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Grade 1 (age 6-7)

grade 1 Day & Night

Day and night take turns because the Earth spins like a top. The side of the Earth facing the Sun has bright day, and the side turned away from it has dark night. The Earth takes one day, 24 hours, to spin once, so day and night repeat every day. Change the time in the picture to see the Sun and the Moon cross the sky, and whether our home (the red dot) on the small Earth at the top left is on the day side or the night side.

Watching the sky through a day

12:00
🌟 The sky through a day
①Around 6 AM the Sun rises on the left (east), climbs highest around 12 noon, and sets on the right (west) around 6 PM
②After sunset the sky darkens and the Moon and stars appear
③The Moon in the picture is a full moon: it sits opposite the Sun, so it rises around sunset and sets around sunrise
④On the small Earth at the top left, the red dot on the bright side means day, and on the dark side means night

Why are there day and night?

🌍 The Earth spins
①The Earth spins like a top; this is called rotation
②The side of the Earth facing the Sun has day, and the other side has night
③As the Earth turns, the place where we live moves from the day side to the night side and back again
④The Earth takes 24 hours to spin once, so a day is 24 hours long

What we do by day and by night

☀️ In the daytime
①The Sun shines, so it is bright and we can see far
②We go to school and play outside with friends
③Plants use sunlight to make food
🌙 At night
①While we sleep, our body rests and gets back the energy used during the day
②On clear nights we can see the Moon and stars
③Some animals, such as owls and bats, look for food at night

Summary

🎯 Day and night in short
①Day and night happen because the Earth spins
②It is day while the Sun is up and night after it sets
③A day is 24 hours, and the lengths of day and night change with the seasons: days are long in summer and nights are long in winter
④People and many animals are active by day and rest at night

Examples and Unit Test

Example 1
Why do day and night happen? Which movement of the Earth causes them?
1
The Earth spins like a top (rotation).
2
The side facing the Sun has day, and the other side has night.
▸ Day and night happen because the Earth spins by itself (rotation)
The Earth takes 24 hours to spin once, so day and night take turns once each day.
Example 2
What can we see in the sky by day and at night?
1
By day the Sun is up and the sky is bright.
2
At night the Sun has set, it is dark, and we can see the Moon and stars.
▸ Day: the Sun / Night: the Moon and stars
Set the picture to 12 noon and then to 12 midnight to compare what you can see in the sky.
Unit Test
What is the reason day and night happen?
①Because the Earth spins by itself
②Because the Moon grows bigger and smaller
③Because the Sun disappears
④Because clouds cover the Sun
⑤Because the seasons change
▸ ① Because the Earth spins by itself
1
Day and night happen because of the Earth rotating (spinning by itself).
2
The side facing the Sun has day and the other side has night, and the Earth spins once every 24 hours.
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Water Cycle

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