Unit

of Work:
Earths rotation on its axis and regular daily changes
Year Level: Year 3 Teacher: Amanda Kirou
Focus Curriculum Area (s): Science, English Duration: 5 weeks

STAGE 1: Curriculum Links

General Capabilities Literacy Numeracy ICT Critical and Creative Thinking

(GP)
Ethical Behaviour Personal and Social Intercultural Understanding
Cross-curriculum
Aboriginal and TSI Asia and Australias
Priorities (CCP) Sustainability
Histories and Culture Engagement with Asia
Year Level Learning area 1 Science Year Level Achievement Standards Learning area 1
Content Learning area 1 Science Students recognise that the Earths
Descriptors Earth Science:
rotation on its axis is responsible
Earth Science: for the regular changes of day and
Earths rotation on its axis causes regular changes, including
At Standard, students use their night.
night and day (ACSSU048)
understanding of the rotation of Earth
Science as a Human Endeavour: to suggest explanations for everyday Students predict, conduct scientific
observations. investigations and record
Science involves making predictions and describing
observations of patterns that occur
patterns and relationships (ACSHE050) Science as a Human Endeavor:
Students describe how they can use in nature due to the Earths
Science Inquiry Skills: rotation on its axis.
science investigations to respond to
With guidance, plan and conduct scientific investigations to questions.
find answers to questions, considering the safe use of Students compare results of their
appropriate materials and equipment (ACSIS054) Science Inquiry Skills: investigation with their predictions
 Use a range of methods including tables and simple column Students use their experiences to and suggest reasons for why these
graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and identify questions and make regular changes occur over a day.
trends (ACSIS057) predictions about scientific
Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible investigations. Students record, represent and
reasons for findings (ACSIS215) They follow procedures to collect and verbally communicate the regular
Represent and communicate observations, ideas and record observations and suggest changes they find in nature, and
findings using formal and informal possible reasons for their findings, how the Earths rotation is
representations (ACSIS060) based on patterns in their data. responsible for them.
(School Curriculum and Standards Authority [SCSA], 2016a) Students use diagrams and other
representations to communicate their Learning area 2
Learning Area 2 English
ideas. Students understand technical
Language:
vocabulary, related to the Earths
Learn extended and technical vocabulary and ways of (SCSA, 2016a)
orbit, day and night.
expressing opinion including modal verbs and
Learning Area 2 English
adverbs (ACELA1484)
Reading and viewing: Students deliver short
Literacy:
They understand vocabulary choices presentations of their findings of
Plan and deliver short presentations, providing some key
are used for different effects. what causes day and night, in a
details in logical sequence (ACELY1677) clear coherent manner, using the

Use interaction skills, including active listening behaviours relevant science vocabulary.
Speaking and listening:
and communicate in a clear, coherent manner using a
Students contribute actively to class
variety of everyday and learned vocabulary and Students listen to presentations of
and group discussions, asking
appropriate tone, pace, pitch and volume (ACELY1792) their peers.
questions, providing useful feedback
(SCSA, 2016b)
and making presentations.
Learning Area 3 Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) (SCSA, 2016b) Learning area 3
HASS Skills: Students brainstorm what they
Learning Area 3 Humanities and already know about day and night
Identify current understanding of a topic (WAHASS26)
Social Sciences (HASS) from their everyday experiences
Record selected information and/or data (WAHASS29)
Interpret information and/or data collected (WAHASS32) and past learning.

 Translate collected information and/or data into different Students develop questions, locate Students record specific changes
formats (e.g. create a timeline, change data in to a table and collect information and/or data they see in nature, over a day.
and/or graph) (WAHASS34) from a variety of sources.
(SCSA, 2016c)
They record their information and/or Students interpret events and
data in a range of formats. records to identify regular patterns
They present findings using a range of and changes throughout the day.
communication forms appropriate to
audience and purpose, using relevant Students present their findings of
terms. regular patterns and changes
(SCSA, 2016c) throughout the day to their peers.

