Hello! How can I explain to 2nd-grade students with an activity how do planets rotate around the sun? Thank you in Advance.
Kate, let us know whether you're teaching in a classroom or online, and that will help us to suggest appropriate activities. It's important to note that planets do not 'rotate around the sun.' Planets revolve around the sun, while they rotate (spin) about an imaginary line we call the axis of rotation. Rotation and revolution can be illustrated with a model, a diagram, or kinesthetically. There are lots of good animations and videos illustrating rotation and revolution. Students can watch one of those and then answer questions about it. Also, a spinning Earth globe nicely shows rotation. for revolution, you can carry the globe around a bright light bulb representing the sun (while spinning the globe). It's the rotation (spinning ) that gives us day and night. Let me know if you'd like more information.
Matt
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