Question bank: Daily Periods

Every day, we see the Sun rise in the sky in the morning, it goes up until it is high at noon and then goes down until it disappears on the horizon in the afternoon. This repeating cycle is called day and night. Have you ever stopped to think why this happens? It's because the Earth is spinning around itself, as if it were a ball spinning in the air. This movement is what makes the Sun appear to move in the sky. So, I want you to tell me: Why do we have day and night?

Have you ever noticed that the day has different parts, such as morning, afternoon, and night? This happens because the Earth is always spinning around itself, as if it were a big carousel in space. When the place where you are rotates away from the Sun, it is night, and when it rotates towards the Sun, it is day. Now, think about the path the Sun takes in the sky during the day. It rises from one side, crosses the sky, and sets on the other side. How does this movement of the Sun in the sky help us understand that the Earth is rotating? Explain what you understand about the Earth's rotation movement and how it causes day and night to happen.

Julia is learning about the movements of the Earth and observes that the sun rises in the morning and sets in the afternoon. She has learned that this phenomenon is related to the rotation of the Earth. Considering what Julia has learned, explain how the Earth's rotation influences the occurrence of day and night, and how this relates to the sun appearing on the horizon every morning and disappearing on the horizon every afternoon.

João likes to observe the sky every night before going to sleep. He notices that the stars and the Moon always appear at different times. During his observations, João notices that when he goes to sleep, a star is very visible in the sky, but when he wakes up, this star can no longer be seen. Based on the knowledge about Earth's movement, explain why João can observe the star before going to sleep and not when he wakes up. Use the concepts of Earth's rotation and the position of the stars in the sky throughout the day to support your answer.

Our planet Earth rotates around itself, in a movement called rotation, which causes the alternation between day and night. Think carefully and tell us: Why do you think this rotation movement is important for life on Earth? How do you think it would be if the Earth stopped spinning? Describe what you imagine.