Teacher sheet · Ages 6–7 · about 45–50 minutes
Why is it dark at night?
Lesson page: echoesof.science/school/day-night-seasons/ages-6-7/ · Pupil worksheet: echoesof.science/school/day-night-seasons/ages-6-7/print/
Learning aims
- Day and night happen because the Earth spins once a day.
- The Earth goes around the Sun once a year.
- The Earth's tilt gives us seasons.
- Use a simple model (torch and ball) to explain an idea.
Lesson plan
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Ask: where does the Sun go at night? |
| 10 min | Read the story together. |
| 20 min | Torch-and-ball model in small groups, taking turns as Sun and Earth. |
| 5 min | Play Day or night? or do the quiz. |
| 5 min | Talk: what do we do in summer and in winter? |
Materials for the experiment
- A torch (flashlight)
- A ball or a globe
- A small sticker or a bit of modelling clay (this is 'you')
- A darkened classroom
Safety: Never shine the torch into anyone's eyes. Never look straight at the real Sun. Move carefully in the darkened room.
Common misconceptions
| Pupils may think… | Actually… |
|---|---|
| The Sun goes around the Earth every day. | The Sun seems to move because the Earth is spinning. |
| The Sun goes away or switches off at night. | The Sun always shines; our side of the Earth has turned away from it. |
| It is summer because we are closer to the Sun. | It is the tilt of the Earth; we are actually closest to the Sun in January. |
Worksheet answers
- A picture with the Sun on one side and the Earth with a light half facing the Sun and a dark half facing away.
- Yes.
- Our side of the Earth leans towards the Sun: long days and strong sunshine.
Quiz answers
- Why do we have day and night? The Earth spins round. The Earth turns around once every day.[1]
- Which side of the Earth has day? The side facing the Sun. The side facing the Sun is lit up.[1]
- How long does one trip of the Earth around the Sun take? One year. One trip around the Sun takes about 365 days.[2]
- What makes the seasons? The Earth is tilted. Earth's tilted axis causes the seasons.[1]
- When it is summer in the north, what season is it in the south? Winter. The two halves of the Earth have opposite seasons.[1]
Going further
Go outside on a sunny day in the morning and again in the afternoon and draw around a child's shadow with chalk. Has the shadow moved? Why?
Sources used in this lesson
- [1] What Causes the Seasons? (NASA Space Place): reliability High
- [2] Earth: Facts (NASA Science): reliability High
- [3] Why Does Earth Have Seasons? (NOAA NESDIS (U.S. satellite and information service)): reliability High
- [4] Astronomy, 4.2 The Seasons (OpenStax, Rice University): reliability High
Full list with links and a note on each source's reliability: echoesof.science/school/day-night-seasons/sources/
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