Science · 6th Grade

Active learning ideas

The Earth, Sun, and Moon System

Embark on a cosmic exploration to uncover the elegant dance between the Earth, Sun, and Moon that governs our daily lives and yearly cycles.

• Common Core State Standards
• NGSS: MS-ESS1 - Earth's Place in the Universe

• 20–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 20 min · Small Groups

Human Orrery: Modeling Orbits

Assign students roles as the Sun (stationary), Earth (rotating and revolving), and Moon (revolving around Earth). Students physically move to demonstrate how rotation causes day/night and how revolution causes years and the Moon's phases.

Explain how the rotation of Earth on its axis causes the day and night cycle.

Facilitation Tip

Play music and have students freeze when the music stops to describe what phenomenon they are currently modeling.

What to look for

Exit Ticket: Students draw a diagram showing the positions of the Earth and Sun, labeling which side is experiencing day and which is experiencing night, and write one sentence explaining why.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 30 min · Individual

Oreo Cookie Moon Phases

Students use Oreo cookies to model the phases of the moon. They carefully scrape the cream filling to represent the new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, and waning phases.

Analyze the relationship between Earth's revolution around the Sun and the Moon's revolution around Earth.

Facilitation Tip

Provide a template on a paper plate to help students correctly place their 'moon phases' in order around a central 'Earth'.

What to look for

Model Explanation: Students use physical models (like balls and a light source) to demonstrate and explain the cause of seasons or the phases of the moon to a small group or the teacher.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Simulation Game
• 25 min · Pairs

Styrofoam Ball Seasons

Using a light source for the Sun and a styrofoam ball on a stick for the Earth, students can model Earth's revolution. By keeping the stick (axis) tilted at a constant angle, they can observe how the directness of the light changes for each hemisphere, demonstrating the cause of seasons.

Compare the relative sizes and distances of the Earth, Sun, and Moon.

Facilitation Tip

Have students place a small sticker on their hometown on the styrofoam ball to better visualize the changing light intensity.

What to look for

Concept Checklist: Students rate their understanding (e.g., 'I can teach this,' 'I understand,' 'I need help') for key concepts like 'rotation causes day/night' and 'axial tilt causes seasons'.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with the most accessible concept: Earth's rotation causing day and night, using a globe and a flashlight. Progress to revolution around the sun, emphasizing the crucial role of the constant axial tilt in creating seasons. Finally, introduce the moon's orbit around Earth, using physical modeling to help students visualize how our perspective of the sunlit portion changes.

Students will be able to use models to explain how the interaction and movement of these three celestial bodies create predictable patterns like day and night, seasons, and the phases of the moon.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• The seasons are caused by the Earth being closer to or farther from the Sun.

  The seasons are caused by the 23.5-degree tilt of Earth's axis. This tilt means that at different points in its orbit, either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, receiving more direct sunlight and experiencing summer.

• The phases of the Moon are caused by the Earth's shadow.

  The phases of the Moon are our view of the Moon's sunlit side as it revolves around the Earth. The only time Earth's shadow falls on the Moon is during a lunar eclipse.

• The Moon does not rotate because we always see the same side.

  The Moon rotates on its axis at the exact same rate that it revolves around the Earth, a phenomenon called synchronous rotation or tidal locking. This is why the same face is always pointing toward us.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game