Pennington : Early Grades Science Literacy 1
Name: Laura Pennington
# Students: 24
# LEP Students: 0
Unit Title: Earth/Space Science
Date: 12/03/2010
Grade Level: 4
#IEP Students: 0
#GSSP Students: 0
Subject: Science
Lesson Length: 1 hr
Lesson Title: Rotation and Revolution
1. Context
a. Academic Context:
This lesson would be presented during a unit of Earth and space science.
2. Objectives



Students will be able to define rotation and revolution.
Students will be able to describe how planets orbit.
Students will be able to describe how the sun causes seasons.
3. Standards/Connections
Kentucky Core Content for Assessment Standard:
SC-04-2.3.4
Students will identify patterns, recognize relationships and draw conclusions about the Earth-Sun
system by interpreting a variety of representations/models (e.g., diagrams, sundials, distance of
sun above horizon) of the sun’s apparent movement in the sky.
Changes in movement of objects in the sky have patterns that can be observed, described and
modeled. The Sun appears to move across the sky in the same way every day, but the Sun’s
apparent path changes slowly over seasons. Data collected can be used to identify patterns,
recognize relationships and draw conclusions about the Earth and Sun system.
DOK 3
4. Procedures
1. Review with the students what they have been learning about Earth and space science.
2. Have the students define rotation and revolution.
a. Rotation: the action or process of rotating on or as if on an axis or center
b. Revolution: the time taken by a celestial body to make a complete round in its
orbit around another celestial body.
3. Tell the students that we are going to make our own solar system in order to better
understand the concepts of rotation and revolution.
a. Start out by having one student volunteer to be the sun and one student volunteer
to be the Earth.
b. Have the students discuss what the roles of each are and then have the students
demonstrate rotation and revolution. Each student will rotate (spin), but the
“Earth” will also revolve around the sun.
Pennington : Early Grades Science Literacy 2
c. Then have students volunteer to be other planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune). If the space is large enough, have them order
themselves according to the order of the planets with enough room for even
Neptune to make a complete revolution.
d. Have the students demonstrate rotation and revolution. Each student will rotate
(spin). The planets will revolve around the sun. Do not let the students run.
After a few revolutions of the inner planets (Mercury and Venus), the planets will
spread out, and it will be clear that some planets take much longer to revolve
around the sun than others. Have the students switch roles in order to ensure that
all students get a chance.
e. If the students are understanding rotation and revolution, incorporate at least the
Earth’s moon into the model. You can also introduce the idea of “phase locking.”
This is when the same side of one body is always facing the body it orbits. This is
the case with the moon and the Earth. As the “moon” revolves around the
“Earth”, have the moon always face the Earth. How many revolutions did the
moon make? How many rotations (spins)? Some students may say the moon is
not spinning, but in fact it makes one rotation per revolution around the Earth.
Can the students demonstrate both the moon and the Earth revolving around the
sun? How many times will the moon go around the Earth while the Earth goes
around the sun once? (13, a little more than once a month).
4. Use the time during the demonstration to discuss things that you see happening. This can
include:
a. Orbits
i. Shape
ii. Speed
b. Gravity
c. Moons
5. Have the students return to their seats. Tell them that we are going to further discuss the
sun.
6. Ask the students what the sun does for Earth. Answers could include:
a. Heat
b. Day and Night
c. Seasons
7. Tell the students that we are going to focus on how the sun causes the different seasons
on Earth.
8. Have a globe in the front of the room. Allow the students to make predictions about how
the Earth’s tilt and proximity to the sun causes seasons.
9. Explain to the students that when the Earth is leaning toward the sun, it is summer in the
Northern Hemisphere and when the Earth is leaning away from the sun, it is winter in the
Northern Hemisphere.
10. Also, explain to the students that opposite hemispheres have opposite seasons. For
instance, if it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it is winter in the Southern
Hemisphere.
11. Also, explain to the students that as the Earth rotates and revolves, the seasons change.
When the Earth isn’t as close to the sun, but isn’t the farthest distance from the sun the
Pennington : Early Grades Science Literacy 3
Northern Hemisphere experiences fall. While the Northern Hemisphere experiences fall,
the Southern Hemisphere experiences spring.
12. Have the students come up to the globe in groups of four. Have one student pick a
location on the globe. Have another student hold a flashlight above the globe. Have the
students demonstrate rotation by spinning the globe. Also have them pass the flashlight
around. As the students rotate the globe and pass the light around, have them identify the
seasons in the location that they chose.
13. Repeat this activity for each group.
14. Review rotation, revolution, and the seasons with the students.
5. Assessment
Objective
Number
Type of
Assessment
Assessment
Title/Description
Depth of
Knowledge
1-3
Formative
2
1-3
Formative
Discussion
during
demonstration
Review
Adaptations
and/or
Accommodations
None Required
2
None Required