Knowledge Skills
Characteristics of day and night Describe characteristics of night and day
How day and night look from outer-space Predict the way specific things (such as the sun) change regularly throughout the day
Direction of the suns movement in the sky throughout the day Investigate the way specific things (such as the sun) change regularly throughout the
What causes day and night day through class observations and small individual experiments

Direction of the Earths orbit Record the changes that occur over a day using a range of strategies

The sun remains stationary Describe the direction of the suns movement in the sky throughout the day (and
every day) using technical vocabulary
Technical vocabulary relating to the Earths rotation on its axis
Explain how the Earth rotates to create these changes, through verbal and written

responses, using technical vocabulary

Demonstrate how the Earth rotates to create these changes through multimodal
presentations

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Identify day and night from an outer-space view
Identify the different characteristics of day and night
Predict, observe and record/represent patterns and changes that occur in the suns position throughout the day
Recognise that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West
Explain and demonstrate how the Earth makes a full rotation in 24 hours on its axis in an anti-clockwise direction to cause day and night
Recognise there is always part of the Earth experiencing day and there is always part experiencing night
Extend knowledge of the suns movement and Earths rotation to the changes in shadows throughout the day
Understand and use new technical and scientific vocabulary introduced throughout the topic to explain natural phenomena
Communicate/present findings and learning of day and night

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN STAGE 2: ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Summative Task: Diagnostic Task:
Task description: Task description:
Students will individually create an interactive diorama (that depicts how Day and night brainstorm observations viewing and discussing
the sun and the rotation of Earth creates day and night) and present it to words/images in childrens day and night brainstorm to assess childrens
their peers. Some children may use instructions to guide construction, existing knowledge and understandings of the topic.
whilst others may opt to create a diorama using their own method
(depending on ability level). Formative Tasks:
Dioramas should include: Sun movement activity observations viewing workbooks and making
A labelled, stationary Sun general observations of childrens ability to predict, record and describe
A labelled, rotating Earth changes in the sun throughout a day.
An accompanying explanation of how day and night is created by Anecdotal notes [see Appendix 2] gauging students understanding of the
the Earths rotation on its axis Earths rotation, ability to identify places experiencing day and night and
The presentation will involve: use related vocabulary, by making observations and notes throughout the
Presenting and explaining the structure of the diorama lesson. Students science workbooks will also be collected and be made a
Reading explanation of how the Earth rotates to create night and note of.
day Check-list/notes [see Appendix 3] making observations and notes of
Demonstrating Earths rotation using the model childrens progress throughout the lesson. Collecting childrens work on
Identifying daytime and night time on the Earth ball changing shadows and assessing their ability to make logical predictions
The diorama construction and presentation will conclude the unit of work about how shadows change throughout the day; clearly and accurately
record/trace shadow lines; correctly identify the time of the longest and
Assessment Criteria: shortest shadow, as well as the pattern in how they change direction; and
Presentation: recognise connections between sun changes/Earths rotation and shadow
clear speaking voice, use of eye contact, engages the audience changes.
3D model:
Feedback:
 Sun and Earth are represented clearly and realistically (In relative size Students will receive ongoing individual feedback throughout lessons, as well
and movement) as generalised class feedback at the conclusion of a lesson, updating children
Explanation of what causes day and night: of their progress, strengths and areas for improvement/practice.
a thorough explanation of what causes day and night, using relevant

vocabulary learnt over the course of the unit


Assessment recording template:
Student achievement will be recorded using a rubric [see Appendix 5]. It will
align with listed criteria, and three possible marks/levels of achievement.

Feedback:
Students will receive ongoing feedback throughout the assessment process.
Students presentation, diorama and explanations will also receive feedback in
the teachers comments section at the bottom of the rubric.

Self-assessment:
Students self-assess after completion using the Self-Evaluation Form
[see Appendix 6].



UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN STAGE 3: PLAN LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND INSTRUCTION

Learning Experiences Assessment For/As Learning Resources
(Formative Assessment)
1 Learning Experience 1: changes from night to day (engage) Diagnostic Smartboard/projector
(observations of childrens Butchers paper
Show children video From Night to Day to Night Again day/night brainstorm and Students science
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQD320c_q7Q&t=5s expression of prior knowledge) workbooks
And ask them to turn to the person next to them (for 2 minutes) and discuss what they saw
and what they thought was happening. When time is up, ask students to share with the
class.
Record key words on the board.
Explain that this is what day and night look like from outer-space the video featured the
Earth, a satellite and the suns light shining on the Earth.
Ask students to now draw a line down the centre of their page (in their workbooks), writing
day in one half and night in the other. Draw pictures, describe what you see, do and
feel at night and during the day, as well as anything you know about daytime and night
time.
After children finish, ask them once again to share and discuss with the class what they had
written/drawn and add important/interesting words to a large sheet of butchers paper,
that will become the classs science word wall.
Start by writing key words: daytime, night time, light, dark, sunrise, sunset and any other
words of students
Students then re-watch the clip of day and night from outer-space, and identify when the
Earth appears to be experiencing daytime, night time, sunrise and sunset, as a class.

