Description : 1. How long the is lesson designed to take: 60 minutes 2.

Lesson Plan Unit Title: Movement of the Earth Around the Sun a. Subject: Science b. Grade Level: Grade 5 c. Topic: Science Standard 2: Earth/Space Science Technology Standard 3: Technology for Learning and Collaboration 3. Instructional goals: a. Science Indicator: 2. D. Astronomy i. 2. D. 2. Recognize and describe the causes of the repeating patterns of celestial events. b. Technology Indicator: 3. A. Learning i. 3. A. 1. Select and use technology tools to enhance learning. 4. Objectives: a. Science: i. 2. D. 2. a.: Students will describe the rotation of the planet Earth on its axis. ii. 2. D. 1. b.: Students will recognize and describe that the rotation of Earth produces observable effects such as day and night. iii. 2. D. 2. c.: Students will describe the revolution of planet Earth around the sun. iv. 2. D. 2. d.: Students will recognize and describe that the revolution of Earth produces effects such as the four seasons. b. Technology: i. 3. A. 1. a.: Students will use technology tools, including software and hardware, from a range of teacher-selected options to learn new content or reinforce skills. ii. 3. A. 1. c.: Students will assess the use of the selected technology for individual learning for a specific task. 5. Rationale: Students will complete this lesson in order to gain understanding of the actual movements of the Earth around the Sun. They will develop an understanding of how these movements create observable and repeating patterns on Earth. They will use Inspiration software to match models of the Earths orbit to the correct patterns that we observe on Earth (the four seasons and day and night). 6. Content: Earth/Space science- Astronomy- Movement of celestial objects Observable/repeating patterns on earth due to movement of celestial objects 7. Instructional procedures: a. Engagement: i. Using a prepared PowerPoint presentation, show students images of Earth at nighttime, daytime, summer, winter, fall, and spring. Ask students: what are these pictures of? (day, night, and the seasons) Ask students: what causes daytime, nighttime, and the seasons? Students may share thoughts in a whole group discussion. (As students brainstorm various answers from their background knowledge, record ideas on chart paper for students to see later on.) ii. Explain to students that the purpose of todays lesson is to learn why we have day and nighttime and why we have the four seasons during the year. The movement of the Earth around the Sun and Earths position in space make life possible for us. b. Exploration: (Or replace kinesthetic activity with the WebQuest on my homepage!! i. Explain that the Earth moves in two ways. It rotates and it revolves (display words on PowerPoint without a definition). ii. Ask class to stand up and form a circle around the classroom. iii. Select a volunteer to represent the sun (hand this student the yellow ball). iv. Ask the students to begin walking in a circle around the sun.

v. Ask students: How could we describe this motion? (moving around, circling around an object/sun, orbiting) vi. Explain that this is what the word revolution means. Students may write down definitions of revolution that they came up with. vii. Students come back to circle around the sun. viii. Ask students to begin to revolve around the sun again. Now ask them (and tell them to be careful so they do not get dizzy) to spin slowly like a top while they are also revolving. ix. Ask students: How would you describe this second motion? (Spinning around, ballerina spinning, etc.) x. Explain that this is what the word rotating means. Students may write down definitions of rotation that they came up with. xi. Ask for a two new volunteers for the second demonstration. xii. One student is the sun; the other is the earth (hand a blue ball to the earth student, and the yellow to the sun.) xiii. Stand the earth in front of the sun. Draw an X on the Northern hemisphere of the blue ball to represent where we are on earth and explain to the students what it represents. xiv. When our side is facing the sun it is day. Rotate the student, now it is nighttime. xv. Ask students: What causes day and night, rotation or revolution? (rotation) xvi. Now ask the student to tilt the blue ball so the X is closest to the sun (explain to students that this represents the position that Earth is in space.) xvii. Ask the student to revolve around the sun. Stop the student at each position that represents a different season. (When it is tilted directly toward the sun it is summer, Next stop as it begins to face away from the sun is fall, when it is tilted away it is winter, and the next quarter stop is spring) xviii. Ask students: What causes the four seasons, rotation or revolution? (revolution) c. Elaboration: i. Ask students to go to their computer and open up the following link to use the Inspiration Software activity: ii. Read the directions with the students and allow them the remaining time to work on the activity. iii. Closure: Ask students share what they thought about the Inspiration software. Was it easy/hard to use? Did they understand the concept better? Did they enjoy using the software? What did they learn today about the Earths movement around the sun? What observable and repeating patterns on Earth offer us proof of the Earths movement d. Extension: i. Ask students to think about and locate information of the movement of the moon around the Earth for tomorrows lesson. 8. Evaluation procedures: a. Informal: Observe students answers and responses during closure to check for understanding of the concept and of the technology. b. Formal: Assess each students completed Inspiration page. 9. Materials: a. Inspiration Software b. PowerPoint presentation with pictures of earth (day, night, summer, fall, winter, spring) c. Yellow ball (to represent sun) d. Blue ball with an X on one side of the northern hemisphere (to represent Earth and a particular location) 10. REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

