Summary
Distinguishes Earth's daily spin (rotation) from its yearly orbit (revolution), and links them to day/night and the seasons.
Viewer safety
All ages
Gentle animated educational content, safe to show cold; still worth a quick preview to match it to your lesson.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
Earth spins like a top once a day — that gives us day and night. It also travels around the sun once a year.
- What causes day and night on Earth?
- How is rotation different from revolution?
- How long does one full spin of the Earth take?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: rotation, revolution, orbit, day and night.
Try it: Use a ball and a flashlight. Spin the ball slowly — show which side has day and which has night.