Sun, Moon, & Earth Hypothesis Practice

An independent and whole-group exploration of phenomenon related to how the Sun, Moon, and Earth interact using the scientific method. This resource touches on some key topics of early astronomy instruction: the Earth’s rotation, the Earth’s revolution around the Sun, moon phases, tides, eclipses, and the uneven heating of the Earth’s surface.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

This resource contains:
–> 2 pages of rich, scientific questions related to the Sun, moon, and Earth
–> Teacher guide for implementation with plenty of links to other exciting resources about Space
–> Answer Key with explanations, sample diagrams, other resources, and digging deeper questions

STORY

I created an astronomy unit around the same time that my learners were also exploring the scientific method. As a way to reinforce the connection between the two, I developed this activity which prompts students to hypothesize about 6 key Earth-related questions.

IMPLEMENTATION

This resource consists mainly of a worksheet which, through the teacher’s guidance, can facilitate deep conversation about how the heavenly bodies of our Solar System interact. The exploration begins with an independent task; learners will hypothesize about why certain phenomena occur, like “how do night and day occur?” or “what causes seasons?” Then a whole-group discussion brings about the variety of postulates in the room. Learners should be encouraged to model their thinking to their peers with a globe and a flashlight. The learning community then comes to an agreement on their collective theory of why a certain phenomenon happens. Then, after a little exploration together of the provided resources, learners are able to synthesize what they discovered through a drawing and explanation of their own.

POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS

This file includes multiple links to deeper questions about the universe or interesting developments in our understanding of Space.

MATERIALS/PRE-REQS

Besides this resource, you may require:
–> Computers with internet access
–> A Globe (or something to model the Earth like a basketball)
–> A Flashlight (or a light to model the sun - must be bright & direct enough to cast shadows)
–> A “Moon” (something relative to the size of your “Earth” to model the moon like a tennis ball)