Materials A lamp A globe Drawing paper

Crayons Procedure Ask: What is the name of the planet on which we live? (Earth) How many planets are there in our solar system? (nine) Review with the children that Earth is the third planet from the sun. Tell the children that the Earth is special because it is the only planet in the solar system that we know has both water and living things on it. Explain how the Earth moves around the sun, making sure they understand the sun does not move. It takes the Earth an entire year to travel all the way around the sun. Ask: How many months are there in a year? Say: Let's see if we can name them starting with January. Next, tell them that not only does Earth move around the sun, but the earth also turns or rotates. Explain to the children that the Earth does not move quickly. One complete rotation of the Earth takes one day or 24 hours. Explain that although it looks as though the sun disappears at the end of the day, it really shines constantly. Show the children the following demonstration using a lamp and a globe: Because the Earth turns as it moves around the sun, when it is daytime on one part of the Earth, it is nighttime on the opposite side of the Earth. Place a globe next to a lamp (with the bulb uncovered, no lampshade). Point to a continent on the side of the globe facing the lamp and have a child name the continent to which you are pointing. Next, point to a continent on the opposite side of the globe. Have a child name the continent to which you are pointing. Ask a child to point to the side of the globe where it would be daytime. Have another child point to the side where it would be night. If possible, read Somewhere in the World Right Now or Nine O'Clock Lullaby to the children. (Both books are beautifully illustrated and poetically describe the activities of people in different time zones.) Ask: This morning when you were getting up and getting ready to come to school today, what time of day was it on the other side of the world? Give each child a piece of drawing paper. Have the children fold the paper in half and on one side have the children draw what they were doing this morning and on the other side have the children draw what a child on the other side of the world, say in Asia or Australia, was doing. Ask for volunteers to share their pictures with the class.

Demonstration of How the Earth Moves on Its Axis: A Lesson of the Earth's Rotation
Written by: Elizabeth Wistrom Edited by: Byalinah Updated Nov 7, 2010 Using a clay model, students will complete a demonstration of Earth rotation patterns. Axis wobble movement is explained in Part One of a two-day lesson to increase understanding about the axis of the Earth.
Content Knowledge Objectives:

Students often have a difficult time visualizing how the axis influences the Earth rotation. At the end of Part I of the lesson, students will understand:

The earth axis wobble occurs as it rotates The earth's wobbling is very slight, and takes many years for a noticeable change The earth's axis moves in a circular path as the earth wobbles. This movement is called precession. It takes 26,000 years for Earth to wobble enough for the axis to make one complete turn

Students will demonstration this knowledge by completing a demonstration of Earth rotation patterns.
Lesson Objective:

Students will reject the idea that the earth's axis remains stationary and fixed.
Procedure:

1. What Do We Already Know About the Earth and Its Axis?

Ask the class to brainstorm. What do they know about the Earth and its axis? List comments on the board.