 Homework: find the time of sunrise and sunset in the newspaper for the next lesson how
the sun changes throughout the day


2 Learning Experience 2: changing sun position (explore) Formative 1x Blank A4 sheet of paper
(Observation of childrens for each student
Ask children for times of sunrise and sunset from homework and record in the corner of progress in writing predictions, Smartboard/projector
the board. observing, recording and Students science
Who ever goes outside and watches the sunset? Where do you watch it? describing changes in the suns workbooks
Hand out blank A4 paper and ask children to speed draw where they see the sunset, in 2 position) Word wall
minutes.
Ask students if any drew the sun setting over the ocean and if they ever see the sun rise
from the same place.
Explain that this will never be the case because the suns position in the sky changes
throughout the day. It rises and sets in the same places every day rises in the East and
sets in the West (add these words to word wall).
Tell students that there are other things that can change throughout the day with the sun
like sunflowers.
Explain:
Children will predict, observe, record (in their workbooks) and describe how
sunflowers change throughout the day.
After children have written predictions in their workbook, they must rule up 4 equal boxes
to draw their observations of how the sunflower plant actually looks at 7am, 11am, 3pm
and 7pm.
Using the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8mr0R3ibPU and pause at the stated times for
children to draw the position of the sunflower.
 After children have recorded their sunflower movements, discuss as a class how you would
describe their movement.
What else moves the same way?
Explain that this is because they follow the sun, so they also move from East to West.
Ask students to describe the movement of the sunflowers (and sun) throughout the day,
using the word cycle to describe its reoccurring nature (also add cycle to word wall).
Referring to the sunrise and sunset times previously recorded on the board, ask children:
At what time would have the sunflowers/sun been furthest East today?
At what time would they have been furthest West?
3 Learning Experience 3: what causes night and day? (explain) Formative World globe
(anecdotal notes of childrens Torches (one for each
Recap on the learning of the previous lesson about how the sun changes from day to night, understanding of how day and group of three)
moving from East to West. night is caused, based on ability Word wall words on paper
Ask children to think about why they think this happens. to demonstrate Earths rotation slips (for grouping into
Watch From Night to Day to Night Again to prompt childrens theories. and identify day and night) threes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQD320c_q7Q&t=5s Wrap around map [see
Explain that it is in fact due to the Earth (not the Sun) moving, by spinning or rotating Appendix 1]
anti-clockwise on its axis for twenty-four hours (add these words to the word wall). Students science
Demonstrate this process to the class using a torch and a world globe. workbooks
Note that the Sun remains stationary (adding this to the word wall also), and the bright Anecdotal note template
daytime area and shadowed area of night. [see Appendix 2]
Explain the following activity to children: Word wall
They will be taking turns being the Sun (holding a torch), the Earth (wrapped in
a world map) [see Appendix 1] and the pointer. The map will have a sticker on a
particular location in the world and the Earth must rotate anti-clockwise, with
the Sun shining on it until the teacher says Stop!. After stopping, the pointer
must locate the sticker, point, and the group must decide wether it is experiencing
daytime or night time. After 3 turns in their positions, students will swap placed.
 Group children into threes by handing out word slips (which will feature words from the
word wall). Children with matching words form a group.
Pack up after several rounds of the Earth rotation game and conclude by viewing STD 03
(Science) - Day and Night Cycle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm6RKqFAwIg&t=32s
Students reflect in their workbooks, stating: what they did today, what they learned today,
what they liked, and what they found difficult.
4 Learning Experience 4: changing shadows (elaborate) Formative 1x Blank A4 sheet for each
(check-list and notes to monitor student
Teacher opens stating that when they were recently outside, their shadow looked different childrens learning and ability to 1x pop-stick for each
from how it did earlier in the morning. predict, observe, record and student
Has anyone else noticed that their shadows change throughout the day? interpret changes in shadows 1x Artline pen for each
Turn to the person next to you and talk about ways you have noticed your shadow change independently) student
throughout the day. (e.g. longer, shorter, direction, light, sun, shade) Students science
After one minute, children share what they discussed with the rest of the class. workbooks
Record any new words on the word wall. Teacher check-list/notes
Explain that this is what will be investigated in the next activity: [see Appendix 3]
Students will first write a prediction (in their workbooks) of how they think Word wall
shadows change throughout the day, including the time when the shadow will be
the longest, when it will be the shortest and if/how it will change direction over the
day. Children will record results by tracing the shadow of a pop-stick (onto paper,
using an Artline pen) at different times of the day. They will then state the actual
times of the longest and shortest shadow, as well as if the shadow did in fact
change direction over the course of the day.
Students will be taken outside to record shadow changes at 9:30am, 11am, 1pm, and 15
minutes before school ends.
Ensure students mark where they put their pop-stick on their piece of paper, so they are
tracing the shadow from the same position every time.
Write the correct time beside each shadow trace.
 (model this process before first recording).
After recording all the shadows throughout the day, children write the time of the longest
and shortest shadow, as well as a sentence describing how they changed (size and
direction) over the day.
Class will conclude with a discussion of childrens predictions compared to their results.
Were your predictions similar or very different?
Was anyone surprised by the results?
Why students think the shadows acted in this way?
Conclude by confirming that it is related to the position of the sun - the higher the sun is
above you, the smaller the shadow; and the direction of the sunlight influences the
direction of the shadow.
Students record this in their workbooks to reason their shadow study results.

