The Apparent Motion of the Sun

360° interactive virtual lessons designed for elementary-school students.

Spring

The First Day of Spring

Learning Module #1

  • Examine how and why our star - the Sun - appears to move through our day-time sky on the first day of spring.
  • Learn about the cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west.)
  • Find out why we experience day and night.
  • Learn about what's stopping us from seeing the night-time stars during the day.

It's all about our solid, spinning earth.
Approximately 10 minutes.

The Changing Stars

The Changing Stars

Learning Module #2

  • Examine how the night-time stars appears to move through our sky.
  • Find simple patterns in the night-time stars.
  • Learn how to find the Big Dipper and Polaris, the north star.
  • Examine how the Earth's spinning motion explains the apparent movement of the stars during the night.
  • Examine how the Earth's orbit around the Sun allows us to see different stars at different times of the year.

It's all about how the Earth moves.
Approximately 10 minutes.

Summer, Fall, and Winter

Summer, Fall, and Winter

Learning Module #3

  • Examine how and why the Sun appears to move through our sky differently during different seasons.
  • Learn about the ordinal directions (northeast, southwest, etc.)
  • Examine how the Earth's orbit around the Sun and the Earth's tilted axis combine to produce seasons.

It's mostly about the Earth's tilt.
Approximately 10 minutes.