Teacher Resources

This lesson introduces students to the concept that day and night are caused by the Earth's rotation on its axis, not by the Sun moving across the sky (the big idea). Through videos, visual diagrams, and digital tools such as animations, students will explore how the spinning Earth leads to changes in light and darkness. They will discuss their ideas and create their own representations of the concept using drawings or animations. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to explain how Earth’s spinning causes day and night, using simple and complex language and visuals to show their understanding. The lesson also includes opportunities for reflection, self-assessment, and differentiated support to meet diverse learning needs. 

Learning Intention:

Learning to explain how Earth’s rotation causes day and night.

Success Criteria:
Students will be able to:

• Describe the rotation of Earth and how it causes day and night.

• Label a diagram correctly showing day and night.

• Use appropriate scientific vocabulary (e.g. rotate, axis, sunlight, shadow).

• Respond to a short quiz.

NSW Science and Technology K–6 Syllabus:

Knowledge and understanding: ST2-10ES-S

●        A student investigates regular changes caused by interactions between the Earth and the Sun, and changes to the Earth's surface.

Working scientifically: ST2-1WS-S

●        Questions, plans and conducts scientific investigations, collects and summaries data and communicates using scientific representations

Design and production: ST2-2DP-T

●        Selects and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity

Cross-Curricular Links 

English - EN2-OLC-01, EN2-HANDW-02, EN2-CWT-03, EN2-CWT-01, EN2-VOCAB-01 

Visual Arts - VAS2.2, VAS2.4 

Geography - GE2-1 

General Capabilities:

• Critical and Creative Thinking

• ICT Capability

• Literacy

What you need to know: 

To effectively teach using the Why Do We Have Day and Night? digital learning resource, teachers need a clear understanding of the science content, particularly that Earth’s rotation on its axis causes day and night and should be aware of common student misconceptions such as the belief that the Sun moves around the Earth (Skamp, 2021). They should be familiar with the 5Es model that underpins the resource and be prepared to guide student learning through questioning, exploration, and reflection (Bybee et al., 2006; Skamp, 2021). Teachers must know how to navigate the site, access embedded digital tools, and facilitate student interaction with videos, animations, and media creation tasks, supporting a student-centred and constructivist approach to learning (NESA, 2017; Venville & Dawson, 2012). Additionally, understanding how the resource aligns with Stage 2 outcomes from the NSW Science and Technology syllabus (ST2-10ES-S), as well as relevant English outcomes, will help integrate cross-curricular learning. Effective implementation also requires awareness of the embedded assessment opportunities, strategies for differentiation, and the technical requirements needed to ensure a smooth learning experience (Skamp, 2021). 

Discussion starters for beginning of lesson 

“What causes day and night?”

"Why do we see the Sun during the day but not at night?" 

"If it’s night-time here, what do you think is happening on the other side of the Earth?" 

"Why does the sky look different at different times of the day?" 

Discussion starters for end of lesson

 "What surprised you the most about today’s lesson?"

"What is one thing you now know about how day and night happen?"

For teacher to do

• Introduce concepts 

• Lead discussion

• Clear up any misconceptions such as... The Sun moves around the Earth, it is day or night everywhere on Earth at the same time, we don’t move, so the Earth must be still. 

• Help students connect observations to concepts 

For students to do 

• Creating an animation using ABCya 

• Reflection and explanation tasks 

• Explore websites that students can visually see the earth spin 

Students can work collaboratively in pairs or small groups to create animations using ABCya Animate, complete reflection and explanation tasks, and explore interactive websites that visually demonstrate the Earth’s rotation. 

• Use simple language (e.g. spins instead of rotate) 

• Students can work in pairs or groups 

• Provide choice in how students want to demonstrate their understanding (e.g. write, draw or video record) 

• Adding in pictures and diagrams for visual learners 

• Using simple instructions 

• Ask higher order thinking questions for higher achievers (e.g. Why does the Sun appear to move across the sky if it’s actually the Earth that’s spinning? How is day and night in Australia different from day and night in other parts of the world? Why? Do you think we could live without the Earth spinning? Why or why not?)

In this lesson, differentiation strategies are used to support all learners and allow all students to engage. Simple language is used (e.g., “spins” instead of “rotate”) to ensure concepts are understood by students at different language and cognitive levels (NSW Education Standards Authority, 2017). Students are encouraged to work individually, in pairs, or groups, allowing social interaction and collaborative learning, which aligns with Vygotsky’s (1978) emphasis on social constructivism as essential for cognitive development.

To cater to diverse learning preferences, students are given the choice to demonstrate their understanding in various ways which include writing, drawing, or video recording, this supports multimodal learning and allowing students to use their strengths (Skamp & Preston, 2020). Visual supports such as pictures and diagrams are incorporated to assist visual learners and to incorporate abstract scientific concepts (Bergin et al., 2022).

Instructions are kept clear and straightforward to reduce cognitive overload and scaffold learning effectively (Venville & Dawson, 2012). For higher-achieving students, open-ended, higher order thinking questions are posed, such as “Why does the Sun appear to move across the sky if it’s actually the Earth that’s spinning?” and “How is day and night in Australia different from other parts of the world? Why?” This challenges students to apply critical and creative thinking skills, in line with the Australian Curriculum’s general capabilities framework (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, n.d.).

Formative Assessment 

• Questioning - Check prior knowledge or identify misconceptions (at beginning of lesson) 

• Interactive Tools - Digital formative feedback (throughout lesson)

• Self-assessment - During quiz (end of lesson) 

Diagnostic Assessment 

• Pre-lesson questions (beginning of lesson)

Summative Assessment

• Student Animation (ABCya) - Create a digital model of Earth spinning and day/night (conceptual understanding) (throughout lesson)

• Visual explanation task - Draw and label a diagram of Earth’s rotation (Visual literacy, science knowledge) (throughout lesson)

• Written or oral explanation - Explain in writing or record audio: (throughout lesson)

• Quiz - Review key facts and concepts (end of lesson)

Links to websites 

Engage page

• Day and Night || video for kids – video to introduce students to the concept

• Day and Night World Map – Students can visually see day and night

• What i think - Google Drawings - for students to show their understanding prior to lesson

Explore page

• Night to Day - Farm Time Lapse - students can visually see the earth’s rotation

• Earth's Rotation & Revolution: Crash Course Kids 8.1 – to help with understanding

• Solar System Scope - Online Model of Solar System and Night Sky – visual tool

• day and night rotation - Google Drawings – for students to explain

Explain page

• ABCya Animate • ABCya! – used so students can create an animation

• drag and drop - Google Slides – drag and drop activity

• Vocaroo | Online voice recorder – voice recorder

Elaborate page

• Canva: Visual Suite for Everyone – for students to visually explain

• The World Clock — Worldwide – see where it is day and night across the world

• Vocaroo | Online voice recorder – voice recorder

Evaluate page

• Vocaroo | Online voice recorder – voice recorder

• Reflect what i have learned - Google Drawings – drawing tool