Look for the following ideas to surface:

The Earth's axis is an imaginary line. (If students do not mention this one, or seem confused about it, you may wish to show them an aerial photograph of the planet earth. Then discuss why you cannot see the axis in the picture.) Our planet spins like a top while it circles around the sun.

Earth's rotatation pattern around its axis is in a counterclockwise motion. It takes 24 hours for the earth to rotate completely around the axis. The Earth stays level as it rotates. The Earth is always tilted in the same way.

2. What Do We Know About the Axis Itself? Does It Move, or Does It Remain Stationary?
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Allow students to formulate a hypothesis (or several) Write their hypothesis on the board

3. Model Building Materials: Modeling Clay, Toothpicks

As a demonstration of Earth rotation patterns, ask students to use the materials given to make a model of the Earth on its axis by shaping a piece of clay into a ball about the size of a marble and inserting the toothpick through the center of the clay so that just the tip of the toothpick sticks out on one side.

4. Testing Our Hypothesis

Remind students of their hypothesis. Allow students to make predictions about what will happen to the toothpick when you spin the model. (You may wish to write these predictions on the board as well.) Have students "rotate" their model by spinning it like a top. Have students observe the way the top of the toothpick moves.

(Note: The ball will spin poorly if the toothpick is not through the center, or if the clay is not round.)

Ask students to report what they observed. If they are unsure, have them spin the model a few more times. Write their observations on the board. Discuss - were the predictions right or wrong? Do they need to modify their hypothesis about the movement of the earth's axis? Explain to the students that in fact the earth's axis does move in a circular path. This movement is called precession. The top of the toothpick makes many

revolutions as the clay ball spins, but it takes 26,000 years for the axis to make a complete turn. 5. Why Does the Axis Move?

First, look at the model. Have the students spin the model again - but this time, ask them to watch the clay ball. Ask the students to report what they observed. (Hopefully, they will notice that the clay ball wobbles when it spins. If not, you may need to directly ask, "What is the clay ball doing? Is it wobbling?") Ask the students what they think this might tell us about the earth. Might it wobble as well? Now ask students why they think the clay ball wobbles. Allow them to make hypothesis. (Hopefully, they will realize the ball wobbles because of its composition - that there is a shifting of weight because it is not perfectly round. If not, you may have to suggest it.) Pose the following question to the students - "What about the Earth's composition? Could that make the earth axis wobble?" Do not take responses at this time.

In Part II of this lesson, we will learn more about the axis of the Earth, and how Earth's composition affects its rotation. NEXT ARTICLE Comments | Flag
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MOVEMENTS OF THE EARTH - SCIENCE ACTIVITIES FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

In this series of articles, students will learn about the movements of the Earth as it rotates. Use these science activities for elementary students in or out of the classroom to demonstrate the Earth's movements. 1. Demonstration of How the Earth Moves on Its Axis: A Lesson of the Earth's Rotation 2. Modeling the Earth's Rotation on Its Axis

Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/education/k12/articles/4301.aspx#ixzz1VIbRoQ6c

Objectives:
Students will learn that:

1. The Earth rotates or spins on its axis.

2. 3. 4.

The Sun rotates or spins on its axis. The Earth revolves or orbits around the Sun. The motion of the Sun and Earth are cyclical.

Grade Level:
Grades 1-3

Procedure:
In the classroom Locate an area where students can draw on the playground surface and divide students into small groups. 2. Ask one group to draw a large Sun on the blacktop (a circle, 2 feet in diameter, filled with yellow, orange or red chalk). 3. Ask a second group to draw the Earth (a circle, 10-inches in diameter, filled with blue chalk). Note: Sizes are not to scale. 4. Have another group draw the Earths orbit around the Sun with blue chalk (orbit should be at least 10 feet in diameter). Note: Sizes do not represent the actual scale of the Earth-Sun system. 5. Select one student to act as the Earth and one student to act as the Sun. If you are using the wraparound world map, tape it around the Earth student. 6. Explain that the Sun is at the center of the solar system and that it rotates approximately once every 27 days. Explain that it is a cycle. Ask the Sun h ow he or she should move. Ask, Is this fast or slow? 7. Slowly turn the Sun to demonstrate rotation. The Sun should spin slowly in a counterclockwise direction while standing in one spot. 8. Explain that the Earth also rotates in a cycle. The rotation is completed once every 24 hours. Ask, Is the Earth faster or slower than the Sun? They should answer, faster than the Sun. Ask the Earth how he or she should move. 9. Turn the Earth as it moves along the lined orbit to demonstrate rotation and revolution. Note that the Earth should rotate and revolve in a counterclockwise direction. 10. Reminder: This is not a race and the rate of speed is constant and steady. 11. Explain that it takes an entire year for the Earth to complete its orbit around the Sun. Ask students, "How many times has the Earth revolved around the Sun since you were born?" 12. Get your characters moving in rotation/revolution.

