Unit 9 Day and night

Lesson 1 Duration of lesson: 6 periods

Learning objective
• Recognise what we can see in the sky during the day and at night.

Engage (1st E) Use of pictures and books (20 min)

Option 1
Purpose: To assess pupils' prior knowledge of the things they notice in the sky
Resources: Textbook, books with pictures of the day and night sky

1. You may wish to bring a selection of books that have day scenes and night scenes. Ask pupils to sit in groups
to browse through the books. Have them focus on what they can see in the sky. Ask for volunteers to tell the
class one object they can see in the sky during the day, and one object they can see in the sky at night. List
pupils' answers in a table on the board.

During the day At night

2. Have pupils turn to Textbook pp. 18—19. Ask:

• Which picture shows daytime? (The picture on top shows daytime.')
• Why do you say so? (The sky is blue/bright.}
• Which picture shows nighttime? (The picture below shows nighttime.)
• Why do you say so? (The moon and stars are in the sky. The sky is black/dark.)
Direct pupils to the question at the bottom of Textbook p. 18. Ask for volunteers to share the things they can
see in the sky during the day and at night.

Option 2
Purpose: To assess pupils' prior knowledge of the things they see in the sky
Resources: Pictures of the Sun, Moon and stars

1. Show pupils pictures of the Sun, Moon and stars. Point to them and ask:
• What are these? (The Sun, Moon and stars.)
• Can you seethe Sun, Moon and stars all the time? Why or why not? (We do not see the Sun, Moon and
stars all the time. We can only see the Sun in the sky during the day, and the Moon and the stars at night.
Sometimes, we can see the Moon during the early morning or evening hours.)
2. Have pupils turn to Textbook pp. 18—19. Ask:
• Which picture shows daytime? (The picture on top shows daytime.)
• Why do you say so? (The sky is blue.)
• Which picture shows nighttime? (The picture below shows nighttime.)
• Why do you say so? (The moon and stars are in the sky. The sky is black/dark.)
Direct pupils to the question at the bottom of Textbook p. 18. Ask for volunteers to share the things they can
see in the sky during the day and at night.

Unit 9 © 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Explore (2nd E) Guided inquiry (60 min)

Purpose: To identify the things we can see in the sky during the day and at night
Resource: Textbook

1. Have pupils turn to Textbook pp. 20—21. Direct pupils to the trigger questions. Point to the words in the
'Word bank' and guide pupils to use the words to answer the questions. Discuss possible answers.
2. Have pupils identify the things they see in the sky, e.g. the Sun, clouds, aeroplane, birds.
3. Guide pupils to understand that it is bright during the day because the Sun is shining in the sky. Ask:
• Why are some of the children wearing caps? (The caps provide shade from the bright sunlight)
4. Direct pupils to the 'Be careful' feature on Textbook p. 21. Warn pupils of the danger of staring directly at
the Sun.
5. Direct pupils to the 'Explore' activity on Textbook p. 21. Ask for volunteers to share what we can do during
the day.
6. Have pupils turn to Textbook pp. 22—23. Direct pupils to the trigger questions. Point to the words in the
'Word bank' and guide pupils to use the words to answer the questions. Discuss possible answers.
7. Have pupils identify the things they see in the sky, e.g. the Moon, stars, clouds.
8. Guide pupils to understand that it is dark at night because we cannot see the Sun shining in the sky. Direct
pupils to look at Dr Atom and Joe. Ask:
• Why are Dr Atom and Joe each holding a torch? (It is dark at night. They need a torch to help them
see better.}
9. Tell pupils that Sue is looking through a telescope and a telescope is used to look at things that are far away.
Ask:
• What is Sue looking at? (She is looking at the Moon and the stars.)
10. Direct pupils to the 'Science at home' activity on Textbook p. 23. Have volunteers share their artwork of the
night sky.

Explain (3rd E) Teacher-directed discussion (20 min)

Purpose: To understand the differences between the sky during the day and at night
Resource: Textbook

1. Have pupils turn to Textbook pp. 24—25. Consolidate the points discussed earlier. Guide pupils to see the
main differences between the sky during the day and at night. E.g. The sky is blue during the day, but black/
dark at night; We can see the Sun in the sky during the day, but we cannot see the Sun in the sky at night.

