they see the constellation they saw earlier? (No.) Why? (The Sun is too bright.) Is that constellation still there? (Yes.) When will they see it again? (When they are back on that side of the Sun.) Is the pattern the same as it was in the last revolution? (Yes.) Why? (The position of the stars hasn’t changed; the only thing that changed was Earth’s position in its orbit.) Submitted by: Wendy Shelden, Brevard Public Schools Page 4 of 5

Evaluate:

SC.4.E.5.3, SC.4.E.5.4, and SC.4.E.5.1 Rotation and Revolution Diagnostic and/or formative assessments are embedded within the lesson for the purpose of identifying preconceptions and driving instruction so the students have increased opportunities to learn the important ideas related to the topic. Summative Assessment: Have your class team up with a third grade class. Have your students teach the third grade students the ―Rotate and Revolve‖ game, including information learned in the other activities (time for one rotation, etc.). Assess for the following areas:  Do the students understand that rotation causes day and night?  Do the students understand that it takes 24 hours to rotate?  Do the students understand that it takes 365 days to complete one revolution? Check for the correct usage of the following ScienceSpeak words:  rotate  revolve  axis  orbit

Submitted by: Wendy Shelden, Brevard Public Schools Page 5 of 5