Earth's Spin & Orbit
Understand that Earth moves in two ways: it rotates (spins) on its axis once every 24 hours causing day and night, and it orbits (travels around) the Sun once every 365 days, which is one year
Teaching approaches
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1 approach
Can your child explain that we have day and night because the Earth spins, and that a year is the time it takes Earth to go all the way around the Sun?
Understand that Earth moves in two ways: it rotates (spins) on its axis once every 24 hours causing day and night, and it orbits (travels around) the Sun once every 365 days, which is one year
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This concept
Check understanding
- Demonstrate with a globe or ball that Earth's rotation causes day on the Sun-facing side and night on the opposite side
- State that one full rotation takes about 24 hours (one day)
- State that one full orbit around the Sun takes about 365 days (one year)
“Can your child explain that we have day and night because the Earth spins, and that a year is the time it takes Earth to go all the way around the Sun?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Space Exploration
- Age range
- Ages 7–9