You will learn
- Explain day and night in simple words.
- Say that the Earth spins.
- Show day and night with a model.
- Describe what we do in the day and at night.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- The Earth spins once each day.
- The side facing the Sun has day.
- The side away from the Sun has night.
- The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Words to know
the planet we live on
to turn around
when the Sun first appears in the morning
when the Sun goes down in the evening
1. Discover: Sunrise and sunset
Early in the morning, Idris sees the Sun rise over the hills. At the end of the day, it sets in the other direction and the sky turns orange. “Why does the Sun go away?” he asks. His teacher says, “The Earth turns, so the Sun seems to move.”
Think: Why does the Sun seem to move?
2. Understand: Day and night
Idea 1: The spinning Earth
The Earth is a huge round planet. It spins once every day. We do not feel it moving because everything on it moves together.
Idea 2: Day and night
When our side of the Earth faces the Sun, it is day. When it turns away, it is night. Sunrise is when the Sun first appears. Sunset is when it goes down.
Idea 3: Our days
In the day we go to school, play and work. At night we sleep, and the body rests. People on the other side of the world have day when we have night.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Why is it night?
Our side faces away from the Sun.
- The Earth has turned.
- The Sun cannot light us.
- So it is night.
Answer: It is night because our side faces away from the Sun.
Example 2 (We do it together): Order
Sunrise, noon, sunset.
- Morning sunrise.
- Middle of the day noon.
- Evening sunset.
Answer: Sunrise, noon, sunset.
Example 3 (You try): Model
A ball and a torch.
Show the steps and answer
- Torch is the Sun.
- Ball is the Earth.
- Turn the ball.
Answer: Turning the ball shows day and night.
Did you know?
Because the Earth spins, people in different places have day and night at different times.
Why this matters
Day and night give us a rhythm for work, rest, play and sleep.
4. Explore: Day and night model
Use a torch and a ball to show day and night.
- An adult holds a torch.
- Hold a ball with a mark for your home.
- Turn the ball slowly.
- Say when your mark has day or night.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Turning moves us in and out of the light.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The Earth ___ once a day.
- The side facing the Sun has ___.
- The side away has ___.
- At ___ the Sun goes down.
Guided practice
Question 1. What spins?
The Earth.
Question 2. What is it when we face the Sun?
Day.
Question 3. What is it when we face away?
Night.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What spins?
- What is it when we face the Sun?
- What is it when we face away?
- When does the Sun rise?
- When does the Sun set?
Level 2: Grow
- Why is it dark at night?
- Do we feel the Earth spin?
- Why does the Sun seem to move?
Level 3: Stretch
- Explain day and night with a model.
- Order a day.
- Draw sunrise and sunset.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
What do you do in the day and at night?
Show a sample answer
School and sleep.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: The Earth spins.
Fix: It spins.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can explain day and night in simple words.
- I can say that the Earth spins.
- I can show day and night with a model.
- I can describe what we do in the day and at night.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- The Earth spins once each day.
- The side facing the Sun has day.
- The side away from the Sun has night.
- The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Weather changes. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What spins to give day and night? [1 mark]
- Explain why we have day. [2 marks]
- Explain why we have night. [2 marks]
- Put in order: sunset, sunrise, noon. [3 marks]
- Describe the model. [3 marks]
Total: 11 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- The Earth [1]
- Our side faces the Sun [1]; it is lit [1]
- Our side faces away [1]; no sunlight [1]
- Sunrise [1]; noon [1]; sunset [1]
- Torch as Sun [1]; ball as Earth [1]; turn [1]
Score guide: 10 to 11 = secure. 7 to 9 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 7 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What spins?
- What is it when we face the Sun?
- What is it when we face away?
- When does the Sun rise?
- When does the Sun set?
- Why is it dark at night?
- Do we feel the Earth spin?
- Why does the Sun seem to move?
- Explain day and night with a model.
- Order a day.
Homework
Draw a day and a night picture. Show the Earth, the Sun and a child.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What spins? | The Earth. | 1 |
| 2. What is it when we face the Sun? | Day. | 1 |
| 3. What is it when we face away? | Night. | 1 |
| 4. When does the Sun rise? | In the morning. | 1 |
| 5. When does the Sun set? | In the evening. | 1 |
| 6. Why is it dark at night? | We face away from the Sun. | 1 |
| 7. Do we feel the Earth spin? | No. | 1 |
| 8. Why does the Sun seem to move? | The Earth turns. | 1 |
| 9. Explain day and night with a model. | Torch and ball. | 1 |
| 10. Order a day. | Sunrise, noon, sunset, night. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 The Earth.; 2 Day.; 3 Night.; 4 In the morning.; 5 In the evening.. Level 2: 1 We face away from the Sun.; 2 No.; 3 The Earth turns.. Level 3: 1 Torch and ball.; 2 Sunrise, noon, sunset, night.; 3 Two drawings..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Explain day and night in simple words | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Say that the Earth spins | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Show day and night with a model | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Describe what we do in the day and at night | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “The Sun goes around us.” The Earth spins.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use a ball and torch. Show day and night.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns why we have day and night. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Watch sunrise or sunset safely.
- Ask, “Why does the Sun set?”
- Use a ball and lamp to show it.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: explain day and night in simple words; say that the Earth spins; show day and night with a model; describe what we do in the day and at night.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about what they notice.
Materials. A torch, a ball, tape, a dark room and chart paper. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Mark a point on the ball. Darken the room carefully. Test the torch.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Ask, “Why does the Sun go away?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach the Earth’s spin.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners model day and night.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners draw their day.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Is our side facing the Sun?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “The Sun goes around us.” The Earth spins.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 11-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use a ball and torch. Show day and night. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 9, topic 7; Next Generation Science Standards, Earth’s place in the universe and Earth’s systems (weather and the sky); Cambridge Primary Science Stage 1, Earth and space; IB Primary Years Programme, sharing the planet. These sources informed the lesson.