Earth

Our Home Planet

Does Earth really move?• We say that the Sun rises

in the east, sets in the west and moves across the sky in between. The Sun just looks like it is moving because Earth is moving and spinning.

• How is this possible?? We can’t feel the Earth’s movement. The ground feels perfectly still…

Earth Moves

• This spinning motion is called ROTATION.• There is an imaginary line, called an axis, that

runs through the North Pole and the South Pole. The Earth spins like a top on this axis.

• It takes 24 hours for Earth to spin all the way around. I wonder??

• Is that why we have 24 hours in a day??

• Earth also orbits or revolves around the Sun

Effect of the Earth’s Rotation

• As Earth rotates one side of Earth faces the Sun while the other side faces away from the Sun. This gives us daytime and nighttime.

• When your side of Earth faces the Sun, it’s daytime. When your side of Earth turns away from the Sun it’s nighttime.

The Reason for Seasons

• Earth’s axis is tilted.• Having a tilted axis means that Earth slants a

little to one side as it revolves around the Sun.

• Earth’s axis always points in the same direction, towards the Northern Star or Polaris.

• The tilt of Earth’s axis is what causes seasons• Learn More… Video

Seasons

• We have four seasons. Can you name them??

• Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring• We now know that they occur because the Earth

is tilted on its axis in space. Earth also revolves.• Did you know that as the Earth revolves, we are

closer to the Sun during some parts of the year than at other parts of the year??

• It takes 365 and ¼ days for Earth to revolve around the Sun!

Earth – Our Home Planet

• Earth is a planet, which means it revolves around a star and doesn’t produce its own light. Earth gets its light from the Sun.

8 planets, including the Earth orbit around the Sun. Since the Sun is a star it doesn’t move. Sometimes the night sky looks different but that is because the Earth is rotating and revolving.

Earth

• Earth only has one moon. • Earth, Moon and Sun • Earth and Moon – Phases• Earth also has gravity.

There is more gravity on the Earth than on the Moon, which is why you weigh more on Earth.

• Quick Review

The End