Microteach II Lesson Plan Devin Lewis

Lesson Title/Topic: The rotation of the earth on its axis and revolution around the sun

Grade level: Science, Grade 5

Target Concept: The rotation of the earth causing day and night and its tilt and revolution around the
sun causing seasons

Standards/Rationale: 112.16 (b) (8) Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable
patterns in the natural world and among the Sun, Earth, and Moon system. The student is expected to:
(C) Demonstrate that Earth rotates on its axis once approximately every 24 hours causing the
day/night cycle and the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky.

Lesson Objectives: Assessment: TSW

By drawing and labeling a chart of their own Design, draw, and label a chart of the earths
design, students will be able to demonstrate rotation and revolution
their understanding of the rotation and
revolution of the earth around the sun.

The students will be able to demonstrate their

knowledge of the earth's rotation on its axis
and its revolution through a full orbit around
the sun.

Materials: 36 inch 2-D paper sun, globe or inflatable Earthball, flashlight,

Surfer on-a-stick, Whitehouse on-a-stick.

The teacher will: The student will:

Focus/Mental Set: TTW ask students whether TSW answer questions from the teacher with their own
they prefer night or day. What would they opinions, setting up the lesson to understand orbital
think of having daylight or night all the time? cycle of the earth around both its axis and the sun.
What about seasons? Would we want to have
the same weather every day?
What if we went from boiling in the summer to
-100 degrees in winter?
Teacher Input: Write down and define the following terms in their
+ Show and illustrate the definition of rotate notebooks while viewing the .ppt
and axis on the overhead via .ppt. To rotate is
to spin around an axis. The earth rotates once Rotate, Axis, Revolve, counter-clockwise
every 24 hours causing day and night and the
axis it rotates on is tilted 23.5 degrees (towards Length of one revolution around the sun =365.25 days.
the North star Polaris)
Length of one rotation= 24 hours
+ Show and illustrate the definition of revolve
on the overhead. Explain that one revolution
around the sun takes 365.25 days and that left
over .25 day is accounted for every four years
in a Leap year. The equator is an imaginary line that circles the earth
the same distance from the North and South poles.
+Explain that as the earth revolves around the Everything above the equator is the Northern
sun, the 23.5 degree tilt causes the Northern or hemisphere and everything below is the Southern
Southern hemisphere to be closer to the sun. hemisphere.
Winter in one hemisphere is summer in the
other

+Set up a Sun in the middle of the room and

the students will gather in a circle and rotate in TSW participate in the center activity to gain an
the same direction as the earth, counter- understanding of the earth rotating into and out of the
clockwise (towards their left) we will chant light of the sun causing day and night.
rotation causes day and night One student
will help demonstrate the sun rising in the East
and setting in the West.

+The teacher will ask the following: What

would happen if the earth didn't rotate? One TSW answer if able
side of the earth would have constant sunlight
and the other half would have no sunlight at all.

+ Have the students revolve around the sun

TSW revolve around the sun while tilting to gain
while trying to keep a tilt to demonstrate that
understanding of the Northern and Southern hemisphere
at different times during our revolution each
moving closer to and farther from the sun during the
hemisphere moves closer and farther from the
earths yearly revolution causing the seasons to change.
sun. We will chant as a class revolution and
tilt causes seasons

The teacher will ask the following? What

would happen if the earth did not tilt? We
would not have different seasons. TSW answer if able

Guided Practice: Using the TSW answer questions about the rotation and
unlabeled .PPT slide (slide 5) the class will revolution of the earth around its axis and the sun
answer questions about the unlabeled
portions of the slide, reviewing information
and ensuring everyone is up to speed
before designing and drawing their own
charts. Questions will be answered and
key points and words will be emphasized.

Independent Practice: Monitor progress
as the students create and label their own
charts, answering questions as needed and
keeping students on task.
Design, draw and label (coloring optional) a chart
that shows:
the rotation of the around its axis
the revolution of the earth around the sun
with key points being labeled (slide 6)

Closure: (PPT slide 7) review of concepts TSW fill in any blanks in their science journals for
and key words use as a study guide for the unit test.

Enrichment: Ask the students to answer in their References:

notebooks: The tilt of the earth varies from 21-24.5
https://www.wikipedia.org
degrees on roughly a 41,000 year cycle. What could
this cause?