AThe sun turns off at night and turns back on in the morning
BClouds cover the sun every night
CEarth spins, and at night your part of Earth faces away from the sun, so you are in the shadow
DThe moon blocks the sun every night
Earth is always spinning (rotating), completing one full turn every 24 hours. When your part of Earth faces toward the sun, you experience day -- sunlight reaches you. As Earth keeps spinning, your part turns away from the sun, and you enter the shadow -- that is night. The sun never stops shining; you just cannot see it because you are facing the wrong direction.
Question 2 True / False
The sun moves across the sky from east to west most days.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
It looks like the sun moves across the sky, but it is actually Earth that is moving. Earth spins (rotates) from west to east, which makes the sun appear to move from east to west -- like how trees seem to move backward when you look out a car window. The sun stays roughly in place; Earth's rotation creates the illusion of a moving sun.
Question 3 Short Answer
If it is daytime where you live, is it also daytime everywhere else on Earth? Explain.
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: No. When it is daytime where you live, it is nighttime on the opposite side of Earth. Only the half of Earth facing the sun has daylight. The other half is in shadow and experiences night. As Earth spins, different parts take turns having day and night.
This fact makes the spinning-Earth model concrete and testable. Children can verify it by calling relatives in different time zones or checking what time it is in other countries -- direct evidence that day and night do not happen everywhere simultaneously.