Study Guides

Unit Summary

This unit covers the movement of the Earth, moon, and planets, describing them as spherical bodies. It explains Earth's rotation, causing day and night, and the sun's apparent movement. Emphasis is on recording complex data, presenting findings, and evaluating scientific evidence.

Lesson Summary

You can explain why we have day and night.

Key Notes

• The axis is an imaginary straight line which goes through the centre of the Earth from the North to the South Pole
• Day and night are due to the Earth rotating on its axis
• It is daytime when the Earth is facing the Sun and night time when the Earth is facing away from the Sun
• The Earth takes 24 hours to rotate on its axis
• Models can be used to demonstrate how the Earth's rotation causes day and night

Vocabulary To Learn

• Earth: The Earth is a planet on which we live
• Sun: The Sun is a star and the centre of our solar system
• rotate: To rotate is to turn or spin
• axis: The Earth's axis is the imaginary line through its centre, from North pole to South pole
• model: A model is used to describe something that can't be experienced directly

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Pupils may think that we have night when the Earth is facing the Moon or the Sun goes behind clouds.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• How we see the Moon from Earth Study Guide
• More about the Sun (non-statutory) Study Guide
• Observing the Moon Study Guide
• Scientific theories from the past (non-statutory) Study Guide
• The movement of the Moon Study Guide
• The movement of the planets around the Sun Study Guide
• The planets in our solar system (non-statutory) Study Guide
• The relative sizes of the Earth, Sun and Moon (non-statutory) Study Guide
• The shape of Earth Study Guide
• The shape of objects in space Study Guide
• Why the Sun appears to move across the sky Study Guide