The Earth – Sun Relationship

Core Content

• SC-04-2.3.4
• Students will identify patterns, recognize
relationships and draw conclusions about
the Earth-Sun system by interpreting a
variety of representations/models (e.g.,
diagrams, sundials, distance of sun above
horizon) of the sun’s apparent movement
in the sky.
Objective

• Be able to explain patterns that occur

within the Earth-sun system.
Essential Question

• How can we determine

patterns/relationships within the Earth-sun
system using models?
Vocabulary

• Rotation – describes the way earth spins

on its axis (causes day and night).
• Revolution – describes how earth circles
the sun (takes 1 year).
• Axis – an imaginary line that runs between
earth’s north and south poles
Earth’s Rotation
• Earth spins on its axis like
a top.
• It takes one full day for
earth to make one full
spin on its axis.
• This causes day and
night.
• Explains why the sun and
other stars appear to
move across the sky.
Earth’s Tilt
• Earth’s Axis is tilted
23 ½ degrees.
• If Earth’s axis was
upright, our days
would always be the
same length and we
would have no
seasons.
• Earth’s tilt causes the
seasons and longer or
shorter days.
Earth’s Revolution

• All planets orbit the sun because of gravitational pull.

• Earth’s orbit around the sun is called its revolution.
• Earth’s orbit is elliptical, not circular.
• As earth revolves around the sun, the seasons change.
• It takes earth 365 days (or 1 year) to revolve the sun
once.
The Earth/Sun System
Earth’s Revolution
Today’s ticket out the door…

• What is rotation?
• What is revolution?
• What would happen if earth was not tilted
on its axis?
• Describe what causes day and night.
• Explain why seasons change.