Summary
A Ready Jet Go! clip on PBS LearningMedia. The kids learn that planets spin, or rotate, and that Earth's spin is what gives us day and night. A simple model of why the sky changes from light to dark.
Viewer safety
All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
Planets spin like tops — and Earth's spin is the reason we have day and night.
- What does it mean for a planet to rotate?
- What happens on the side of Earth facing the sun?
- Why does it get dark at night?
- How long does it take Earth to spin around once?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: rotate, spin, day, night, Earth.
Try it: Use a ball as Earth and a flashlight as the sun. Spin the ball and show where it is daytime.