Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Tracking the Sun: Observing the Path of the Sun Throughout the Year
Over the course of the school year, students collect weekly data about the sun's position at a specific time of day, resulting in creating a figure "8" that shows the path of the sun called an analemma.
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Mediterranean Sea: How Long Does It Take for the Earth to Go Around the Sun?
Learn about the Earth's revolution and rotation in this module.
NASA
Nasa: Sea Wi Fs Biosphere Globes
This interactive globe allows you to get any view of the earth by entering latitude, longitude and season criteria.
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science: Atlantic Ocean: Day and Night
This module explores day and night. Learn about what we see during the day and night and why we see what we see.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Cosmology and Astronomy: Season Simulator
This season simulator takes Earth through an entire year cycle allowing the viewer to observe the tilt of the Earth and the intensity of the sunlight.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Our Stars
In this activity, students will observe and communicate how the stars are in the sky both day and night. The extremely detailed activity includes photos and videos of the activity in actions, examples of student's work, materials, parent...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Our Sky
What objects are in the day sky and the night sky? How do they seem to move? Come and explore with us as we discover the sun, moon, planets and stars! This detailed lesson plan includes pictures and videos of the instructional activity...
Utah Education Network
Uen: A Moon With a View
Understand the rotation of the earth and the appearance of movement of other bodies in the sky.
Utah Education Network
Uen: As the World Turns
Third graders use their bodies to act out the motions of earth.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Trb 3:1 Investigation 6 Celestial Model
Third graders will gain an understanding of why stars appear to move across the night sky.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Modeling Earth's Seasons by Rotation and Revolution
In this lesson, learners will discuss, define, and demonstrate the Earth's rotation and revolution around the sun in a counterclockwise position. They will be able to predict seasons based on the amount of light that hits the Earth.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: What if the Earth Stopped Spinning?
Michael Stevens of Vsauce looks at what would happen if the Earth stopped spinning. He also explores how we construct time as a function of the Earth's rotation and why atomic clocks are so precise. [9:44]
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: What on Earth Is Spin?
Why is the spinning motion so special? Brian Jones details the dizzyingly wide array of ways that spinning affects our lives. [3:57]
Harvard University
Eyes on the Sky, Feet on the Ground: The Earth's Rotation
Plenty of cool activities about the Earth's rotation can be found here, such as tracing shadows, observing shadows during different times of the day, and tracking the sun's path in the sky to understand the rotation of the earth.
Other
Astro Methods: Earth's Nutation Visualized
Nutation is a small cyclical motion superimposed upon the steady 26,000-year precession of the Earth's axis of rotation. It is mainly caused by the gravitational effect of the 18.6-year rotation period of the Moon's orbit. The main...
NASA
Planetary Geodynamics Laboratory: Ocean Tides and the Earth's Rotation
An explanation of the effect that the tides have on the Earth's rotation.
Read Works
Read Works: Morning Sunshine
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read about how the tilt of the Earth on its axis affects sunrises and sunstes. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Rotation of Earth
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How the Earth rotates around its axis.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Rotation of Earth
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How the Earth rotates around its axis.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Plix: Seasons: Earth's Orbit
[Free Registration/Login Required] An interactive animation demonstrating the Earth's tilted axis and how that causes the seasons. Also included on the site is a short quiz on the topic.
NASA
Nasa: Imagine the Universe: Speed of Earth's Rotation
Presents an informative answer to the question "What is the speed of the turning of the Earth?"
Beacon Learning Center
Beacon Learning Center: As the Earth Turns
Join Audrey on her learning adventure as she discovers how the Earth's rotation causes day and night.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Our Solar System: A Day on Earth
A video and a short multiple-choice quiz on how the Earth's tilt on its axis, its rotation, and its orbit around the Sun give us a 24-hour day, a 365-day year, and our seasons.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Why Angle Changes Intensity
This hands-on activity will help students understand why summer is hotter than winter.