Daily Pattern
How long does it take the Earth to spin on its axis?
24 hours
Is the sun the biggest star?
No
How does gravity pull objects?
down, toward the center of the Earth
The sun rises in the __________ and sets in the ___________.
east, west
How long does it take the Earth to orbit around the sun?
1 year
What is another word for "spinning on its axis?"
rotate
Is the sun the brightest star?
No
If I drop a tennis ball and a basketball from the same height at the same time, which will hit the ground first? Why?
They will hit the ground at the same time because an object's mass does not affect how quickly an object falls.
Where is the sun at noon?
directly above you
What is another word for "orbiting around?"
What does Earth's rotation cause?
day and night
Why does the sun appear to be the largest star?
It is the closest star.
What is the effect of gravity on a baseball after a batter hits it?
Gravity pulls the baseball down to the ground.
Why do the sun and moon appear to be the same size?
The sun is larger but farther away. The moon is smaller but closer.
What does Earth's revolution cause?
1 year, seasons, seeing different constellations at different times of year
When it is daytime, your side of the Earth is facing the sun. When it is nighttime, your side of the Earth is facing away from the sun.
Why does the sun appear to be the brightest star?
It is the closest star.
What is an experiment you can do to demonstrate evidence of gravity?
Drop items and record which direction they fall (downward).
A student observes the sky from the same location at different times of the day. What causes this pattern?
7 AM: Sun is in the Eastern Sky
12 PM: Sun is high in the Sky
6 PM: Sun is in the Western Sky
12 AM: Sun cannot be seen
Earth rotates on its axis.
How does Earth's revolution cause us to see different stars?
As Earth moves around the sun, we are able to see different stars because the Earth is moving while the stars are staying still. When we are at different positions in Earth's orbit, we are surrounded by different stars.
Does all of the Earth experience day and night at the same time? Why or why not?
NO! One half of the Earth experiences daytime while the other half experiences nighttime. This is because only one half of the Earth can see the sun at one time.
Why can't we see stars in the daytime?
The sun overpowers the other stars. Because the sun is the closest star to Earth, it appears larger and brighter which does not allow us to see other stars.
A fifth grade student, Marcus, says: “Gravity pulls everything straight down toward the bottom of Earth. If people on the other side of Earth are standing upside down to us, gravity must be pulling them in a different direction.”
Another student, Ava, disagrees. She says: “Gravity pulls objects toward the center of Earth. Therefore, the direction of gravity is down for everyone, even though people may be standing in different places on Earth.”
Which student is correct? Why are they correct?
Ava is correct because Earth's gravitational force pulls objects toward Earth's center.
A student observes the Moon for several weeks and records these observations:
New Moon → Crescent → Half Moon → Gibbous → Full Moon
What causes the Moon to appear to change shape in this predictable pattern?
The positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon change as the Moon orbits Earth.
Can constellations be used to tell what season it is? Why or why not?
Yes, because of Earth's revolution around the sun, we only see certain constellations during certain seasons.