Earth's rotation with a globe and flashlight: a 5th grade space science model
What it is: a 5th grade earth and space activity where students model day and night with a flashlight and a globe, tracking a sticker on their city through one full rotation. Students explain that day and night are caused by Earth spinning on its axis, not by the Sun moving around Earth.
Time: about 30 minutes. Grade: 5th grade.
Materials: a globe or a ball on a pencil axis per group, a flashlight, a small sticker for your city and one for a city on the other side of the world, and a darkened room.
- Ask: "Why do we have day and night?" Record ideas, including the common idea that the Sun moves around Earth.
- Groups place stickers on their city and on a city on the other side of the world. One student holds the flashlight still.
- Another student turns the globe slowly counterclockwise (seen from above the North Pole). Students call out sunrise, noon, sunset and midnight for their city.
- Ask: "When it's noon here, what time is it in the other city?"
- Students draw and label the model, using the words rotation and axis, and revisit their first ideas.
Safety: keep the flashlight pointed at the globe, never at faces, and leave a little light on in the room.
Differentiation: students who need support track one city only. Students who are ready explain why the Sun appears to rise in the east. English learners can use the words rotate, axis, sunrise and sunset.
Quick check: ask a student to show with the globe what time of day it is for a city facing away from the flashlight.
Need it for another grade or subject? Ask us on the request page and our team will write it.
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About this resource
- Shared by
- @UpOnlyLearning · Curriculum team
- Posted
- Oct 30, 2026
- Type
- Lesson plan
- Grade
- Grades 3–5
- Subject
- Science
- Language
- English
- License
- Free for classroom, co-op and tutoring use. Please don't resell.