Preparation/Supplies
Flash lights
Sun and Shadow Group Observation Pages
Introduction: Read Day And Night, By Joy Richardson ISBN 0-531-14139-X.
Activity
Have students work in groups of two or three. Read pages 20-23 of What Makes Day and Night, By Franklyn M. Branley ISBN 0-690-04523-9. Ask students to follow the along and act out the movements as you read aloud, each taking a turn as the Earth, Sun and Observer. Students will record by drawing or writing observations on Sun and Shadow Observation Printables.
Tilt and Turn Class Activity: Day Two
Preparation/Materials
1 lamp without a shade, extension cord if necessary
1 globe - tape a cut out of a 3" White Human Shape to surface of ball marking in the place where you live. This will be easy for the students to see against the globe's background.
Set the bare lamp in the center of the Group rug, leave the lamp unplugged. Call students to the Group rug and ask them to sit in a circle around the lamp. Turn off lights, and plug in lamp.
Introduction
Here's the Sun, I'm holding the Earth in my hands.
Do you see the person on the Earth? That's where we live on the Earth.
The Earth orbits around the sun, how long does one cycle take? How many days is that?
Model the earth's orbit. Have the students pass the
globe around the circle and see how the light shines on the surface leaving
one side in darkness.
What do you see happening as the globe travels around the circle?
The side facing the sun has daytime, what is happening on the Shadow side?
Day on one side of the earth means that it will be night on the other side of the earth.
As the earth orbits the sun it tilts, that changes how long the sun will shine on each half of the Earth.
Mark the North Poles and the South Pole, demonstrate
how the earth tilts as it orbits at a slight 23 degree angle. Show the
upper half with a little more sun, and then the lower half with a little
more sun. The Sun will hit different parts of the globe directly at different
times of the orbit.
Why do you think the days are longer in winter and shorter in summer?
Why are some times of day warmer than others?
Activity
Now we'll do an experiment. I will tape a thermometer
to the globe next to this cut-out person and we will record what happens
on the Sun and Shadow Experiment Printable.
Set the globe 10 inches from the lamp, tape the thermometer to the globe next to the cut out person and turn it to face the light, record the initial temperature. Ask students to begin the Sun and Shadow printable at their seats, every 5 minutes inform them of any change in temperature. Allow students to come up close and observe the experiments. After 20 minutes record the temperature, allow the students to come up in groups and draw or write final Sun Data information. Next turn the globe so the thermometer is facing away from the light. Repeat the previous procedure asking students to complete their printables. Ask students to share their observations and conclusions.
on to The Sun
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© 2003 by the Network for Instructional TV, Inc.
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