Elaborate (4th E) Application to the real world (100 min)

Purpose: To observe the sky during the day and at night

Resources: Activity Book, colour pencils or crayons

1. Bring pupils out of the class. Ask them to observe the sky. Remind pupils to shield their eyes with their hands
if it is too bright. They also should not look directly at the sun.
2. Ask for volunteers to share what they can see in the sky.
3. Have pupils complete Activities 9.1 and 9.2 on Activity Book pp. 6—9. Pupils may work independently or in
pairs. Guide pupils to fill in their best possible answers. Ask pupils to share their answers. Correct or refine
their answers.

Evaluate (5th E) Assessment (40 min)

Purpose: To assess pupils' understanding of the lesson

Resource: Textbook

1. Revisit the learning objective of this unit. Have pupils turn to Textbook pp. 18—19. Ask them to point out the
differences between the sky during the day and at night.
2. Direct pupils to the pictorial concept map on Textbook pp. 26—27. Sum up that we can see different things in
the sky during the day and at night.
3. Go through the'Science words' list with pupils. Ask pupils if there is any word they are not sure of and explain
it to them. Encourage pupils to learn how to spell these words and to form sentences with each word. E.g.
The sky is bright during the day; We can see clouds in the sky; We can see the Moon in the sky at night.
4. Have pupils complete the 'Self-check' activity independently or in pairs. Guide pupils to complete the
questions if there is a need to. Check that pupils' answers are correct.

i 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd Day and night
 Backgroun
We experience the day and night cycle due to the rotation of the Earth on its axis. It takes the Earth 24 hours
to complete one full rotation. Each half of the earth experiences approximately 12 hours of daylight. The half
that faces the Sun experiences day and the opposite half which is not facing the Sun experiences night.

Day and night

Let's find out:

• What can we see in
the sky?
• When can we see the
Sun, Moon, stars and
clouds?

During the day: Blue sky, birds, Look up to the sky.

aeroplanes, kites, the Sun, clouds,
hot air balloon, parachutes
What can you see?
At night: Black sky, aeroplanes, the
Moon, the stars, clouds

Unit 9 © 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

i 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd Day and night ^^
Background information for teachers
Cloud formation is part of the water cycle. As water vapour rises to the sky, it condenses to form clouds. These
clouds are made up of tiny water droplets. There are many different cloud formations, and a cumulonimbus is
one of them. A cumulonimbus is a rain cloud. When a rain cloud gets too dense, it releases the water droplets,
which fall down as rain.

The temperature is generally higher during the day because of the Sun. At night, when tneSun has set, our
surroundings cool down and we usually do not feel as warm.

Unit 9 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

 The Sun, clouds, birds, aeroplane
and the blue sky.

What can you see in the sky Word bank

during the day? •*— play • swim • run
cycle • fly a kite
What can you do during the day? We can play outside, swim, run,
cycle or fly a kite.

Carefu)
We must not look directly Warn pupils that staring at the
at the Sun because it can Sun can damage our eyesight or
hurt our eyes. cause blindness.

O
Explore
Look around you. People go to work, to school, play
are the things people do sports, etc.
during the day? Tell your
friends.

Teaching points:
• Have pupils name the things that they
can see in the sky during the day.
• Ask pupils to list the activities that they
can do during the day.

Day and night 21

© 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd Day and night
 informati
The Moon does not give out its own light. It reflects light from the Sun. During the day, the Moon is not visible
as the Sun is the brightest object in the sky. However, early in the morning, the Moon may still be visible for a
short period of time.

There are millions of stars in the sky. However, we are not always able to see many stars in the night sky
because our surroundings are too bright. The night sky in the countryside will be brighter with stars because
there is little or no light from streetlamps or high-rise buildings. We can also see planets, such as Mars or
Venus, and other satellites in the night sky. One way to distinguish stars from planets and satellites is to
observe how they shine. Stars twinkle but planets and satellites give a continuous glow.

Unit 9 ) 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

 Common misconceptions
Misconception: All birds rest at night.
Actual fact: Most birds rest at night. However, there are some birds that rest during the day and are
active at night. The owl is an example of a nocturnal bird. It hunts for food at night.

The Moon, stars, and clouds.

What can you see in the sky Word bank

at niqht? sleep • study •
watch television
What can you do at night? We study, watch television and
sleep at night.

Science^
" icrne
Make your own night
sky. With an adult, cut
out shapes of the Moon,
stars and clouds. Paste
them on a sheet of paper.
Show it to your friends.
Pupils may use coloured paper
for the Moon, stars and clouds.
They may include aeroplanes too.
Coloured paper is available in
stationery shops.

