Grades 3-5
30 activities—225 pages

Elementary students are fascinated by space and love to learn about the relationships among the Earth, moon, and sun. They are also intrigued by how our days and seasons are affected by these relationships. This newly released book reveals the wonderful patterns and connections among the Earth, sun, and moon through a variety of engaging activities.

A reader’s theater allows students to learn pertinent facts about the Earth in the activity “As the Earth Turns.” Selected students will read from a fun-to-follow script that includes characters Skye Blue, Sammy Sun, Ellen Earth, and Manny Moon. Questions following the performance highlight key information learned during the drama.

 “Sun Sketchers” has students tracking the location of the sun in relationship to the school flagpole several times over three days. In “Make a Sundial,” students use a paper plate, coffee stirrer, and clay to make their own sundial to chart shadows at given times of the day. Both activities illustrate predictable patterns pertaining to the sun’s apparent movement.

 Earth, Moon, and Sun provides creative instruction for the following space science topics:

• Earth, Moon, and Sun

Students will model the sizes of the Earth, moon, and sun; explore orbits of the moon and Earth; scale the distance between the sun and Earth; keep track of the phases of the moon; look at moon characteristics; and relate tides heights to the moon phases.

• Seasons, Shadows, Day and Night

Students will mark and measure their shadows throughout the day to indirectly observe the sun’s apparent motion; make sundials; relate Earth’s rotation to day and night; research the varying lengths of day and night; and investigate the reasons for the seasons (Earth’s revolution and tilted axis).

Many concepts in Earth, Moon, and Sun are reinforced through rubber band books—small, easily assembled student books that present information in a kid-friendly way. Students can keep and refer to these later as well as take them home to discuss and share with their parents.