Day and Night

Overview

This 40-minute introductory lesson is the first of a 10-lesson unit titled "Exploring Daily and Seasonal Changes" for 1st Grade students. It introduces the concept of day and night, focusing on Earth’s rotation and how it influences their daily routines. The lesson is closely aligned with the Ontario Curriculum for Science and Technology (Grade 1), specifically the strand Understanding Structures and Mechanisms, as it relates to natural phenomena.

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Curriculum Expectations

Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum, Grade 1 (2018)
Overall Expectation: Demonstrate an understanding of daily and seasonal changes in the environment.

Specific Expectations:

• Understanding Basic Concepts:
  1.1 – Describe observable patterns of daily and seasonal changes, including the pattern of day and night.
  1.2 – Identify different ways in which living things, including themselves, respond to these changes.

• Inquiry Skills and Communication:
  1.3 – Use appropriate science and technology vocabulary in discussions related to daily and seasonal changes.
  1.4 – Record observations using pictures, words, or charts.

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Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Describe what day and night are.
• Explain that the Earth rotates on its axis to cause day and night.
• Connect their own daily routines (morning, afternoon, night activities) to the concepts of day and night.
• Express observations about how they experience day and night in their lives.

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Materials Needed

• Globe or ball (to simulate the Earth)
• Flashlight (to simulate the Sun)
• Large paper and markers
• Whiteboard and markers
• Student science notebooks or plain paper for drawing
• Daily routine picture cards (e.g., waking up, eating lunch, bedtime)
• Timer or stopwatch

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Lesson Structure

1. Engagement (5 minutes)

• Begin by asking: “What do you do during the day? What do you do at night?”
• Gather ideas from 5-6 students to start a conversation.
• Show a prepared chart listing students’ favourite day and night activities.
• Introduce the idea: “Today we will learn why we have day and night!”

2. Exploration (10 minutes)

• Demonstration: Using the globe and flashlight, simulate day and night.

  • Darken the classroom slightly.
  • Shine the flashlight on the globe and slowly rotate it.
  • Explain: “Where the light shines, it is daytime. Where it is dark, it is night.”
  • Emphasize that the Earth is spinning (rotating) which causes this change.

• Student Participation:

  • Have 2-3 students spin the globe themselves while another shines the flashlight.
  • Encourage them to observe the light and dark parts on the globe.

3. Explanation (10 minutes)

• Connect the demonstration to student routines.

  • “When the sun shines on the place where we live, it is daytime and we do activities like going to school or playing outside.”
  • “When the sun is not shining, it is night, and we sleep or rest.”

• Use the daily routine picture cards to sort activities under “Day” and “Night” on a large chart.

• Facilitate students to explain why certain activities fit day or night.

4. Application (10 minutes)

• Have students draw two pictures in their notebooks or on plain paper:

  • Something they do during the day.
  • Something they do at night.

• Circulate and encourage students to use simple science words like "daytime," "nighttime," "Sun," "dark," and "Earth spins" as appropriate.

5. Consolidation and Assessment (5 minutes)

• Invite a few volunteers to share their drawings and explain their activity and why it happens during the day or night.

• Ask reflective questions:

  • “Why do you think the Earth has day and night?”
  • “What would happen if the Earth stopped spinning?”

• Summative check: Teacher listens for understanding and use of key vocabulary during sharing.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For ELL or struggling learners:
  Provide picture cards to support vocabulary. Use simple sentences and gestures during explanations. Pair with a buddy during activities.

• For advanced learners:
  Ask questions about what else might happen if the Earth spins faster or slower. Have them predict other daily changes.

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Classroom Management Tips

• Give clear rules for when students are handling the globe and flashlight to avoid distractions or damage.
• Use a timer to keep transitions smooth and maintain lesson pacing.

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Extensions and Home Connections

• Suggest families observe the sky at different times (morning, afternoon, night) and talk about what they see.
• Encourage students to describe their own daily routine patterns to family members using the vocabulary learned.

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Reflection (For Teacher Use)

• Were students able to explain the concept of day and night in their own words?
• Did the globe and flashlight demonstration effectively enhance understanding?
• How engaged were students in connecting the science concept to their daily lives?
• What adjustments might be needed for the next lesson in the unit?

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This lesson plan combines tactile, visual, and verbal learning to meet Ontario’s curriculum goals while fostering curiosity about the natural world in a way that is accessible and engaging for 1st graders.