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Earth's Place in the Universe - Intro

Sun, Earth, Moon: motion, position, and what we observe

📚 Science 🎓 Grade 6 ⏱️ 10 minutes

Learning Objectives

  • Identify the Sun-Earth-Moon system and correctly use rotate vs. revolve (orbit).

  • Connect relative position and motion in the Sun-Earth-Moon system to at least one observable pattern (day/night) and preview others (phases, seasons, tides, eclipses).

Progress 6 sections
1

Engage

~1 minutes

Engage (1 minute)

Teacher prompt (show of hands):
• Why do we get day and night?
• What do you think the Moon is doing while we are having daytime?

Tell students: "Today we start Earth's place in the universe by focusing on the Sun, Earth, and Moon. We will use a quick model and connect motion + position to patterns we can observe."

2

Vocabulary + key ideas

~2 minutes
📖 Key vocabulary (use fast, simple definitions)

Rotate: spin in place around an axis. Revolve (orbit): travel around another object. Axis: an imaginary line an object spins around. System: a group of parts that interact.

Explain (2 minutes): what matters today

  • Earth rotates: this creates day and night.

  • The Moon revolves (orbits) around Earth.

  • Earth revolves (orbits) around the Sun.

  • Relative position + motion create patterns we can observe (today: day/night; later: phases, seasons, tides, eclipses).

3

Visual model (diagram)

~1 minutes
Sun-Earth-Moon (not to scale)
A simple diagram showing the Sun on the left, Earth on the right, and the Moon orbiting around Earth. Arrows indicate Earth rotating and the Moon revolving around Earth....
4

Activity: mini-orrery demo

~3 minutes
5

Quick check

~2 minutes
Question 1

What causes day and night on Earth?

Question 2

Which statement is correct?

6

Exit ticket

~1 minutes
Question 3

In 1-2 sentences: Explain how motion and position in the Sun-Earth-Moon system can create patterns we observe in the sky. Name at least one pattern.

Expected length: 15-50 words