1.

13. Assign the Sun and Earth roles to another set of students and repeat the
rotation/revolution.

14. At the conclusion ask students, Which role was the hardest to play, and why?" Take
a vote. Generally, students will respond the Earth since it rotates and revolves! 15. Return to the classroom and distribute the work sheets for students to complete.

Assessment:
Use the "Motion Playground Model" work sheet to assess what students have learned from this activity.

Objectives:
Students will learn that:

1. The Sun is at the center of the solar system.

2. 3. 4. 5.

The Sun rotates or spins on its axis. The Earth rotates or spins on its axis. The Earth rotates and revolves around the Sun. It takes one year for the Earth to complete its orbit around the Sun.

Grade Level:
Grades 1-3

Procedure:
In the classroom

1. 2. 3.

Choose a location in the classroom with ample room (approximately 10x10) to demonstrate the Sun-Earth model. Students may want to sit in a circle or semi-circle with the model in the middle. If not using the lamp, insert one end of one skewer into one 6 inch ball and the other end of the skewer into the Styrofoam disk to elevate and secure the ball (see example). Place Styrofoam 6-inch ball (or lamp) where all students can see it. Explain that the large ball or lamp represents the Sun. Ask students what they know about the Sun and write answers on the board or KWL chart. Possible points to elicit: The Sun o is our closest star o is at the center of the solar system o spins slowly compared to the Earth o spins counterclockwise when seen from above with North being up o is very hot o is huge (much bigger than Earth!) o is our light source o shines everyday always Review that the Sun spins in the center of the solar system and that the planets are always orbiting around it. The Sun's position is like the hub of a bicycle wheel, with

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

planets spinning around it counterclockwise. Note: If using a lamp, turn it on and turn the classroom lights off to crate a light emitting "Sun." Place a 3" ball on a bamboo skewer to represent the Earth. Hold the skewer vertically so that the Earth can be held from above and rotated (see example). Explain that the Earth spins counterclockwise, and that it is smaller than the Sun. Note: Stress to students that the Sun-Earth model is not to correct scale. Explain that distances in space are vast, but that this is a model to help see the big picture. Demonstrate the Earth orbiting around the Sun. Start by walking counterclockwise in a circle around the Sun (approximately 4 feet away from the Sun ball or lamp at the center). Turn the skewer counterclockwise to demonstrate the Earths spin, while orbiting the Sun. Ask students to identify both kinds of motion: rotation and revolution. Ask students how long it takes for the Earth to revolve all the way around the Sun. To make this concept easier to grasp, choose a point on the Earths line of orbit. Explain that if the Sun were at this point on the first day of this school year, it would take the entire yearfall, winter, spring, summer and back to fall when the next school year startsfor the Earth to complete its long trip around the Sun! Ask a student when his/her birthday is and how old he/she is. Model a complete orbit of the Earth and ask how old he/she would be after the Earth revolves around the Sun. Ask several students in your class how many times the Earth has revolved around the Sun since they were born?

3.1 The Solar System Viewpoint (Discovering the Universe, 5th ed., 1-4, 1-6)

We now know that the diurnal motion of the stars and the Sun is due to the Earth's rotation. In addition, the movement of the Sun along the ecliptic is actually because of the Earth's revolution around the Sun.

