Do Now… One looseleaf… a. # of hours in a day ____________ b. # of days in a month ___________ c. # of days in a year ____________ d. # of months in a year __________ 2. Why do we experience Day/night?

Aim: Why does the Earth have day and night?

Earth from Space… what do you see? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knK87GoNyGo&feature=related

Earth’s Motions: 1. Axis a. Imaginary line that passes from the north to south pole around which the Earth spins. b. Earth is tilted on its axis at 23.5 degrees c. The North Pole points to Polaris…the North Star.

Finding the North Star

Earth’s Motions: 2. Rotation Day and Night a. The spinning of a planet about its axis. 1 rotation = 1 day = 24 hours. b. The Earth rotates because of inertia- Once it was set in motion, it stays in motion c. ½ the Earth is always in light and ½ is always in darkness Day and Night

What evidence tells us that the Earth rotates? 1.Sunset 2.Sunrise 3. Moon rises and sets 4. Shadows change during the day 5. Star trails – stars appear to move in the sky More Star Trails 6. Foucault’s pendulum

3. What direction does the Earth rotate? Rotating Earth a. Counterclockwise (from west to east) b. *The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

Draw a picture of Sunrise/Sunset…

Do Now: In which direction would you look to see the sun rise? In which direction would you look to see the sun set?

4. What is the shape of the Earth? a. The Earth is an almost perfect sphere. b. Rapid spinning causes the middle to bulge and the poles to flatten. c. The diameter of the Earth is 29 miles wider at the equator than at the poles! The diameter from Pole to Pole = 12,714 km The equatorial diameter = 12,756 km.

How fast does the Earth rotate? That’s 1,038 miles per hour! Why don’t we fly off??? a. There are 360 degrees in a sphere b. There are 24 hours in one day. Calculate how many degrees / hour the earth rotates: 360 degrees 24 hours = 15 degrees/hour

The Earth at Night… what’s wrong with this picture?

What causes the seasons?

5. Earth’s Revolution a. Earth moves around the sun b. It takes about 365 ¼ days for Earth to make one full revolution. c. Causes Earth’s seasons

Why do daylight hours change during the year? Earth’s position around the sun causes the sun to be higher or lower in the sky. a. Summer – sun rises higher, takes longer to set, longer daylight hours, shorter shadows b. Winter – sun rises lower, takes less time to set, shorter daylight hours, longer shadows

Earth Revolution Animation

Bird’s Eye View Too!