---
title: "Spinning and orbiting"
subtitle: "Year 7 Earth and space · The Earth and the sun · Lesson 1"
---

# Spinning and orbiting

**Name:** {{field-24}} **Date:** {{field-15}} **Class:** {{field-15}}

> **Key question:** Right now you are spinning at about 1400 km/h (in Canberra) and flying round the sun at about 107 000 km/h. You don't feel either.


:::teacher-note

**In one sentence:** Students distinguish the Earth's rotation from its revolution, link each to day and night and the year, and describe the tilted axis that keeps its direction (AC9S7U03, node 1, a hinge node).

**Students should be able to say:** I can explain the difference between rotation and revolution. I can link rotation to day and night, and revolution to the year. I can describe the Earth's tilted axis and how it points.

**Width:** the unmarked parts are the floor every student does (Engage, Explore, Explain, Evaluate). Typical and Wider sections add contexts, not difficulty. Students work in the online tutorial alongside this sheet.

:::


## Engage


:::keep-together

**What causes day and night?**

☐ The Earth spins on its axis once a day

☐ The sun goes round the Earth once a day

☐ The moon blocks the sun at night

☐ The Earth goes round the sun once a day

My prediction, and why:

{{lines-3}}

:::


:::teacher-note

**What happens:** The Earth spins (rotates) on its axis once a day. The half facing the sun has day. Going round the sun (revolving) takes a whole year.

:::


## Explore

Try it on the board in the tutorial. Was your prediction right? What was different?

{{lines-2}}

## Explain: rotation, revolution and tilt


:::keep-together

### Which cycle

**Rotation (spinning) or revolution (orbiting)?**

Groups: Rotation, Revolution

- Takes about 24 hours: {{field-15}}
- Takes about 365¼ days: {{field-15}}
- Causes day and night: {{field-15}}
- The sun seems to rise in the east: {{field-15}}
- Goes through the seasons once: {{field-15}}
- Different stars are in the night sky in June and December: {{field-15}}

:::


:::teacher-note

**Answer:** Takes about 24 hours → Rotation; Takes about 365¼ days → Revolution; Causes day and night → Rotation; The sun seems to rise in the east → Rotation; Goes through the seasons once → Revolution; Different stars are in the night sky in June and December → Revolution

:::


:::keep-together

### Spins in a year

**About how many times does the Earth spin in one trip round the sun?**

Answer: {{field-15}}

:::


:::teacher-note

**Answer:** 365

About 365¼ times, which is why we add a leap day every four years.

:::


:::keep-together

### The axis

**During Play a year, what did the Earth's axis do?**

☐ It flipped over at midyear

☐ It always leaned towards the sun

☐ It stood straight up

☐ It kept pointing the same way in space, so sometimes the north end leans towards the sun and sometimes away

:::


:::teacher-note

**Answer:** It kept pointing the same way in space, so sometimes the north end leans towards the sun and sometimes away

:::


:::typical

## Elaborate: what a person notices across a year


:::keep-together

**A student in Canberra records sunset time every week for a year. What pattern will they find?**

☐ Sunset changes randomly

☐ Sunset is latest in June and earliest in December

☐ Sunset gets later until early January, then earlier until mid-June, then later again: a yearly cycle

☐ Sunset is at the same time every day

:::


:::teacher-note

**Answer:** Sunset gets later until early January, then earlier until mid-June, then later again: a yearly cycle

:::

:::


:::wider

## Elaborate: different places


:::keep-together

### Longest day

**On 22 December, where is the day longest: Darwin, Canberra, Hobart or Davis station (Antarctica)?**

☐ Davis station: the sun doesn't set at all

☐ Canberra

☐ Darwin

☐ They are all 12 hours

:::


:::teacher-note

**Answer:** Davis station: the sun doesn't set at all

:::

:::


## Evaluate: look back

Write one sentence: "At first I thought… Now I think… because…"

**Revision summary**

- **Rotation:** the Earth spins on its axis once a day: day and night.
- **Revolution:** the Earth goes round the sun once a year (about 365¼ days, about 365 spins).
- The **axis is tilted 23.4°** and always points the same way in space, so each hemisphere leans towards the sun for half the year.

## Exit ticket

:::keep-together

**What is the difference between rotation and revolution?**

{{lines-3}}

:::


:::teacher-note

**Answer:** Rotation is the Earth spinning on its axis (once a day, causing day and night); revolution is the Earth travelling round the sun (once a year).

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