Let's now consider the point of view where we are fixed with respect to the stars, located above (north of) the Earth, looking down on it and observing these motions.

First we notice that, looking down on the Earth's north pole, it isrotating counterclockwise. Such a rotation is essentially a definition of a "north pole".

The side of the Earth facing the Sun is in daylight, and the side away from the Sun is at night. Twelve noon would be halfway through the daylight portion, and twelve midnight would be on the opposite side of the Earth, halfway through the night portion.

The Sun sets around 6 P.M. as we are carried into the dark side, and rises around 6 A.M. as we are carried back into daylight.

Since the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west, these directions must be defined in terms of the rotation: east is in the direction of rotation and west is opposite to that direction, no matter where we stand on the surface of the Earth.

Continuing further "north", we are able to see the Earth's orbit around the Sun. The Earth's orbit is very nearly circular, and it defines a plane in space called the plane of the ecliptic. As the Earth moves around the orbit, we say that the Earth revolves around the Sun (to distinguish this motion from rotation). The Earth's revolution is in the same counterclockwise direction as its rotation.

Because of the revolution of the Earth, stars shift their position relative to the Sun. For example, in the picture at the right (representing the passage of about two months' time), a star which was overhead at midnight (i.e. directly opposite the Sun) is now overhead at a different time. Question: about what time is it in the second position? As a result of the Earth's revolution, from day to day a particular star will transit (or rise, or set) at earlier and earlier times. This is the same 4 min/day differentiating the sidereal day from the synodic day.

3.2 The Tilt of the Earth's Axis (Discovering the Universe, 5th ed., 1-6)

Moving from directly above the Earth's orbit down outside one edge of the orbit, we can get a perspective view. We then observe that, with respect to the perpendicular to the ecliptic plane (which points to orbital north), the Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of 23.5:

Equivalently, we can say that the Earth's equator is at an angle of 23.5 to the ecliptic plane. The tilt angle is fixed, so the Earth's axis maintains the same orientation with respect to the stars as the Earth revolves around the Sun.

When the Earth's north pole is tilted directly towards the Sun, the latter is highest in the sky (in the northern hemisphere), which is what we called the summer solstice. Here in Atlanta, the Sun is 33.4 - 23.5 = 10.2 away from the zenith at the summer solstice.

When the north pole is tilted directly away from the Sun, the latter is lowest in the sky (in the northern hemisphere), which is the winter solstice. Here in Atlanta, the Sun is 33.4 + 23.5 = 57.2 away from the zenith at the winter solstice.

As before, the intermediate positions are the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. Here in Atlanta, the Sun is 33.7 away from the zenith at the equinoxes.

Note that (in the northern hemisphere) daytime (the light part of the circle the person is standing on) is longest at the summer solstice, and it is shortest at the winter solstice. Question: what effect will this have on daily temperature? Daytime and nighttime have roughly equal length at the equinoxes, hence the name,which means "equal night".

3.3 Precession (Discovering the Universe, 5th ed., 1-7)

The Earth is not a perfect sphere; instead, it is slightly oblate, i.e. it bulges in the middle along the equator. This bulge is due to its rotation and the fact that it is not completely rigid. As a result, the equatorial diameter is 43 Km greater than the polar diameter, a difference of 0.34%.

Because the force of gravityweakens with distance, the Sun and Moon have non-uniform gravitational forces on the Earth, pulling harder on the near side of the bulge than on the far side. This differential gravitational force is called a tidal force. Basically, the Sun and Moon try to "straighten" the rotation axis to bring it in line with the orbital axis.

However, instead of straightening, the Earth's rotation axis precesses, i.e. it exhibits a slow, conical motion around the orbital axis. Precession is the same effect you see with a top. As long as it is spinning, the top does not fall over, and likewise the Earth's axis won't straighten.

