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Earth's rotation and day/night

CONCEPTUAL
Science›Space Systems & Earth's History|Ages 9—11|ID: mt_q15w--Fb5H

Use the idea of the Earth's rotation to explain day and night and the apparent movement of the sun across the sky

Mastery Evidence

  • Explain that the Earth rotates (spins) on its axis once every 24 hours
  • Describe how this rotation causes day (facing the sun) and night (facing away)
  • Explain that the sun appears to move across the sky because we are rotating, not the sun

Assessment Prompt

“Can [child] explain that the sun doesn't actually move across the sky — it's the Earth spinning that makes it look like it does, and that's what causes day and night?”

Curriculum Standards2 alignments

5-ESS1-2Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-5codes only
Standard code — full text not included in this dataset.
Y5.Sci.ES.4The national curriculum in England
Earth's rotation, day and night

use the idea of the Earth's rotation to explain day and night and the apparent movement of the sun across the sky

Science · Key Stage 2

Prerequisites4

Show full prerequisite tree
  • The solar system hard

    Must understand Earth orbits the sun before explaining rotation causes day/night

    • Naming the Planets hard

      Describing sun, Earth, and moon as spherical bodies and planets orbiting the sun requires solar system vocabulary

    • Sun, Moon, and stars hard

      Must observe sun/moon patterns before learning about the solar system model

      • Naming the Planets hard

        Describing predictable patterns of sun, moon, and stars requires planet, star, moon, orbit vocabulary

      • Why seasons change hard

        Must observe sun/moon/star patterns before relating daylight to time of year

        • Naming the Planets soft

          Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary

        • Seasonal changes soft

          Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition

  • Why seasons change hard

    Must observe daylight patterns before explaining them with Earth's rotation

    • Naming the Planets soft

      Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary

    • Seasonal changes soft

      Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition

  • Earth & Space Vocabulary hard

    Explaining day and night using Earth's rotation requires 'rotation' and 'axis' vocabulary

  • Earth's Spin & Orbit soft

    Enrichment knowledge of Earth's rotation and orbit supports formal explanation of day/night cycle

    • Seasons & Weather Patterns soft

      Seasons concept benefits from knowing Earth orbits Sun

    • The Sun is a star hard

      Must know the Sun-centred system before understanding Earth's rotation and orbit within it

      • Sun, Moon & Stars hard

        Must know the Sun is a sky object before learning it is a star

        • Why seasons change soft

          Curriculum daylight/seasons observation supports exploratory Sun/Moon/stars identification

          • Naming the Planets soft

            Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary

          • Seasonal changes soft

            Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition

      • Our Solar System hard

        Must know about the solar system before learning the Sun is at its centre

        • Sun, Moon & Stars hard

          Must know the Sun and stars before learning about planets and the solar system

          • Why seasons change soft

            Curriculum daylight/seasons observation supports exploratory Sun/Moon/stars identification

            • Naming the Planets soft

              Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary

            • Seasonal changes soft

              Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition

Unlocks3