Homework: bring a shoe-box for next lesson
5 Learning Experience 5: day and night diorama and presentation (evaluate) Summative Building a Diorama
(assess childrens overall worksheet (for students
Without looking at the word wall, students will brainstorm the words and facts they have learning of day and night, how it who request) [see
learnt so far about day, night and the way Earth moves. occurs, use of appropriate Appendix 4]
Revise how the earth rotates on its axis through class discussion, with one student technical vocabulary and ability 1x piece of writing paper
volunteering to demonstrate an anticlockwise rotation. to communicate findings using (for
What is the axis? What does it look like? a rubric) description/explanation of
Does the sun move? Is it bigger, smaller or the same size as earth? Self-assessment diorama)
Explain task: (children reflect on learning Shoe-boxes (collected
making a diorama, featuring a rotating Earth and a Sun, that will show day and using a self-evaluation from class)
night on Earth. It will be accompanied by a written explanation of how day and worksheet) Different sized Styrofoam
night are caused (in students own words). Students will present these individually balls
to he class, reading their explanation and demonstrating how their Earth rotates Styrofoam disks
on its axis. Wooden skewers
 Go over rubric criteria with the class, writing key criteria on the board to assist Torches
students. Glue
Tell children they may use the materials to construct a diorama in their own way, or using Colouring utensils (for
the instructions provided [see Appendix 6]. decorating)
Students work on this individually, presenting their final product at the end of the lesson. Day and Night
Teacher will assess their 3D model, explanation of day and night and presentation against Presentation marking
the criteria listed in the Day and Night Assessment Rubric [see Appendix 5]. rubric [see Appendix 5]
To conclude, after all have presented, children individually complete the Self-Evaluation Self-evaluation form [see
Form [see Appendix 6] to assess their own work. Appendix 6]

 Appendices
Appendix 1

(each section = 1 A4 page)

Appendix 2

Date:

Lesson: What Makes Day and Night?

Notes regarding:
Demonstration of Earths rotation
Student Name Identification of day and night
Understanding/use of related vocabulary (e.g. identifies clockwise and anti-
clockwise)
Appendix 3

Date:
Science Inquiry: Investigating Shadows
Recognises
Correctly Correctly Correctly
Clearly and connections
Makes identifies identifies identifies
accurately between sun
Student Name logical time of time of trend in Other observations
records changes/Earths
predictions longest shortest shadow
changes rotation/shadow
shadow shadow direction
changes
Appendix 4

Follow the steps below to help you create your 3D system:

1. Write your name on the back of your shoe-box and on the
lid.

2. Lay the shoe-box horizontally, with the lid underneath it (see
picture)

3. Decorate the inside of your shoe-box to resemble outer-space.


4. Colour the Styrofoam balls to create your model Earth and Sun. Label each.

5. Glue the Styrofoam disk to the shoe-box ceiling, where you want the Sun to hang.


6. Insert one end of the skewer into the Sun ball and the other end of the skewer into
the Styrofoam disk to keep it in place.

7. Place the Earth ball on bamboo another skewer so that the Earth can be held from
above and rotated.


8. Make a hole on the ceiling of the shoe box for where you wish to position your
Earth model, so you may spin the skewer from the outside of the box (making the
Earth rotate).

9. Write your explanation of how day and night are created on the paper provided.


10. Stick down explanation on the lid, in front of the shoe box (see picture).
Appendix 5
Appendix 6