Attention Getter: Day or Night?
Give each child a popsicle stick with a sun and one with a moon. Show them pictures of activities we do in the day and activities we do at night. When they see a picture, let them hold up the picture that represents whether they do it during the day or at night.
*You can scroll through these examples of the pictures we used for this activity.
Activity 1: The Earth's Rotation
Point out that the sun shines on half the world and it is day, while the other half has nighttime. On a globe, place a small paper figure on the location of where you live. Stick a paper figure on the opposite side too. Darken the room and use a flashlight to represent the sun. Turn the globe slowly. The children can observe what causes day and night.
Book: Touch the Brightest Star
Activity 2: The Sun, Moon and Stars
Have a large sun, Earth, moon and stars (one for each child) displayed on the teacher board. Ask the class, “What is the difference between day and night?" And “What makes it daytime and what makes it nighttime?” Lead the discussion to the sun, moon, Earth and stars. As you talk about each one, help the class recognize what each is made of. Have small cutouts of fire, soil, air, and water.
As you point to the sun, ask the class what it is, and what it is made of. When they identify fire, put a piece of fire on it. Then talk about the Earth. Help the children recognize that earth is not made of fire, but rather of land, air and water. Put small pictures to represent land, air and water on the earth and point out that people need land, air and water to live. Repeat with the moon. Place a picture of land on it, but point out that it does not have air and water. "Could people live there?" Then, point to the stars and ask if the class can guess what they are made of. Discuss how most stars are similar to the sun. They are made out of fire. But they look so small because they are so far away. Tell the class that you are going to give each one of them a star and they are going to get to tape it somewhere in the room, far, far away.
Bonus: Center Idea!
One of our favorite center ideas for this unit is what we call "Starry Starry Letters." For this center activity, give each child a small chalkboard and piece of chalk. Let them sit on the floor and darken the room. Tell them that they get to look at the sky and see the Starry Starry Letters. When they see one, they get to write it on their board. Place one letter at a time on an overhead projector and let the children write. They love it!
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