The Earth's precession is a very small effect; it takes 26,000 years for the axis to make one full circle! Currently the Earth's axis points within a degree of the star Polaris, and it will slowly get closer until around the year 2100, when it reaches a minimum separation of 27 minutes of arc. Almost 5000 years ago the Earth's axis pointed towards the star Thuban in the constellation of Draco, and this star was used by the ancient Egyptians as their

pole star. In 6,000 years the Earth's axis will point towards the star Alderamin in Cepheus, and in 12,000 years it will be near Vega in Lyra. The Earth's precession can be easily observed by standing at the Earth's north pole, where the north celestial pole is at the zenith, and watching how that point changes over time (note the year in the lower-left corner):

The circle traced out by the north celestial pole can also be observed on the celestial sphere. Two different positions, now and 13,000 years in the future, are noted in the picture at the right.

As the precession of the axis occurs, the orientation of the celestial equator will also change, since it is necessarily perpendicular to the axis.

However, the ecliptic is fixed on the sphere. As a result, the intersections between the celestial equator and the ecliptic, the equinoxes, move along the ecliptic 50 arc sec (3.3 sec R.A.) per year.

The vernal equinox moves in the direction shown. Currently, the vernal equinox is in Pisces; 2000 years ago it was in Aries; in another 1000 years, it will move into Aquarius.

This movement of the celestial equator relative to the ecliptic is called precession of the equinoxes. Obviously, this effect is so slow that it is only observable over many years. Precession was discovered by the Greek astronomer Hipparchus, who had access to several centuries of Greek and Babylonian records.

3.4 The Calendar (Discovering the Universe, 5th ed., 1-5)

The sidereal year is defined to be the time for the Sun to return to the same position against the stars. The sidereal year is equal to 365.25 d + 9 min 10s.

The tropical year is the time for the Sun to return to the same position relative to the Earth's axis, e.g. summer solstice to summer solstice. Because of precession, the tropical year is 20 min 24 s shorter than the sidereal year, equal to 365.25 d - 11 min 14 s.

Neither of these is an integer number of days. The early Roman calendar (~300 B.C.) had 365 days per year, so it was short by roughly one day every four years. As a result, the date of the equinoxes and solstices moved forward on the calendar.

In the original Roman calendar the vernal equinox was on March 24. By 45 B.C. it had moved into late May, so the first Roman Emperor Julius Caesar subtracted 63 days from the calendar to bring the equinoxes back to their traditional dates (more than two months were therefore "redone").

To keep the equinoxes fixed, Caesar decreed that every four years an extra leap day would be added to the calendar, at the end of the year (February). A year with a leap day added is called a leap year, and this calendar is known as the Julian Calendar.

Then, the calendar was too long by 11 min 14 s /year. Even this small amount can build up with time, and the vernal equinox began to move backward on the calendar, about 1 day every 128 years.

By 325 A.D. the vernal equinox had moved three days to its current location on

March 21. At this time the Roman Emperor Constantine I convened the Council of Nicaea, to establish dates for the Christian holidays. Easter, in particular, was based on the date of the vernal equinox.

The vernal equinox continued to move backward on the calendar. By 1582 the vernal equinox had moved another ten days. On the advice of astronomers, Pope Gregory established a new calendar system which accounted for the extra 11 min 14 s. In the Julian calendar, century years had always been leap years; in the new calendar, that would no longer be true, except in years divisible by 400: 1600 leap year 1700 not a leap year 1800 not a leap year 1900 not a leap year 2000 leap year 2100 not a leap year ....

This arrangement is known as the Gregorian Calendar. Since there is still not a perfect match with the tropical year, even further corrections will eventually be necessary.

Gregory also added ten days to the calendar to bring the vernal equinox back in alignment with the dates established by the Council of Nicaea. Ten days were therefore "lost" when October 5, 1582 was decreed to be October 15, 1582. Now the vernal equinox always occurs on or near March 21.

Despite its scientific merit, the Gregorian Calendar was widely distrusted in northern Europe, which had only recently broken away from the Catholic church in the Reformation, and in the Eastern Orthodox countries of eastern Europe. So, it wasn't until 1752 that the Gregorian Calendar was finally adopted by England and its colonies.

Most eastern European countries didn't adopt the Gregorian Calendar until the early 20th century!