EQ: EQ:

WhyWhy
doesdoes
The Sun
it look
it look likethe
like thesun
sunmoves
moves during
during the
theday?
day?

S2E2. Students will investigate the position of the sun and moon to
show patterns throughout the year.
a.) Investigate the position of the sun in relation to a fixed object on earth
at various times of the day.
b.) Determine how the shadows change through the day by making a
shadow stick or using a sundial.
 Earth’s Rotation
Earth’s Rotation
* Do you think that the sun rises in one
place in the morning and sets in another
place at night? Well, this is false!

* Guess what?! The sun does not move

across the sky, it only spins in place.
Our EARTH is moving!

* Earth spins around and around, just

like a merry-go-round! It takes about 24
hours for Earth to rotate, or spin all the
way around. One rotation of Earth takes
one day. This explains why each day One complete rotation
lasts 24 hours! takes about 24 hours.
 Earth’s Rotation
*What does Earth’s rotation
cause? DAY and NIGHT

*During the daytime, sunlight

only shines on the part of the
Earth that is facing the sun.

*The other side of the Earth is

has nighttime because it is dark.

* As Earth rotates, the part that

was light turns away from the
sun and gets dark. The part that
was dark moves into the light.
This pattern will repeat every 24
hours.
 Changes in Shadows My body does
not allow light
to pass through
* When light cannot pass me. As a
through an object, it creates a result, I create
shadow. Can you think of a shadow.
some shadows that you see
everyday? What about objects
that don’t create a shadow?

* Remember, the sun looks

like it’s moving, but really it’s
just the Earth rotating.
Because the Earth is rotating,
the sun’s light shines on
objects from different
directions as the day goes on.
This causes the sizes and
shapes of shadows to change.
 Changes in Shadows * Earth’s rotation
causes shadows to
*Look at the boy to observe how his change because the
shadow is changing throughout the day. sun’s light shines on
• When is the shadow long? objects from
different directions
• When is it short?
as Earth rotates.
• How does the direction from which the sun
shines change the shadow?

The sun is
directly
above you.
The sun is
beginning The sun
to set in the is rising
west.
noon in the
east.

afternoon morning
 Cause and Effect
Cause Effect
Part of our Earth faces It is daytime on that
towards the sun. part of the Earth.

Part of our Earth faces It is nighttime on that

away from the sun. part of the Earth.

The Earth
rotates. The sizes and shapes of
shadows change.
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