Teaching points:
• Have pupils name the things that
they can see in the sky at night.
• Ask pupils if the things they see in the
sky during the day and during the
night are the same.
• Have pupils list the activities that they
can do at night.

Day and night 23

© 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd Day and night
 It is bright during the day.

We can see the Sun and the clouds in the sky.

We can also see birds, kites and aeroplanes in the sky.

Activity 9.1

24 Unit 9

Unit 9 © 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

 Reinforcement for struggling learners
To help pupils appreciate what they can see in the sky, have them observe the different phases of the Moon.
Ask:
• Does the Moon look the same every night? Why or why not? (No. Sometimes, the Moon is round.
Sometimes, we only see a crescent Moon, or three-quarters of the Moon.)
• Which is your favourite shape of the Moon? Why?

Enrichment for advanced learners

Encourage pupils to learn about constellations and the various star patterns in the sky. They may borrow books
from the library or use the Internet for their research. Ask for volunteers to share what they have learnt with
the class.

It is dark at night.

We can see the Moon, stars and clouds in the sky.

Sometimes, we can see aeroplanes in the sky at night.

Day and night 25

) 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd Day and night ^^t
Reinforcement for struggling learners
Help pupils recall what they can see in the sky during the day and at night. Guide them to provide at least
three examples from the Textbook for each point in the pictorial concept map.

At a qlance
Day and night

Science words
sky day bright Sun clouds kites
birds aeroplanes night dark Moon stars

26 Unit 9

Unit 9 > 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

 Enrichment for advanced learners
In some parts of the world, people sometimes experience nighttime for up to a few days, or even months.
Have pupils find out which countries experience extended nighttime and why. They may borrow books from
the library or use the Internet for their research. Ask for volunteers to share what they have learnt with
the class.

At night

Self-check
birds Sun Moon

1. We can see the shine during the day. Sun

2. We can see the _ at night. •*— Moon

3. Aeroplanes . and kites can also be seen in-*- birds

the sky.

Day and nighl 27

© 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd Day and night
Before you carry out
the activity Date:.
Pupils should have been taught
• The things we can see in the
sky during the day.
What is in the sky during
Reminder
• Remind pupils to bring their
the day?
colour pencils or crayons. Process skills: Observe

How it can be done

(A) Look at the sky during the day.
• For part (A), bring pupils out of
the class to observe what they Draw and colour what you see.
can see in the sky during the Accept all reasonable answers.
day. Explain to pupils that
they are to draw and colour
their observations in the
box provided.
• For part (B), explain to pupils
that they are to tick the
pictures of things that we can
see in the sky during the day.

(B) Tick (•) what you can see in the sky during the day.

Unit 9

Unit 9 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

 Notes on observations
and results
Accept all reasonable answers.
Do not stop to correct them
as they are drawing. At the
end of the activity, have
some time for the pupils to
sit in groups to look at and
comment on one another's
drawings. Have pupils look out
for factual inaccuracies, e.g.
the stars should not be visible
during the day. If they spot a
mistake, tell them to highlight
it to you and provide reasons
why their friend's drawing
is inaccurate.

Day and night 7

2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd Day and night ^^|
Before you carry out
the activity Date:
Pupils should have been taught
Activit' 9.2
• The things we can see in the
sky during nighttime. My night sky diary
How it can be done Process skills: Observe • Communicate
• For part (A), explain to pupils
that they are to observe
the night sky for the next (A) Keep a night sky diary for the next four days.
four days. Then, have them Draw and colour what you see.
write the dates of their Accept all reasonable answers.
observations and draw and
colour what they see in the
boxes provided. Pupils may do
this as homework.
• For part (B), explain to
pupils that they are to tick
the pictures of things that
we can see in the sky
during nighttime.

(6) Tick (•) what you can see in the sky during the night.

Unit 9 © 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

 Notes on observations
and results
Accept all reasonable answers.
Do not stop to correct them as
they are drawing. At the end
of the activity, have some time
for the pupils to sit in groups
to look at and comment on
one another's drawings. Have
pupils look out for factual
inaccuracies, e.g. the Sun
should not be visible at night.
If they spot a mistake, tell
them to highlight it to you
and provide reasons why their
friend's drawing is inaccurate.

Day and night

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