Department of Mathematics and Science

Big Idea 5: Earth in Space and TimeGrade 4

Fair Game Benchmarks

SC.4.E.5.4: Relate that the rotation of Earth (day and night) and apparent movements of the Sun, Moon, and stars are connected. (Annually Assessed)SC.4.E.5.1: Observe that the patterns of stars in the sky stay the same although they appear to shift across the sky nightly, and different stars can be seen in different seasons. (Assessed as SC.4.E.5.4)SC.4.E.5.2: Describe the changes in the observable shape of the moon over the course of about a month. (Assessed as SC.4.E.5.4)SC.4.E.5.3: Recognize that Earth revolves around the Sun in a year and rotates on its axis in a 24-hour day. (Assessed as SC.4.E.5.4)

Grade 4Big Idea 5: Earth in Space and Time

How are the movements of Earth, the moon and the Sun related?

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Relationship with Earth

How is the Earth moving? 1. It turns or rotates spinning on its axis in a 24 hour day. 2. It revolves around the sun.

Let’s do the Cycle of Day and Night exploration.

Hands-on ActivityMaterials:AIMS foldable: It’s Apparent tennis ball skewer thumbtack

Now let’s read It’s Apparent and explore.Department of Mathematics and Science

Observe the Sun ActivityEssential Question: How can I observe the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky?Materials: 5 cm straw, lump of clay, compass, ruler, pencilProcedures:1. Label the direction words North, South, East and West along the edge of the paper plate. 2. Put a small lump of clay in the center of the plate, and stick the straw upright in the clay.3. Place this sundial in a sunny spot outside that is exposed to the sun for several hours.4. Use the compass the identify North and make sure the label North on the sundial is pointing North.5. Observe the straw’s shadow on the sundial every hour.

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Shadows on SundialObservations (Data)

Time ShadowLength

Direction Sun is Pointing(North, South, East, West)

Position of Sun in Sky(North, South, East, West)

After each hourly observation, record data and then look at another group’s sundial and compare yours to theirs. Record Group ____ Then answer:How does your shadow compare to another group’s shadow on their sundial?

Shadows on Sundial

Connected Learning:1.How does the position of the shadow change during the day?2.How would you describe the Sun’s apparent movement in the sky?3.What is the general relationship between the Sun’s position in the sky,

and the direction of a shadow on Earth?4.How can you use Earth’s rotation to explain shadow movement?

Time Shadow Length

Direction Sun is Pointing(North, South, East, West)

Position of Sun in Sky(North, South, East, West)

Let’s look again at the Movement of the Earth

How else is the Earth moving? • It orbits or revolves around the Sun.How long is one full orbit around the Sun?• 365 days = 1 year Let’s read Rotation and Revolution.Let’s explore: Fun-damental - Cycles in the Sky: Earth and Sun Department of Mathematics and Science

Gr. 5 St. Resource pp. 181 -182

What are Stars?

• Stars are huge balls of burning gas that give off light.• Stars are very bright.• Stars come in different sizes.• Our Sun is our nearest star.• All the other stars we see are very far away.

More on Stars• There are more than 300 billion stars in the Milky

Way. Department of Mathematics and Science

Watching the Night Sky

Do the patterns of stars or constellations in the sky stay the same?

Do we always see the same patterns or constellations of stars nightly?

Let’s explore Constellations.

What did you learn?The patterns or constellation stay the same but are seen in different places in the night sky throughout the night and in different seasons. Department of Mathematics and Science

Musical StarsActivity

• Look at the four star chart handouts that you have been given depicting the star patterns or constellations in each of the four seasons.

• Each group member should stand facing south holding a star chart over their head in the order of the seasons.

• Work together to determine in what direction the stars move relative to you on the ground and to each other as time and seasons pass.

• Explain your answer and tell how you got it.

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What do you know?1. What is a constellation?Answer: A constellation is a group of stars that forms a pattern or image.2. Why do stars appear to move across the night sky?Answer: The stars appear to move because of Earth’s rotation. Constellations or patterns of stars also change with the seasons because Earth is orbiting around the sun.3. Why do star patterns or constellations change with the seasons?Answer: The constellations have been in the same positions for thousands of years. As Earth orbits the sun, it goes through different areas of space. This means that each season Earth is in a different part of space. For this reason, the constellations or star patterns that can be seen from Earth change with the seasons.

Department of Mathematics and Science

What do we call scientists who study space?

Astronomers

What tools do astronomers use?Telescopes

How Do Telescopes Help Scientists?

Telescopes make distant objects in space look much closer.

Department of Mathematics and Science

Up in the Sky

The planets and their moons and the Sun up in the skyMake up our solar system stretching far and wide.The Earth and the other planets all spin around the Sun.What spins around the Earth and can be seen by everyone?

Round and round the Earth spins a moon that’s all our own.With mountains and craters that are hard as stone.The moon seems to change from full to very thin.Did you notice it last night? Did it look just like a grin?

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The Moon

Phases of the Moon

Department of Mathematics and Science

Lunar Looking ActivitiesEssential Question: What changes do we observe in the appearance of the moon each month.Objective: • Identify the phases of moon and the current phase.• Sequence the main four phases of the moon in correct order. Activities:• Explore Gizmos: Phases of the Moon or Cycles in the Sky: Moon Phases and/or AIMS Gr. 4 Earth Science: Lunar Looking • Read AIMS Phase Facts: The Moon.

Department of Mathematics and Science

Current Phase of the Moon Resources

• http://lunaf.com/english/live-data/moon-phase/

• http://www.calendar-365.com/moon/current-moon-phase.html

• http://www.calculatorcat.com/moon_phases/phasenow.php

• Phases of the Moon

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Lunar Looking Connected Learning

1. How does the moon look when it is full?2. Which moon phase would apply to use today?3. Do you always see the moon at night? Explain 4. Have you ever seen the moon during the day?5. How can you tell the difference between a first

quarter moon and a last quarter moon?6. What other things in the sky occur in a sequence or cycle?7. What are you wondering now?

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Moon Phase Quiz

1. New Moon

2. First Quarter

3. Full Moon

4. Third Quarter

A.

B.

C.

D.

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What Did You Learn?

TAG Reflection:•Tell a fact you learned about Earth, the moon and/ or the sun.•Ask a question about something you don’t understand about Earth in space?•Give another idea that you learned in our study of the Earth, moon, and the sun.

Department of Mathematics and Science