How fast does the Earth spin?

How fast does the Earth spin?

Lesson narration:
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DISCUSS:

How do we know the Earth is moving, and not the Sun?

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DISCUSS:

How fast is the Earth spinning? (How many miles or kilometers an hour?)

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Anchor Connection

DISCUSS:

Look at the "Wonder" column of your class See-Think-Wonder chart.

  • Have any of your questions been answered by this lesson?
  • Do you have any new questions?
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Slide Image
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Slide Image

planet


1 of 5

a large, round object in outer space that orbits a star
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axis


2 of 5

an imaginary line that goes through the North Pole and South Pole of the Earth
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rotate


3 of 5

to spin or turn around a central point, like the Earth around its axis
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model


4 of 5

a pretend version of something that scientists use when the real thing is too big, small, or complicated to work with
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circumference


5 of 5

the distance around a circle
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Lesson narration:

Activity Prep

Print Prep

THIS LESSON WAS REVISED ON JULY 1, 2019. Here is a link to the previous version.
In this lesson, students come to understand that the setting Sun isn’t moving, the Earth is spinning. In the activity, Spinning Earth, students use their bodies as a kinesthetic model of the Earth to understand how the speed of the Earth’s spin affects the length of a day.

Preview activity

Exploration

15 mins

Wrap-Up

5 mins

Extend this lesson

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